Write Who You Are with Ellen Hopkins

WRITE WHO YOU ARE: THE VALUE OF AUTHENTICITY 

Ellen Hopkins is the award-winning author of twenty nonfiction books for young readers, fourteen New York Times best-selling YA verse novels, two middle grade verse novels, and four novels for adult readers.

Ellen shares a bit of her own personal story being adopted, and we get the treat of hearing from her upcoming book FINDING OLIVIA which includes impressions from her experience. 

Sit down with this as Ellen gives us different exercises to explore who we are to use in our own work. 

*The idea is to just job down impressions. 

Starting with OUR FAMILIES. List your family members. What comes to mind? Jot down the impressions, sensory details (scent, taste, sound). Take a few minutes for each.

Then follow with:

Where you grew up

Your schools

Places you've lived

Places you've visited (What about those places standout in your mind? Ellen notes that it's hard to write about a place you've never been.)

Activities/Hobbies

Sports/Games

Vehicles

Music/TV/Movies

Take all of those impressions and write an I AM poem. (Writing an I AM poem is an exercise you can find in THE WRITE TO READ by Leslie Roessing.) 

Ellen shares her I AM poem with us, with all of her wonderful sensory and specific details (generated from this exercise) which show us an amazingly full view of who she is, impressions she infuses into her work. And, Ellen has generously allowed me to share the poem here. It will give you a great example of the kind of impressions she pulled from the exercise. Thank you, Ellen.

Introduction

by Ellen Hopkins

I am the daughter of ambition,

the mother of addiction,

the guardian of outcomes

of choices poorly made.

I am chin stubble met with a straight

razor. Skin Bracer, pipe tobacco, Irish Spring. 

Weekend Johnny Walker Black. Church

every Sunday. A deep freeze stuffed

with venison, beef. Mama’s fried chicken. 

Tide scented sheets, snapping dry

on the clothesline beneath an olive tree.

Stories read out loud every night before bed.

I am the Owl & the Pussycat,

Great Expectations, Treasure Island.

Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.

Lou Grant. Mash. Cheers. The X Files.

Sound of Music. Butch Cassidy. A Clockwork Orange.

A Day in the Life. Bohemian Rhapsody. Dark Side of the Moon.

I am literature, theater, choir, piano, dance.

Self-taught. Well taught. I am educated.

I am Lamaze, breastmilk, fresh blender

baby food. Miscarriage. Ectopic loss.

Parent teacher conferences. Lessons.

Little League. Soccer. Blue ribbons.

Report cards. Kidnapping. Reunion. Disabilities.

I am palms. Pines. Citrus and sequoias.

Mist and sun showers, filtering down

through cedar canopies. Live oaks

and alfalfa, wine grapes and prune plums,

hot and sticky sweet when summer smiles.

I am freeway. Highway. Byway. Bike path.

Snow to shovel. Wood to stack. Soil to turn.

I am granite cheeked mountains. Pacific coast

melodies. The low glow of high desert wetlands

beneath the thunder of wild horse feet.

I am grumbling trains. Listing covered bridges. 

Windmills that turn for no reason. Waterfall

plunge, geyser liftoff, a rift in the face of the earth. 

Breeze blown canals, tulip mosaics, castles 

and harbor bridges. Spire, glacier, and sand.

I am rodeo. Gymkhana. Horse shows. 

Bareback excursions that last all day.

German shepherds, teddy bear puppies.

I am hoeing, growing, weeding. Encouraging

bees and butterflies. Tomatoes and salsa. 

Cucumbers, pickles. Pies and bread from scratch. 

I am in the zone, on pavement and trail.

Dropping over the cornice, air beneath skis.

I am Say Hey Candlestick, PacBell Posey.

Football scorekeeper, riding the team bus.

Monopoly in front of the woodstove, 

snow buzzing against the windows.

Yahtzee by lantern light, with smores, 

lukewarm cocoa, hotter toddies. 

I am enduro maneuvers, quads over boulders.

Cross country van trips, solo.

Downshifting the big block, going eighty. 

Never looking in the rearview mirror.

I am word weaver. Life giver. Caretaker. 

Lover. Partner. Hands that blanket pain.

Decolonizing Fiction with Antoinette Van Sluytman

Antoinette's breakout session is called "Decolonizing Fiction: The Nuance of Representation"

Antoinette Van Sluytman (center) appears with ASL interpreter Caroline

Antoinette Van Sluytman is a speculative writer, graphic designer, junior literary agent, part-time museum and writing convention volunteer, and freelance illustrator with a background in traditional fine art, having attended many local art shows in San Diego, California. While studying for her bachelors in graphic design at The NewSchool of Architecture and Design as an honors student, Antoinette works as a part-time literary assistant at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency, helping illustrators and writers with highlight campaigns and editorial development. Antoinette also volunteers at the African Diaspora Museum & Research Center and at writing nonprofit organization, WriteHive, as a diversity ally, artist professional in residence, and moderator. Antoinette considers herself an entrepreneurial scholartist who advocates for countering literary hegemony through speculative radicalism and diverse narratives within the mediums of art and writing.

Antoinette begins with a discussion of what Colonization was and is, including the -isms that came with it, including sexism, ableism, homophobia, classism, imperialism, and racism.

Colonization was about power. Power was about wealth. And wealth was about land... [and controlling the labor of other people.] ...And maintaining a pipeline of wealth for the colonizers.

Antoinette talks about the pitfalls of our Western patterns of storytelling and how we project it into our fiction. Patterns like a hero with an enemy to defeat, and the lack of matriarchal systems in fiction. Where are the matriarchies in fiction? Or equating the color black with evil, which is a cultural thing. Or how the color red has different meanings in China than in the west...

Story structure (i.e., the hero's journey) is also discussed. "Villains may not be a person but a system." Self-actualization can be seen as a form of freedom to achieve. The examples of different narrative structures Antoinette shared included Kishōtenkentsu, a 4 act narrative structure 1) introduction 2) development 3) twist or catalyst 4) conclusion - different parts of story come together in a finale. 

Antoinette also discusses the way we write different ways of speaking - and asks us to be aware of the negative impact of other-izing it (like by using italics for words in non-English language).

There's lots more covered, including tropes to avoid, and the importance of un-colonizing our minds and the choices we make - for example Antoinette points out that we scorn the Maasai cultural practice of drinking a mix of cow blood and milk but we drink coca-cola, a mix of acid and sugar! 

One more great point made by Antoinette in this presentation:

"Diversity is a spectrum and not a monolith that we can conform to... Diversity is more than just skin." —Antoinette Van Sluytman

Art Directors Panel: Sophie Paas-Lang

Sophie Paas-Lang is a designer for the Tundra Book Group at Penguin Random House, Canada, which she joined in 2021 after years of designing covers and typesetting books for adults. As an illustrator herself, she relishes the creative opportunities working on children’s books provides. These are some of the covers Sophie has illustrated:

And here are some of the middle grade titles she’s art directed recently! Sophie loves working with new artists and helping them break into and learn about the industry via cover illustration jobs:

Sophie ALSO works on picture books, “They light up my life,” she says, but since picture books take such a long time to come out, with only a few maybe publishing at a time per list, not all of these may be out yet if you are looking at bookstores:

Pat asks: WHERE and HOW are you finding new artists? 

Instagram is great to keep track of illustrators but Sophie often finds interesting and specific artists on Twitter and she likes to search via relevant hashtags like #Portfolioday #womenwhodraw

How has art changed, or has it, in the past few years? 

Ipad and Procreate have allowed people to move very quickly in producing art, but the art can also have a bit of sameness to it, creator to creator. Sophie is still a fan of Procreate, but that an artist should also find ways to differentiate themselves… and a reminder that final publish files need to be Photoshop files for the printer, Procreate is still not a printer-ready format.

What are you looking for?

When looking for new artists, it's usually for a particular manuscript, so what Sophie is looking for really depends on what is in the manuscript: Setting types, human or animal or ? character types. Showcase what you want to be drawing and Sophie will be searching for what fits when it’s right, or will remember that you are ‘the one’ who can do something for a certain project one day.

How and how many artists do you consider for a project?

Ten names is considered a large list at Tundra for potential illustrators for a project. The whole design team reads the manuscript ant then they each come up with suggestions. And the manuscript’s editor will also have suggestions, everyone is looking at and sharing portfolios.

Pandemic-related changes to art directing?

Supply chain issues have made more limitations to printing, there’s a huge paper shortage right now impacting publishing in the extreme, size limits and now you'd be very unlikely to get to print on uncoated paper.

Art Directors Panel: Marikka Tamura

Marikka's book, Penguins Don't Wear Sweaters

Marikka Tamura is an Art Director at Penguin Books and author of Penguin's Don't Wear Sweaters. She started working in publishing in 1999 as a designer.

The last two years have impacted the landscape of children's book illustrations. These changes have been reflected in how illustrators show up. The rise of awareness and inclusion has shaken up the illustration community.

 

Despite the challenges of the last two years, Marikka's team has produced multiple titles, most notably, Jacqueline Woodson's, The Year We Learned to Fly. It was honored with the 2020 Schneider Family Book Award by the American Library Association, among a host of other awards.

 

  

Here are questions answered from the panel Q&A.

Where you do you find talent? 

Marikka finds illustrators through https://www.womenwhodraw.com/ and Instagram to find new talent. 

What changes have you seen in illustration? 

There's been a shift toward digital illustration. Original artwork has become more difficult to manage since people are no longer in the office. 

Has communication changed with artists? 

Marikka has seen one artist in-person, but most artists communicate via video. 

Do you keep illustration samples?

Marikka keeps samples in folders from various artists. If you're planning to email art directors, showcase your best work upfront! Keep trying and put your best foot forward.

Marikka Tamura is an art director and designer at Penguin Books for Young Readers where she works for two imprints, G. P. Putnam’s Sons and Nancy Paulsen Books. Over her more than twenty-five years in the industry, she’s lucky to have worked with many of the pillars of children’s literature and is equally excited to work with up-and-coming artists. She is a published author. She lives and works in New York City.

Missed this workshop? Check out the video archives here. https://www.scbwi.org/event-summer-conference-2022/video-archive/

Enjoyed this recap? RT the post on Twitter so others can check it out.

 

Art Directors Panel: Jasmin Rubero

Jasmin Rubero is an art director with Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House. She has designed books by critically acclaimed and best-selling artists and authors, including the New York Times best-selling Ladybug Girl series by Jacky Davis and David Soman; Pura Belpré Award winner Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes by Juan Felipe Herrera, illustrated by Raul Colón; and Junot Díaz’s debut picture book Islandborn, illustrated by Leo Espinosa.

On how Kokila has handled the pandemic:

Kokila is celebrating three years of publishing! They've been very productive during the pandemic—no slowing down for them. Here are a few of the books they've published during the pandemic:

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, written by Nikole Hannah-Jones and  Renée Watson, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith is one of their greatest honors.

On finding new talent:

Rubero often finds new artists while searching out Google or other social networks. They are always on the lookout for artists who've never published in picture books. Many have been fine artists who never illustrated picture books before—some even turned down offers to do children's books--go figure! Rubero enjoys finding creators from different fields to tell stories.

She also noted that more artists are now creating digital, and agreed with Sophie Paas-Lang of Tundra Books that a danger of digital can be a sameness of look. It's getting to where an art director knows a work was created in Procreate because many illustrators are using the same tools and techniques. Whatever program is used, the final artwork needs to be delivered in Photoshop, because that's how it goes to the printer.

When looking at portfolios, Rubero will often try to find an artist whose work matches the subject matter. For instance, with a recent book, the subject was about a woodcarver. She sought out an illustrator who knew about woodcarving. 

Quick questions

Q. Postcards: Still using them? 

A. Yes, please send.

Q. TikTok? 

A. No

Q. How do you feel about author-illustrators? 

A. We welcome them! If you have a great story, send along!

Q. Do you ever ask an illustrator to submit a sample or character sketches when considering them for a manuscript?

A. Yes, and there is a separate fee for that, too. 

Q. Advice for kinds of trends?

A. More of the non-human characters (say animals as kids) with cultural specificity. 

Q. Does cultural editing happen?

A. Yes. We're not going to know everything, but when we know there's a problem, we need to make the change. We use expert/sensitivity readers.  

Q. On working with an artist illustrating outside of their race. 
A. There will be more work for you. More revision, more research. 

Q. How much input do authors have in art and choice of illustrators?
A. Sometimes authors do have a vision about the art or illustrator, but that should be discussed at acquisitions. 

Q. Are you working on a project right now and what are you hunting for in an illustrator? 

A. I'm working on a back-to-school manuscript with a main character with a big personality. Looking for someone to create humorous moments—to add to the story with a visual language. 

Art Directors Panel: Sharismar Rodriguez

 

Sharismar Rodriguez is a senior art director at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, where she designs and art directs creative picture books and graphic novels with her team for Feiwel & Friends, FSG Books for Young Readers, Henry Holt BYR, and Roaring Book Press imprints. 

Her first day at Macmillan was the first day they were all set to work from home, so she started her job remotely. But the pandemic taught her how to adapt. Streamlining has become a keyword in the industry. 

Sharismar shares Outside, Inside by Leuyen Pham, a moving picture book celebrating the central workers and the community that came together. Sharismar says it was an interesting project to work with, because it was produced in such a short timeline, because they were so eager to get it out to the world. It is a reflection of how our industry has shifted with timelines and the way it's been adapting. The industry has been resilient in bouncing back.

Especially since the pandemic, how and where are you finding new people?

"I love seeing work of students that are about to jump into the world."

Have you notice any change in illustration style? 

Digital art has evolved so much, and Sharismar has seen a lot of artists who have worked traditionally move to digital art. A lot of people are experimenting more and getting out of their comfort zones. 

Are there particular elements you're looking for when viewing a portfolio? 

A lot of times they are looking for someone/something that fits a specific book, but there are times it's just the opposite. They just see a sample and love it, then save or bookmark it in some way with hope they'll find a place for it. 

How much control does an artist have a choice over the cover?

The cover is the  main marketing tool. Sharismar says to all illustrators to please come with flexibility. There is a lot that needs to be considered. 

The Art Directors Panel Has Begun!

The #scbwiSummer22 Art Directors Panel is titled "The Changing Landscape in Children's Book Illustration"

Moderated by Pat Cummings, 

Pat Cummings

the panelists introduce themselves one-by-one:

Sharismar Rodriguez (Macmillan Children's Publishing Group)

Jasmin Rubero (Kokila)

Marikka Tamura (G.P. Putnam's Sons)

Sophie Paas-Lang (Tundra Books)

Look for individual blog posts with details on each of the art directors!

Keynote: Jessixa Bagley

JESSIXA BAGLEY is a children's book author-illustrator with a background in fine arts and comics. She has written and illustrated many award-winning picture books including: Boats for Papa, Laundry Day, and Daisy. Jessixa also teaches and speaks about writing and illustration. 

11 Things I've Learned in 11 Years

It has been 11 years since Jessixa's first SCBWI conference. She shares 11 things she wished someone had told her. 

1. Nobody's path to publishing is the same. 
2. If you're not published yet, you're not ready. (read the additional note below)
3. Never stop reading picture books.
4. Making books is collaborative. 
5. Making books takes more time than you would think. 
6. Allow yourself to evolve no matter how scary it feels. 
7. Put yourself into your work.
8. You'll always be hustling.
9. It isn't always about just making books. 
10. You'll always be able to find somebody to discourage you.
11. If you love it, pursue it regardless of the outcome. 

A cover reveal of Jessixa's next book! 

Regarding #2: In the Q&A Jessixa wanted to make it clear that she didn't mean that if you're not published your not ready, but that you have to put your work in front of the right people. She noted that you can't put the cart before the horse and submit when your work isn't there yet. The note here is not to rush. Give your story the time it needs. 

Pitch Perfect: Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch: Eddie Gamarra

Eddie Gamarra is a native New Yorker who’s been in the entertainment industry since the days of VHS (minus a brief career interlude into psychoanalysis and professordom). At Gotham Group he repped not only authors and artists, but publishers of all sizes, selling books on their behalf to the Hollywood market. In another role at Gotham he also sold books TO publishers as well as did a bit of bookpackaging. Today Eddie is VP, literary affairs, for Paramount Global’s Kids & Family Studio bookscouting for Nickelodeon and Awesomeness, so Eddie’s pitch advice today to writers and artists will cover a lot of ground awesomenessly.

Pitching has become more a part of children’s book publishing in the last decade or so, a culture change that’s led to new types of stories being sold as well as the increasing visibility social media allows to elevate new author and artist voices in online pitching events.

When we think about a log line, the quick sentence summary of your work that should start a pitch, accuracy is one thing—but just being accurate can be very misleading if you don’t craft one with care—here are some accurate log lines of well known stories: 

• Transported to a surreal landscape a young girl kills the first person she meets then teams up with three strangers to kill again.
• A moody teen encouraging her boyfriend to kill her.
• A boy left to fend off robbers after his parents abandon him.

Are all accurate, but misleading! To see accurate examples of a logline, consider looking at the copyright summaries found in published books. Within those copyright summaries you’ll see there are sets of details in all of them that follow a bit of a structure:

• A when and a where
• Information about the protagonist with some fundamental descriptors
• Their goal is mentioned 
• As well as the conflict to achieving that goal

You’ll also want to state in clear and simple terms the genre, tone, and demographic your story is aimed at. A good elevator pitch will share enough of a story's essential information in a logline for a potential buyer to understand why they should care about the main character’s core conflict (but keep it short! No more than 75 words).

Eddie goes on to define high and low concept ideas, watch the Zoom replay of his session especially for that golden nugget! Eddie also critiques attendees’ loglines submitted over the Zoom chat and to hear his live editing was fascinating and helpful.

A final reminder from Eddie: An elevator pitch DOES NOT MEAN pitch to someone in an elevator, in a restroom, in the dentist’s chair. You’ve only got one shot to make a first impression, learn to read the room: Editors and agents do want to hear pitches but at appropriate times and places.

Musicality: Crafting Picture Books with Cadence and Rhythm with Winsome Bingham #scbwiSummer22

Winsome Bingham is a soul food connoisseur and master cook (at dinner parties, reunions, and get-togethers). She is a teacher by trade, an author by choice, and a disabled military veteran by circumstance. She has more than 15 years of teaching experience. Her debut picture book, Soul Food Sunday (Abrams), illustrated by C.G. Esperanza, was selected as one of the New York Times’ best children’s books of 2021 and also a 2022 Coretta Scott King Book Award Illustrator Honor Book.

Bingham, who is also an editor at Reycraft, started her writing career at an SCBWI winter conference in NYC only a few years ago, submitting a manuscript that was acquired by an editor there. "This is where magic happens!," she crooned! Bingham's breakout session provided all the ingredients for writing a manuscript with musicality—stories that sing!

On where to find stories:

Look for memorable moments from childhood: first day of school; family reunions; family dinners, etc. 

Here are some examples of books inspired by childhood experiences: 

On using an engaging voice

Voice defines your character. It defines who they are by their speech, their action, their thoughts. It is the author's writing style or point of view. 

Here are a few examples of books with an amazing voice!

On how to start writing

We crate to to inspire...to tell amazing stories. Are you a writer? Or a storyteller. Once you decide, it will change the way you approach your craft. 

Things to think about:

Form. Will you use rhyme or prose?

Is your story based in fact—nonfiction!

Is your story made up—fiction!

Think about cadence, beats. You need to listen to your words out loud.

Mentor text suggestions:

On writing a first line

Every manuscript you need a strong first line. It sets the tone of the entire book—hooking the reader. In the first line, an author can establish the problem, setting, character. 

Amazing first line examples:

Onomatopoeia are sound words that adds playfulness. They allow the reader to experience the action rather than simply stating it. BEEP! CRASH! KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK! 

Excellent use of onomatopoeia:

 

Fun takeaway: there are no rules. Write a good story. 

Marketing Your Book on a Budget: Kelly Starling Lyons

I don't know about you but every time I leave the house, it's like $150+tax. Kelly Starling Lyons drops gems on marketing your book on a budget. 

Kelly Starling Lyons is helping us give our books a better chance. Kelly Starling Lyons is a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf, teaching artist, and award-winning children’s book author. She has written more than 20 books for young readers that span from easy readers to picture books and chapter books. She reminds authors to keep up the marketing effort, even after the book launches. 

Jada Jones - Book Marketing Plan

Lyons shares the importance of being a partner in helping our books succeed. The biggest investment we can make isn't financial, it's investing in yourself and others. Sweat equity will help put your book on people's radars.

 

 

In 2020, Lyons set out to launch Tiara's Hat Parade, but changed directions due Covid-19. Lyons pivoted to an online "parade" for the book launch of Tiara's Hat Parade. The launch included a Live Illustration Demonstration, a virtual author reading, and an author & illustrator Q&A.

 

Virtual Hat Parade

Her efforts led to Tiara's Hat Parade being selected as the March Book of the Month for Read Across America and was chosen as Read Across America Day! Lyons has a way of extracting the relevant content of her book and creating an experience. 

For example, Lyons dreamed of her book being on stage. Next week, Book-It-Repertory Theater is hosting auditions to transform Tiara's Hat Parade into a stage production through Washington State. 

Always have a call to action when promoting online. Posting a picture? Include a pre-order link. Sharing about an event? Include a link to your website.

 

Example of a virtual book launch by Traci Sorell

Here are six ways to market your book on a budget!

1. Plan a Strong Debut
1. Collaborate with a community partner and develop a win-win relationship
2. Collaborate with Author Friends - Lyons joined forces with a few author friends called the Sewing Circle
1. This circle created joint blog posts, connected with indie bookstores, and offered a package for a bundle of books #teamworkmakesthedreamwork
   
3. Tour the Web
1. Research blogs and bookstores to connect with
2. Plan Zoom Visits to schools, libraries, and organizations
   
4. Offer a Giveaway!
1. Host a giveaway on Instagram/Twitter
5. Build a Web Presence - what's the story behind who you are and your story
1. Amazon, Goodreads, SCBWI, Website, FaceBook
6. Present at conferences

Pro-Tip: Recommend a cold call to the youth media specialist at the library and follow up with an email.

Lyon's grandmother often shared 'Nothing beats a can't but a try.' Make your pitch personal and specific. Lyons has proven time and time again, you CAN market your book, especially on a budget. 

Missed this workshop? Check out the video archives here. https://www.scbwi.org/event-summer-conference-2022/video-archive/

Enjoyed this recap? RT the post on Twitter so others can check it out.

Kelly Starling Lyons is a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf, teaching artist, and award-winning children’s book author. She has written more than 20 books for young readers that span from easy readers to picture books and chapter books. Among her acclaimed titles are My Hands Tell a Story, Caldecott Honor winner, Going Down Home with Daddy, Christopher Award winner, Tiara’s Hat Parade, and Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice & Sing Inspired Generations. She’s also the author of popular series including Jada Jones, Miles Lewis and Ty’s Travels which won a Geisel Honor Award for Zip, Zoom. Kelly lives in Raleigh and was named to Good Morning America’s 2021 Inspiration List: Who’s Making Black History. Learn more about her at www.kellystarlinglyons.com. 

Illustrating NonFiction with Jessica Lanan #scbwiSummer22

In this breakout session, Jessica Lanan talked about Pushing Your Perspectives: How To Illustrate Nonfiction When It All Seems Impossible. ASL interpreters: Andrea, Haley and Cedric.

Jessica Lanan is the author and illustrator of The Fisherman and the Whale, a Colorado Book Award finalist and the winner of the 2020 Bull-Bransom award for wildlife illustration. She is also the illustrator of many books for young people, most recently The Lost Package, which received four starred reviews and was selected as an ALA Notable Book and a Read Across America choice for 2021. Jessica enjoys working on both fiction and nonfiction but is especially passionate about projects that help young readers to discover the beauty and diversity of their world. Jessica has been a member of SCBWI since 2010 and is eager to share her knowledge with both new and experienced writers and artists. Her next author-illustrator project, Jumper, will be out in 2023 from Roaring Brook Press.

Nonfiction can be challenging, says Jessica. Just a few reasons:

Limited reference material, no story or character, topic is something people are biased against, subject is hard to see...or even invisible! It becomes a problem-solving exercise.

In terms of nonfiction, Jessica says she mainly works on narrative nonfiction. She gave some examples:

Narrative nonfiction is nonfiction that uses techniques and styles usually more closely associated with fiction. Jessica focuses on this type of nonfiction. For other types of nonfiction, Jessica recommends 5 Kinds Of Nonfiction by Melissa Stewart.

Jessica talked about how she approached the illustration process for JUST RIGHT after reading the poetic text by the author.

Her first set of sketches came across as too much like a textbook, so Jess turned the focus on her character's perspective instead...and that worked.

Jess also talked about her approach to her new solo picture book, JUMPER: A Day In The Life Of A Backyard Jumping Spider.

Jess talked about different ways she compared the perspectives of a child and a spider.

Research material tips:

Go beyond the first pass of Google images. Reach and talk to experts, for example. Try to get to the source material.

Design book she recommended:

Picture This: How Pictures Work, by Molly Bang

Just a few ways that Jess suggested to get unstuck:

Read 3-4 books that talk about the subject in different ways.

Define your goals. What do you want your book to say? How do you want it to feel when you read it?

Add a character. Person? Animal? Inanimate object?

Add a layer of story.

Design for emotion: Think about scale, lighting, shapes, etc.

Use the back matter. Would some info be better in the back?

Media that Jessica uses:

For sketches: digital/non-digital hybrid.

For final art: Watercolor on paper.

She made a model of a spider with movable legs for this book as well as other models. Check her Instagram feed!

Portfolio tips:

Make it very clear in your portfolio what kind of work you want to do.

Fascinating to get a peek into the behind-the-scenes process of illustrating nonfiction!

----

Related posts:

Keynote: Emily Feinberg "From Proposal To Finished Book"

Portfolio Showcase Winners, 2011: Jess won an Illustration Mentorship

2020 SCBWI Golden Kite Award and Sid Fleischman Awards: JUST RIGHT: SEARCHING FOR THE GOLDILOCKS PLANET won the Golden Kite Honor Book for Non-Fiction For Older Readers (Author: Curtis Manley, illustrated by Jessica Lanan, Roaring Brook Press)