Wednesday Q & J, January 25, 2023
Q: What is B.I.C.?
J: Haha–a joke and yet not a joke. It stands for (another joke) Butt In Chair. It means that if you want to be a writer, you have to have a lot of butt in chair time, hands on the keys time, close and quiet, long hours doing the work. A book does not write itself. Even a less -than 500 word children’s picture books need you to sit down and write. One of my latest books –ELEFANTASY has only 22 words more than half of which I made up. It took me approximately 17 weeks to write it. And more than that to re-write it! Butt in chair indeed.
Bonus Q from Reader Jeannette Suhr
Q: What would be different about the advice you would give to a new writer today as opposed to 10, 20 or 30+ years ago?
J: Keep a careful eye (through Horn Book or ALA stuff or a subscription to Publisher’s Weekly) for new small children’s publishing houses or editors starting their own imprint. Plus definitely try to get an agent. Through SCBWI you can find lists of agents. But, what doesn’t change is my advice to keep writing……