Writer Spotlight: Kelly J Baptist

Acknowledgements, rehearsing, Mommy Box, YA, BookSmitten, and barbershops: Author Kelly J. Baptist

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI. In this piece, meet author .Kelly J. Baptist.

I first interviewed you in 2020, and I credit that interview for setting me on the enthusiastic path of getting children’s book writers to tell their stories. What has changed for you in the intervening five years? 

Wow, Charlie, has it really been over five years?? Time flies when you’re writing stories! Thank you for finding me worthy of a second interview! I published Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero in 2020, and since then, six more books for young people have followed! I have not been idle!

I work as a Social Emotional Learning Interventionist at the Arts and Communications Academy in Benton Harbor, Michigan. What does your job entail? Have story ideas risen from your intervention with students?  Is there a particular intervention that’s lodged in your heart? 

In 2022, I took a major leap of faith and left my job at the middle school to write full time. What an adventure! While I don’t work in that capacity anymore, my students are forever in my heart, and many experiences/encounters have inspired me as I write, none more than my first novel-in-verse, Eb and Flow. I dedicated that book to three special students. Be sure to read the acknowledgements in that book for the wild story of how life imitated art as I wrote that story!

You’ve lived in Alabama, Florida, and Minnesota. Ultimately, you’ve made Michigan your home. What are some of your favorite memories from the other states where you’ve lived? 

I lived in Alabama while attending Oakwood College (now University), an HBCU. Those were some of the best times of my life and I really loved being steeped in so many types of Black culture. Choir trips rank high on my list of favorites, as well as “broke college student” visits to IHOP! 

For Florida, THE WEATHER! Oh, how I miss the palm trees! I can’t wait to be a snowbird! Minnesota was absolutely gorgeous in the summertime, and my family always enjoyed going to the Mall of America.

School visit

I don’t operate under a set writing procedure because it’s very difficult to do while juggling full-time work and full-time parenting to five kids! Instead, I have (sadly) been conditioned to write in the middle of chaos, with multiple things going on, and with either one or two hands. I steal moments in the morning before the kids are up and take advantage of moments throughout the day to get some sentences in—in the school pickup line, at gymnastics practice, and before I collapse in my bed at night. A peculiar thing is that because I write this way so often, I struggle to be able to write in complete silence! I believe if you are passionate about something, you adjust and make it happen!

Is that still the case as your kids become older and (theoretically) more responsible? Do you still have trouble writing in complete silence? 

I love that you added the “theoretically” here, because that’s so true! There are many benefits to the kids getting older, but it definitely doesn’t get easier; the obstacles are just different. I don’t have trouble writing in complete silence, but I still don’t get too much of it! So for that reason, I continue to maximize my time as much as possible and don’t let the atmosphere around me hinder my writing.

You were a master, between a full-time job and raising five children, of using every spare moment of free time to write. For the writers out there with busy schedules and little free time, what organizational techniques worked for you? Did you have a special affinity for ten-minute writing bursts, or was it something you trained yourself to do? 

Like a lot of writers, my fantasy is to write in the cute coffee shop with no distractions and people bringing me food and drink. Since that scenario is rarely feasible, yes, I trained myself to accomplish a lot in ten minutes. This only works because I allow myself to always be thinking about my manuscript and to think the words out in my head long before I sit at my laptop. 

Because I’ve been rehearsing my next chunk of prose or dialogue while driving/cooking/showering, I have enough stored up and ready to go when it’s time to write. I always have a notebook handy and I jot down notes throughout the day. Those techniques have helped me to maximize my writing time.

 

From there, she released "Isaiah Dunn is My Hero" in 2020, and the sequel, "Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day," released in 2022.  Your writing career began when your short story about Isaiah won the “We Need Diverse Books” award. After a short story and two novels, does Isaiah have more to say? 

Isaiah has just a little bit more to tell us. After Saves The Day, I envisioned one more book to finish his story.

 

Since I live in a small town, I love books set in big cities, and since winter can get annoying, I love books set in tropical climates. You also said you like to write stories with boy characters, because you grew up in a family of girls. Is this a case of “write what you don’t know”? 

I think it’s a case of “write what you wished for!” and that’s been the case in a lot of my work. The concept is not completely foreign to me, though, because growing up, my best friends were boys, and I have two sons.

In terms of people, Kobe Bryant will probably always be my greatest inspiration. My goal is to approach writing with the same intensity, passion, and relentlessness as he did on the court. You’re not shy about your lifelong adulation of Kobe. What first drew you to a smallish (for an NBA player) point guard for a California team? How did his sudden death in a helicopter accident affect you? Are you still a basketball fan? 

Man, Kobe will forever be my GOAT! I was drawn to him after reading a story about him in a sports magazine. He was in high school, thinking of turning pro, and even back then, I was inspired by young people pursuing their dreams. 

As I matured, I began to admire him for more than the wins and championships; I started paying closer attention to the work ethic and consistency. His passing took my breath away then, and it still does now. 

I did not know it was possible to mourn so deeply for someone I had never met. But, as with most tough times, it sparked something in me to approach writing and life the way he would. I still use him as motivation whenever a difficult task is ahead of me. 

I don’t watch too much basketball these days, and if I do, it’s college or Kobe highlights. I’m much more into football now and am gaining a ton of inspiration from Deion Sanders and his family these days.

 

Workspace

I do remember being young and typing out stories on their old-school typewriter (my father still has a lot of these stories and notes in his “Daddy Box”). Are you now in possession of your early stories? Do you have boxes for your five children? 

My parents often pull out my old stories to show me and I cringe! I’m so grateful I’ve come a long, long way! Yes, I have my own “Mommy Box” for my kids now.

Eb and Flow is a novel in verse. How did you come to write the story in that style? Do you have a musical score for it? Do you have one for The Band in Our Basement? 

I really want to say that the story wrote itself in that format. It was written in notebooks and from page one, I noticed that I was stopping in weird places and writing shorter sentences and zig-zagging, and all kinds of things. I just let it flow! 

My youngest daughter, Natalia, composed a musical score for Eb & Flow and I am very proud of her work! You can check it out on YouTube! She also created a score for The Band In Our Basement, and I love having it play in the background while I read the book to students.

An inspirational moment came when I was around 9 or 10 and my mother took us to see a small-town production of the play, “A Raisin in the Sun”. I came home and wrote my first play after that!

You’ve done picture books, rhyming picture books, middle grade novels, and novels in verse. Plays are one of the few genres you’ve yet to crack. Do you have a play in you? How about YA? 

Yes, I actually have EVERYTHING in me! My next novel would probably be considered lower YA because my main character is 14. And I’ve written two film scripts so far, one of which made it past the first round of the Final Draft Big Break Competition. You know how I feel about contests, so it’s only a matter of time for me to break into that genre😉

You’re part of a children’s writer podcast team (BookSmitten), along with Heather Shumaker, Jack Cheng, and Patrick Flores Scott. For your second season, the four of you decided to try and write a picture book. The other three were primarily novel writers. Did you find your previous picture book experience to be helpful in this grand project?  

 

I would say yes, my previous experience helped, but I learned so much more going through this process with writing friends and using Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul as our textbook. It was like a mini-class immersion.

I think my perspective brings a strong sense of reality to my story. Things like how a Black mom speaks to her kids, the prominence of barbershops to Black culture, and how fictive care and the importance of community has had a huge impact on us as a people are infused in this story. 

What role do barbershops play in Black culture? What roles have barbershops played in your books? 

Black barbershops and beauty shops are like salve for the soul. I believe they are medicinal. Just as you might go to a hospital or doctor’s office with a physical ailment and leave with a solution, the same is true for these shops. Your hairstyle is transformed and you depart with confidence. 

Now, I absolutely hate waiting for my turn in the chair (and that is usually the side effect of beauty and barber shops) but the environment is always ripe with stories, laughter, and ideas. Where else can you get free comedy, advice, and lessons in patience?

What’s next for Kelly Baptist?

I’m currently launching KejebaInk, a publishing company dedicated to publishing the work of serious young authors. Adjacent to that will be a writing league and summer camp, stay tuned! In terms of writing, I have a picture book coming out this year, and a novel in verse coming next year. Kelly J. Baptist is always writing!

Please share any social media:

@kellyiswrite

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXuQB4zWnrU

Book Birthday Blog with Kelly J. Baptist

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

 

Congratulations to Kelly J. Baptist on the release of Eb & Flow

 

 

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

I love titles, and the title, Eb & Flow, came to me before the story did. I wanted to explore the notion of “boys can’t hit girls,” as well as what really happens during an out-of-school suspension. An even greater question is, how effective are they in addressing behavior? I wrote the first words “I don’t even hit girls” on a Saturday. On Monday morning, I went in to work at my middle school and there was a fight between a male and female student. As I walked the young man down the hall to the guidance office, he was pretty upset, and I will never forget what he said, “Man, I don’t even hit girls!” I was stunned because I had JUST written those words! In fact, I had my notebook with me and immediately showed our dean of students! That’s when I knew the story HAD to be written. 

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book?

I think a common theme in all my books is the importance of family and community and the fact that we all have more in common with one another than we think. I want my readers to consider that fact before they get upset with or judge someone else. There is always a story behind the story! 

What inspires you to write?

I’m fueled by just the idea of my work inspiring young people to write or pursue whatever passion they have. I write because kids who look like me need to feel seen and heard. I think about my ancestors when I write and I am eternally grateful for the sacrifices they made for me to be able to do this. I think they’d be proud of me and that inspires me.

What are your marketing plans for the book?

I’m really excited about a new marketing angle I came up with for this book! My youngest daughter, Natalia, is really into music so I’ve commissioned her to create a booktrack for Eb & Flow. The music captures the feel of the book and will hopefully provide another way for people to connect! 

What's next for you?

So far, I have a middle grade novel that releases in October, and a second picture book coming next year. I’m also beginning to dabble in screenplays. Some of my early writings were plays, so it feels like I’m returning to my roots!

A little bit about the book . . .

Two kids. One fight. No one thinks they’re wrong. Eb & Flow are two seventh graders who have an altercation in the lunchroom that leads to a 10-day suspension. While at home, they grapple with what really happened, their family situations, and what they’ll do next. 

A little bit about the author . . . 

Kelly J. Baptist was born and raised in the great state of Michigan. She won the 2015 We Need Diverse Books short story contest, and her winning entry is included in the middle grade anthology, Flying Lessons and Other Stories. Since the win, she has written four more middle grade novels and one picture book. Kelly is a huge Kobe Bryant fan and incorporates Mamba Mentality in all aspects of her life, especially writing! She lives in Southwest Michigan with her five talented children. 

Twitter: @kellyiswrite

Instagram: @kellyiswrite

 

 

 

BookSmitten Podcast Enters Season Two

We’re excited for the new season of BookSmitten, the podcast dedicated to children’s books. BookSmitten is hosted by four Michigan SCBWI authors: Kelly J. Baptist, Jack Cheng, Patrick Flores-Scott, and Heather Shumaker. We see a hopeful, human world through children’s literature, and hope you’ll join us.

This season: We’re writing picture books!

We’ve launched the Picture Book Challenge. Listeners can learn along with us as we uncover the craft of picture book writing. As novelists, we’re used to writing much longer works. There’s so much to learn about what actually goes in to writing a child-worthy picture book. We hope you’ll take the #booksmittenchallenge and create your own publishable picture book.

It’s quite a challenge for a novelist to distill a story idea into a picture book. It’s all new territory for us. We’re primarily Middle Grade and YA authors, and only Kelly has published a picture book before. To help us out, we’ve invited some wonderful guests to join the show. Guests like:

          Shutta Crum, author

          Darnell Johnson, illustrator

          Yuyi Morales, author and illustrator

          Betsy Bird, from Fuse 8 ‘N Kate, all-star children’s librarian

          Lisa Wheeler, author (check out her episode on rhyme)

       

We’re using Ann Whitford Paul’s book “Writing Picture Books” to guide us through the process, and even brought Ann on the show to give us extra insights.

Whatever kind of books your write, you can find fun, friendship, and fellowship here with the BookSmitten crew as we learn together and push our creative boundaries.  

We hope you’ll join us! Or if picture books aren’t your focus, delve into past episodes where we cover a wide range of children’s book topics, including BookSmitten interviews with YA authors Angeline Boulley and Paula Yoo.

 

Interested? Check out the 5-minute Season 2 teaser.

We hope you become BookSmitten! Listen through Apple podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, or Overcast. Find out more at booksmitten.us. Add a review! Or write to us with ideas for new episodes you’d love to hear hello@booksmitten.us.

BookSmitten is on Twitter @booksmittenpod. You can use the tag #booksmittenchallenge this season.

Podcast webpage:  https://booksmitten.us/

 

Bios

Kelly J. Baptist hails from Berrien Springs, MI. She’s the author of three Middle Grade books ISAIAH DUNN IS MY HERO, ISAIAH DUNN SAVES THE DAY, and THE SWAG IS IN THE SOCKS, plus the picture book THE ELECTRIC SLIDE AND KAI. Kelly is also the author of a short story in the Middle Grade collection FLYING LESSONS AND OTHER STORIES.

Jack Cheng lives in Detroit, MI. He’s the author of the Golden Kite award-winning Middle Grade novel SEE YOU IN THE COSMOS and THE MANY MASKS OF ANDY ZHOU, forthcoming in June 2023.

Patrick Flores-Scott is from Ann Arbor, MI. Patrick is the author of two Young Adult novels: JUMPED IN and AMERICAN ROAD TRIP.

Heather Shumaker lives in Traverse City, MI. She’s the author of three books for adults, plus the Middle Grade adventure THE GRIFFINS OF CASTLE CARY.

BookSmitten Producers: 

Josie and Corey Schneider, Kansas City, MO

Music by Duck, Duck Chicken

 

 

Interview with Novel Mentor, Kelly J. Baptist

 

SCBWI-MI is holding two novel mentorships this year. The mentors are Kelly J. Baptist and Patrick Flores-Scott. Today, we have an interview with Kelly. Please read our April 8 interview with Patrick. Everything you need to know about these mentorships can be found on the mentorship page of the SCBWI-MI website. The submission window for both mentorships opens on April 25, 2022. 

Kelly J. Baptist was born and raised in the great state of Michigan. She’s lived in Alabama, Florida, and Minnesota, but somehow found herself right back in her home state. Kelly won the 2015 We Need Diverse Books short story contest, and her winning entry is included in the middle grade anthology, Flying Lessons and Other Stories. A follow-up to that story, Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero, is available from Crown Books for Young Readers. Kelly also won the 2017 Lee and Low New Voices Honor Award for her picture book, The Electric Slide and Kai. Kelly is a huge Kobe Bryant fan, and incorporates Mamba Mentality in all aspects of her life, especially writing!

 

What do you like best about writing novels?

I really enjoy creating characters and situations that are sometimes very different from what is around me. For example, when I was younger (and even now!) I often wrote about boy characters. I think this is because I grew up with only sisters and I really wanted brothers, too! I like the excitement of a fresh new idea and I love that the story takes me on a journey!

What do you like least?

What's hard is when I'm very close to the end, but not quite there yet...especially if there's a deadline looming! Those parts are not as fun!

Describe a typical writing day.

The word "typical" does not exist in my writing days! :-) Because I have a full-time job and am a full-time mom to five, writing often happens in fits and spurts: a few moments in my office after work, in the car pick up line, while waiting for my oldest to get off work, while spaghetti noodles are boiling, etc., etc. Though I do have an official writing space, a lot of times I am writing/editing/responding to email in my car!

When you’re reading for pleasure, what features of a book typically impress you the most?

I love strong family themes! Family can be a lot of different things and the exploration of that is satisfying to see. Since I live in a small town, I love books set in big cities, and since winter can get annoying, I love books set in tropical climates. I'm impressed by books that connect multi-generational characters; I love the rich learning that takes place between grandparents, children, and grandchildren. Any picture book or novel that captures the above features also captures my attention!

What inspires you?

I'm inspired by young people, especially when they are pursuing their passion at a young age. I'm inspired and propelled by my ancestors, known and unknown. I am their wildest dreams and I take that very seriously. In terms of people, Kobe Bryant will probably always be my greatest inspiration. My goal is to approach writing with the same intensity, passion, and relentlessness as he did on the court. 

What aspects of being a novel mentor are you most looking forward to?

I am excited about the opportunity to pass on tips and insights that I've learned to someone else. I gotta throw in one of my favorite Kobe quotes here: "The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do." It's so gratifying passing wisdom on, and being willing to receive some as well!

 

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects?

The sequel to Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero comes out in August! It's called Isaiah Dunn Saves the Day, and I guess it makes a trilogy if you count The Beans And Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn in Flying Lessons and Other Stories, where it all started. Next year, my first novel-in-verse will be released, as well as another middle grade novel. Hopefully, a picture book will be sprinkled in there as well!

 

Ann Finkelstein is a former scientist who discovered that writing novels is more fun than wrangling test tubes. She coordinates the mentorship program for SCBWI-MI. For mentorship questions, email Ann.

 

Becoming BookSmitten: Creating a Collaborative KidLit Podcast

 

BookSmitten is a brand-new podcast focused on children’s books, co-hosted by four Michigan authors and SCBWI members: Kelly J. Baptist, Jack Cheng, Patrick Flores-Scott, and Heather Shumaker. The first episode launched in February 2021, and I tuned in. It made me wistful for our pre-pandemic days of gathering with writer friends at a coffee shop, and I found myself nodding and smiling and wanting to join in their discussion. I even jotted down some notes, including this quote, "The pain of discipline or the pain of regret. You're going to have either one. Which one do you want?"

Read on for my interview with Heather, and then experience the podcast for yourself. Look for new episodes on your favorite podcast site every other Wednesday. It's guaranteed to lift your mood!

~ Kristin Lenz

Tell us how the idea for the podcast began and then took shape.

I’d met Kelly, Jack, and Patrick at various SCBWI events and conferences and was immediately impressed. Basically, these were people I wanted to keep talking to. I remember heading home, thinking “I wish she lived in my home town.” or “I wish we could keep talking about books together.” With this podcast, we can! Both Jack and I had hosted podcasts before, and knew how fun they could be. So we gathered together by Zoom during 2020 and discussed the idea for the pod. Everyone was enthusiastic. We discovered the four of us shared a big-hearted, hopeful view of the world. Fueled by Jack’s prior knowledge of pods, and Kelly’s contagious enthusiasm, we launched into our opening episode of BookSmitten: “We’re here, we’re happy, we’re human, and we’re BookSmitten!”

Are there a lot children’s book podcasts out there?

Not that many! We were surprised, especially given how many people love children’s books. A few children’s book podcasts have come and gone, and several focus on reading to children. BookSmitten really fills a niche, and although we’re all from Michigan, it’s intended for a national audience of librarians, parents, teachers, grandparents, book lovers, children’s book writers, and interested kids.

What can we expect from the upcoming episodes? 

Oh gosh, we have a growing list of topics. We’ve already recorded four episodes and will be diving into topics surrounding “all things kid lit.” Kelly has a new picture book out in March, THE ELECTRIC SLIDE AND KAI (Lee & Low Books), so an episode in March looks at her creative process. Jack and Patrick both wrote road trip novels, so we’re focusing an episode on road trip / journey stories. Other topics on the brainstorm list are: exploring non-white heroes in fantasy / sci-fi books, books that bridge differences, how we got serious about writing, the connection of sports and writing, portrayals of grandparents, encouraging child writers, short stories in kid lit, and so much more. We also plan to feature guest authors and amazing librarians from time to time, as well as invite child writers on to the show.

One wonderful development is that all four of us bring a unique perspective. We’re sharing from our family backgrounds, sharing our voices, and learning together. It’s a journey we’re excited to share with listeners.

What’s the format? Will each of the authors take turns or will you all be talking together?

So far we’ve been co-hosting together. There’s a nice balance of voices, with two male and two female hosts, so it’s easy to tell who’s talking. Going forward into the future, we may have episodes where just two or three of us host, especially given deadlines and busy schedules, but for now, no one wants to be left out. We’re having too much fun creating camaraderie in this new kidlit space! We hope it’s a space where everyone will feel welcome.

What have you already learned from the process?

Creating the podcast has reinforced just how creative and thoughtful my fellow authors are. Being together adds a dash of goodness into the world, and keeps us - and hopefully our listeners - buoyed up. We even recorded one episode on Jan. 6th, the day of the U.S Capitol attacks. Being together helps. It’s also continually inspiring - seeing Kelly’s prodigious output (two new books out in 2021!), Jack’s creative process, and Patrick’s goal of reaching struggling readers. We have something to share with anyone who loves children’s books.

We also learned how time-intensive bringing a podcast to life can be. Thankfully, we’ve teamed up with children’s librarian Josie Schneider, from Missouri, to produce the show for us. She shares our passion for children’s books and volunteered to do the back-end editing and technical stuff. We’re so grateful to have Josie! She makes us shine.

Anything else you'd like us to know?

For people in Michigan, you’ll see there’s a Mitten hiding in the BookSmitten name. A nod to our Michigan connection. And, if you look closely, you’ll find another Mitten hiding in the logo Jack designed for us. 

Where can you find the BookSmitten podcast?

You can listen to BookSmitten through Apple podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Google podcasts and hopefully everywhere you get your pods. If you like it, leave a rating on Apple. We hope you become BookSmitten! Join us and suggest new episodes at hello@booksmitten.us.

Here are some helpful links:

The booksmitten.us landing page: https://booksmitten.us/

Jack Cheng’s recent blog post introducing the podcast. 

Heather Shumaker's recent 5 minute YouTube video below:

Learn more about each of the podcast authors:

Kelly J. Baptist hails from Berrien Springs, MI. She’s the author of the Middle Grade book ISAIAH DUNN IS MY HERO and a new picture book THE ELECTRIC SLIDE AND KAI. Kelly is also the author of a short story in the Middle Grade collection FLYING LESSONS AND OTHER STORIES.

Jack Cheng lives in Detroit, MI. He’s the author of the Golden Kite award-winning Middle Grade novel SEE YOU IN THE COSMOS.

Patrick Flores-Scott is from Ann Arbor, MI. Patrick is the author of two Young Adult novels: JUMPED IN and AMERICAN ROAD TRIP.

Heather Shumaker lives in Traverse City, MI. She’s the author of three books for adults, plus the Middle Grade adventure THE GRIFFINS OF CASTLE CARY.

BookSmitten Producers: 

Josie and Corey Schneider, Kansas City, MO

Music by Duck, Duck Chicken

Coming up on the Mitten Blog:

Hugs and Hurrahs! We want to trumpet your good news. Please send your writing/illustrating/publishing news to Sarah LoCascio by Tuesday March 16th to be included.

Registration is open for the SCBWI-MI Spring (Virtual) Conference and critique slots are going fast. Don't delay! Register today for this jam-packed yet flexible conference where you can participate in real time via Zoom or watch recorded sessions later at your convenience. Everything you need to know is here: https://michigan.scbwi.org/2020/05/01/spring-conference-2021/