Book Birthday Blog with Lisa Wheeler

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog! 

Where we celebrate new books by Michigan's children's book authors and illustrators

Congratulations to Lisa Wheeler on the release of her new book,  PEOPLE SHARE WITH PEOPLE!

Q#1: “People Share With People” is the follow-up to “People Don’t Bite People”. What inspired you to write these books about how kids interact with the world (and the people) around them?

It all started on a lazy Sunday and a marathon couch potato afternoon watching the entire Season 1 of The Walking Dead. Seriously.

The very next morning, I was at the dentist getting my teeth cleaned and staring at a poster of teeth. The opening lines to People Don't Bite People fell into my head and I couldn't wait to get out of that chair and write them down.

Then, I was fortunate enough for Simon & Schuster give me a two book deal. At the time, I wasn't sure what the follow-up book would be. I asked around to some friends with toddlers/preschoolers and one of the biggest things they dealt with on a daily basis was sharing (or not sharing, to be precise.)

My first draft wasn't cutting it with my editor. She encouraged me to do more research into newer studies on sharing and children. it opened my mind! Where was all this stuff when my kids were little? I was tota­­lly "the share police" and this isn't what I wanted for this book.

I began again and a few drafts later, we had a book.

Q#2: A look at your “About Me” tells your story of the many “no thank you’s” you heard before that very first “yes!”. What kept you motivated and persistent through all the “no’s”?

New ideas! I think that is probably the same with most writers. When something doesn't sell, it's disheartening. (I tried to give it all up many times!) But then you get a new idea and the love starts all over again.

Q#3: You have quite a few books under your belt! Do you often find you have several different ideas floating around at one time, waiting to be developed? How do you decide on what to choose and move forward with?

I'm usually working on several things at a time. I have a short attention span, which works great with picture books and poems. (Every time I try to write a chapter book it goes horribly because I 'wander off' in the middle.)

Rather than choose which project to work on, I work a bit on each thing. Sometimes, I'll put something away for months at a time and then come back to it with a fresh perspective.

Q#4: Through your books you’ve created a distinctive voice. How would you say you’ve developed that voice, and what helped you the most in finding what felt genuine to you?

Early on, I was a mimic. I would read Kevin Henkes' books and then everything I wrote sounded like his voice. Then, I'd do the same with other authors. While this parroting didn't make me a published author (The world doesn't need another Kevin Henkes or Dr. Seuss. We already have the originals!) I was getting better at learning what makes a good picture book.

My best advice is to Be Yourself. I know it sounds simple, but I think we all struggle with the question of "What do editors want?" I kept trying to give them what I thought they wanted. The result was rejection.

But one morning, I woke up hearing a little pirate's voice in my head begging me to tell his story. Before work that day, I jotted down the first draft of a short story called The Pirate Who Got Lost. After some revision, I mailed it off to Humpty Dumpty and they made me an offer within 2 weeks. I was shocked! My first sale!

When I finally listened to the voice in my own head, I began selling stories. Learn all you can, but then you must follow that small, still voice inside yourself.

Q#5: In past interviews with The Birthday Book Blog you’ve mentioned the advantage of having a supportive group of voices to give feedback, critique, and help your stories grow. How would you recommend a new writer find or grow that kind of supportive group?

Trial and error. I went through some disastrous critique groups before finding the right fit.

In one group I was the only children's writer and everything I wrote was deemed "cute", but I didn't get much helpful feedback.

I feel that if you find a group (through SCBWI!), try and make it as focused on genre as you can. For instance, I'm in a picture book group with some dear writer friends. We are not very active these days, but for years, we've had each other's backs and I've gotten valuable feedback from people who know what it takes to make a great picture book.

These women have also become friends, confidants, and more than anything, people I trust handing my 'darlings' over to. I know they have my stories (and my!) best interest at heart even when being critical.

A little bit about the book:
It's good to share a blanket.
It's nice to share some fries.
It's great to share your crayons
before somebody cries.

This read-aloud, just right for younger children, highlights sharing between friends, siblings and also includes things we shouldn't share--like a sneeze!

A little bit about the author: Lisa Wheeler is the award-winning author of over 45 children’s books including People Don't Bite People, Even Monsters Need to Sleep and the popular Dino-Sports series. Lisa's book, The Christmas Boot, was the SCBWI 2017 SCBWI Golden Kite Award winner for Picture Book Text. Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum was the 2017 Michigan Reads! One Book, One State Children’s Book Program recipient. Her awards include The Michigan Mitten, Texas Bluebonnet, and the Theodore Geisel Honor given by the American Library Association. Lisa shares her Michigan home with some terrific characters--one husband, one dog, and an assortment of anthropomorphic characters. Check out Lisa’s website at: www.lisawheelerbooks.com