Writer Spotlight: Kelly DiPucchio

 

Parts One and Two, the Queen, Zombie drama, and what's next?: Picture book author and scriptwriter Kelly DiPucchio

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet Kelly DiPucchio, a prolific picture book writer who's collaborated with a Queen, visited with Oprah, and is currently writing scripts for PBS.

You were born in Warren, MI in 1967, yet there is talk of a goat and a manure pile. Was Warren more rural back then? What was life like for young Kelly?

Kelly and brother

I was born in Warren, but I grew up in Rochester, Michigan which was very rural back in the 1970’s. Like many long novels, my childhood had a Part One and a Part Two. In Part One, my family lived on a small farm, and I had a lot of freedom to explore the outdoors. I loved spending time in nature. I talked to animals and the trees, and I was an extraordinarily imaginative child. 

In Part Two, my parents got divorced. I moved with my mom into an apartment near the city, changed schools, and life was drastically different. One thing that was consistent in both parts of the story was my unending love for books. When I was young, they were fuel for my imagination and when I was older, they became a lifeline and an escape to other worlds.

You revealed to an interviewer that it wasn’t until you had children of your own that you considered writing as a work-from-home career. Was it the bedtime stories, gifted books, eventful trips to the library, or something else that whispered, “You, too, can write children’s books.”?

The initial catalyst came in the form of a dream in which my deceased grandfather appeared as a turtle. But that’s a story for another article!  I also credit Jon Sciezka for playing a role in my journey because it was after reading his absurdly funny picture book with Lane Smith, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, that I began to fall deeply in love with picture books.

You mentioned you had a dream where a relative was a turtle, but that story would have to wait. Fair enough. But, do you find your dreams are part of your creative process? You talk of being in the Zone. Are dreams part of your unconscious, subconscious zone?

I think dreams are definitely connected to my creative process but not always in an obvious or tangible way. 

By that, I mean I rarely dream about my characters or a specific story. I do, however, get some of my best inspiration when my brain is in theta, the stage right before fully waking. This happens a lot but if I don't write the idea down immediately, it will very often slip away.

Kelly and Queen

Much has been made of The Sandwich Swap, written in collaboration Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, including your appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s TV show. With 14 years in the rear-view mirror, what stands out most in your memories of that time?

Honestly, when I look back at that special time in my life it all feels a bit surreal. I think the thing that stands out the most is the memory of being at the Oprah Winfrey Show and pinching myself. 

A decade earlier I was a stay-at-home mom watching Oprah on television and feeling inspired by many of her guests who had overcome challenges and made their dreams come true. So for me to be there, in Harpo Studios, having just co-authored a children’s book for a QUEEN was absolutely mind-blowing to me. It still is!

There was some talk that you made a deal with your Higher Power that you would give back to the world for all the blessings and good fortune you’d experienced. Are you more comfortable with your success these days?

I don’t know if I would call it a deal. At one point early in my career, I decided to get out of my own way, and I asked my Higher Power to be used as an instrument for the greatest good of all. 

Switzer Welcomes Kelly

When I learned to trust there was a higher purpose and plan for my work, I didn’t worry as much about sales or reviews or even whether or not I’d sell another book. 

Of course, I always hope my books will be well-received and people will want to buy them, but I’ve come to learn that success is relative and fickle, so I try not to dwell on it.

Your macabre Valentine’s gift to readers, Zombie in Love, was made into a stage play, written by Michelle Eliot with music by Danny Larsen. Have you ever attended a performance?

I did! In 2014, I saw the world premier in Portland, Oregon. It was hilarious and the music and lyrics were to die for. 

Grace For President was also turned into a musical and I had the opportunity to see a show in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is an incredibly wild and humbling experience to be sitting in the audience watching a bunch of strangers bring your characters to life on stage in such a creative, entertaining way.

You told an interviewer, “When I’m in the Zone, I’m pretty much taking dictation and writing the stories I’m hearing in my head.” Do you find that “Zone” often?

I would say I find “the zone” fairly often and when I do, I know I’m on the right track because there’s an ease and a flow to the writing. It’s never a good sign when I’m trying too hard to make a manuscript or an idea work no matter how much I love it.

You told another interviewer that your creative process involves meditation, and visualizing the book as completed. How often does the completed book match up with your original vision?

Kelly and audience

I don’t get too attached to a specific vision when I’m meditating because my vision will always come with limitations. 

So I try to be a little vague and open with my visualizing and instead focus on my feelings: How would it feel to be holding the published book in my hands? How would it feel to be reading it out loud to an audience? 

I think whenever we can generate feelings of joy or excitement or love during the creative process our stories are somehow imbued with those higher vibrations.

What’s next for Kelly DiPucchio?

Over the past year I’ve been busy writing episodes for a new children’s series that premiers in November on PBS Kids called Carl the Collector. It’s the first ever animated show featuring multiple neurodiverse characters.

I also have my very first Christmas picture book coming out in September called The Gingerbread House Jack’s Family Ate, illustrated by Nate Wragg (Scholastic/Orchard). It’s a “sweetly chaotic” story based on the classic rhyme, The House That Jack Built. Cumulative tales, it turns out, are annoyingly difficult to write but I’m delighted with how the book turned out and I can’t wait to share it with readers this fall.

 

Wow! A PBS show for you and a character who is neuro-divergent. Are you writing scripts? How much say do you have in the final project? How did this come about? When does your first show air?

 

Yes! I am writing scripts for the show. It's been both exciting and challenging. I had so much to learn! 

I work with an amazing team of advisors who weigh in on every pitch and draft. Zachariah OHora is the show creator and Executive Producer. 

Zach and I worked on a picture book together several years ago called POE WON'T GO and we remained friends ever since. 

When he was looking for writers to join his team, he reached out to me to gauge my interest. I was thrilled for the opportunity to try something new. I don't know yet when my first episode will air but the series premieres November 14th. I can't wait!

Please share your socials:

Instagram: @kellydipucchio

Website: www.kellydipucchio.com