By Sharon Giltrow

Writers are often referred to as ‘plotters’ or ‘pantsers’. A ‘plotter’ is someone who plans and outlines their story before they write it. Whereas, a ‘pantser’ is someone who doesn’t plan out anything or very little before they start to write. As a writer I question whether we have to be one or the other. We could be ‘planster’. Someone who has a plan before they start to write but is prepared to follow the story on its journey. Whatever type of writers we are, we all need to embrace our creativity to craft stories. We need to think outside the box, embrace our inner child, see the world in an extraordinary way. Dance to the beat of our own drum. This is exactly what the main character in Dani Vee and Alexandra Colombo’s book MY EXTRAordinary Mum does.

My EXTRAordinary Mum
Written by: Dani Vee        
Illustrated by: Alexandra Colombo
Published by: Larrikin House , 1st August 2022
My mum's a little quirky, free-spirited and bold. She dances to the beat of her own drum.
A fun-filled adventure and celebration of an extraordinary mum and her daughter who find magic in unexpected places.
We are all extraordinary, sometimes we just need reminding.

Let’s take a look at two of Dani’s favourite spreads to see how the main character dances to the beat of her own drum and how Dani followed her story on its journey.

Love your work Dani and Alexandra!
 
Next time you sit down to write your story, evoke the ‘planster’ and dance to the beat of your own drum.
 
See you in September with another great Aussie book.
 
Remember to share a laugh, and connect with someone today.

Sharon Giltrow grew up in South Australia, the youngest of eight children, surrounded by pet sheep and fields of barley. She now lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband, two children and a tiny dog. Sharon has taught for all of her career. Previously a teacher of children who are hearing impaired and Deaf-Blind, she now teaches young children with Developmental Language Disorder. Her humorous debut PB, BEDTIME DADDY! released in May 2020 - EK books. Sharon’s humorous follow up PB, GET READY, MAMA! released in April, 2022 - EK Books. Her third and fourth PB, LET’S GO SHOPPING, GRANDMA! And LET’S GO TO THE BEACH, GRANDPA! are due to be released in 2022 and 2023 - Dixi Books. SAMARA RUBIN AND THE UTILITY BELT, book one in Sharon’s early MG series – THE UTILITY BELT, will be released in 2023 - Clear Fork Publishing.  With book two TOBY KING AND THE UTILITY BELT to follow.

by Bryan Patrick Avery

It’s been a busy summer and I’ve been on deadline for most of it. One the projects I’m working on is a mystery in verse so I thought I’d use this month’s post to share a few of my favorite mentor texts for verse novelists. Up first, a book from one of my favorite poets, Nikki Grimes.

PLANET MIDDLE SCHOOL, by Nikki Grimes, follows Joylin, a middle schooler who loves playing basketball, particularly with Jake, her long-time friend. Without warning, Joylin’s world, and body, start to change, leaving her trying to figure out her place in this new, ever-changing, world. Joylin navigates issues at home, problems at school, and even her first crush.

Who it will help:
Everyone! Nikki Grimes is one of kidlit’s most celebrated poets, and for good reason. Her free-verse poems are excellent on their own but really come alive in the context of the story. Her ability to tell a story three a series of poems, including the richness of emotion, action, and suspense are unmatched.

If you’re interested in a writing a novel in verse using more structured poems, check out THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY by Laura Shovan. Emerson Elementary is scheduled to be close and bulldozed over. Ms. Hill’s fifth-grade class pick up their pens and pencils and make one final stand (through poetry) to try to save their school.

Who it will help:
Anybody looking to tell a story in verse using various poetry forms, including acrostics, fibs, haiku, and limericks. Also, anyone looking to tell a story using multiple points of view. In this book, all the students contribute poems using their favorite formats. If you’re looking for examples of many different types of poetry this is a great place to start.
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JAZZ OWLS, by Margarita Engle, tells the story of the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles, California. Young Mexican women gather in jazz clubs to dance with the Navy sailors who’ve come ashore until racism and violence threatens the safety of the once quiet community. JAZZ OWLS is a compelling and honest look at a troubling time in our nation’s history.

​Who it will help:
Poets working on novels in verse for older readers. Also, any poet looking for inspiration that will help them develop their own unique voice, create and deliver on a theme for their novel, anyone looking for examples of the most evocative and emotional poetry.

One last resource I’d recommend, even though it’s not exactly a mentor text. My love of poetry began as a small child with the poem Carol of the Brown King by Langston Hughes. After that, I devoured everything Hughes wrote (including the not so kid friendly poems). THE COLLECTED POEMS OF LANGSTON HUGHES collects all of his published work and is an essential resource for any poet.
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Well, that’s all for this month. Happy writing and have a magical month.

First, I learned that my passion was a bit ahead of my understanding of the craft of writing for children. After multiple rejections I knew I must learn more about the craft. However, when it came to illustrating, I knew there was much to learn about children’s book illustrations. My training was in fine art and architecture. I attended Parson’s School of Design in Los Angeles back when personal computers, let alone laptops and iPads were rare. I figured it would be too complicated to illustrate in pastel since I usually worked on paper 18X24 and larger.  I initially decided I would be an author and not pursue a path as an author-illustrator. 
 
I was active in the children’s writing community on Twitter when I saw a post from Larissa Marantz about one of her drawing classes with OC Art Studios. I applied and received one of her scholarships. Additionally, with extra time on my hands, I decided to break out my pastels and see if I still had skills. I had not completed a pastel drawing in years. Here are a few of my return to pastels drawings.

BIO:
Anita Crawford Clark is a writer and illustrator of fiction and nonfiction books for children. Anita grew up chasing butterflies and fishing crawdads from a nearby creek during scorching Sacramento summers. Her stories and illustrations often reflect those memorable childhood years. Anita earned her BA in Sociology, her MFA in Creative Writing, and MS in Psychology. A veteran K-12 teacher, Anita especially enjoys directing musical theatre productions. The athlete in Anita enjoys shooting hoops. The musician in her enjoys playing the drums, piano and banjo. Anita draws inspiration from her faith, nature, music, history and everyday life. If you visit her during crab season, you might be treated to a bowl of her Louisiana style gumbo - a treasured family recipe.

You can connect with Anita on Twitter (@AnitaLClark), Instagram (@AnitasFavPics) or visit her website at AnitaCrawfordClark.com.