Inkpot Interview: Lisa Jahn-Clough

Faculty emerita Lisa Jahn-Clough  now teaches full time at Rowan University in New Jersey. Her newest books, Petal and Poppy and Petal and Poppy and the Penguin were released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in April; the third in the series, Petal and Poppy and the Spooky Halloween, will be released this fall. Lisa and illustrator Ed Briant have just been given a green light for the fourth book, to be published in 2015.

Please describe the book(s).
(From the publisher) Petal and Poppy follows the adventures of two mismatched friends—Petal, an apprehensive elephant and Poppy, a boisterous rhinoceros. These Level 2 Green Light Reader series are told in comic-book, graphic format with dialogue, word repetition and ample picture clues intended to inspire and instruct emerging young readers.

In Petal and Poppy, Petal gets very nervous when Poppy decides to go scuba diving. What if she's eaten by a sea monster? Poppy thinks Petal is just being a worrywart. Perhaps. But maybe that's a good thing. Because when Poppy does find herself in a little trouble, who comes to her rescue? Petal!
In Petal and Poppy and the Penguin, Petal and Poppy discover an uninvited visitor in their garden—a penguin. At first, Petal's too afraid to let him in. But eventually not even Petal can resist this cute, friendly, and very talented little guy!

Have you written a series before? How does that experience differ from previous writing projects? You worked with an in-house collaborator on the series, your husband, artist Ed Briant. Did the proximity affect the collaboration?

I did three picture books about the same characters (Simon and Molly) in the early 2000’s. They were never intended as a series—I just liked the characters and decided to use them in different stories three years in a row, and now I think of them as my “trilogy.” And I have three books about a character named Alicia, but two are out of print—although the first one, Alicia Has a Bad Day was my very first publication in 1994, and is still one of my bestsellers.

I originally wrote and illustrated Petal and Poppy as a companion to one of my previous picture books (they had different names and were both bunnies), but no one wanted to publish it. One day my husband, Ed Briant, “borrowed” my dummy and played around by illustrating it as a comic book. It was brilliant! So I showed it to my editor and she suggested doing them as the Green Light Early Reader series. We started with two, and then came the third contract, and now the fourth.

Working with Ed is great—we can talk about the stories and the characters while walking the dogs, then go into our separate rooms and work on our “part,” then meet up again to see how they look. After the first one, which evolved more organically, the pattern now is that I plot out a draft of the script first, making sure I have the dialogue and actions to carry the story. I map out every panel, then l paste the script into a dummy (yes, by hand—I am old-school) and give it to Ed. He disappears into his work room and eventually sends me a pdf of the art in various stages. He may make changes to the number of panels, and add in details that I hadn’t thought of. We print it out and go over it separately, and then together. I usually have to make changes to the dialogue to fit better. And, of course, the editor and art director have input as well.

So far all three books have come together naturally. Our work and our work process is very different, but we have a lot of mutual respect, so that helps make it flow—and, I think, helps to make the books work as well as they do.

Alicia Has a Bad Day, your first book, was published in 1994. What have you learned about the business of writing since then? 

I’ve learned (or am trying to learn) patience—things are much slower now. For the first twelve years my editor could take me to a two-hour, martini lunch and say, “Sure, I’ll give you a contract for that,” and two weeks later I’d have a contract. Then the work began and 8-10 months later (under a year!) the book was out. Eventually my editor retired. Now, I have a new editor at the same house, and the manuscript has to be pretty tight before submission. There’s a whole line-up of people I’ll never meet that have to give approval before a contract offer can be made, and that offer is primarily based on sales of the previous book. The field is far more popular and therefore more competitive than it used to be, you didn’t really need an agent when I started.

Also, one has to invest in extra marketing of the book—hire an outside publicist, do niche targeting, make your own postcards, apply to book festivals, etc…., as well as have some sort of social media platform. But I recommend that one does what feels comfortable and not force themselves into publicizing in a way that is false. It can be over-whelming and there is no direct proof that any of this actually impacting sales, but it is an important part of the writing business these days.

Email, MS Word, Photoshop, the internet, etc… have obviously affected the way we write, read, submit, publish, purchase and market books. Still, the heart of the work remains the same. My editor used to tell me: “A book must say something—what are you trying to say?” I repeat this constantly as I write, and one thing that remains the same is that I still do not know the answer, so I keep writing. The sales or success of a book is impossible to predict—I can only write the way I write, and sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t.

If very good friends are visiting for one evening, do you cook or go to a restaurant? If the former, what would you cook? If the latter, what restaurant?

What a tough question. During the summer when we are in Maine we’d probably go out—maybe to the Lobster Shack and sit on the picnic tables outside overlooking the ocean, or walk to our favorite pub in town. If it was during the winter, we’d eat at home and I’d make a big pot of lentil soup served with French bread.

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Inkpot Interviews: Lisa Jahn-Clough

Another emerita this week! Lisa Jahn-Clough  was part of the MFAC faculty for many years. She now teaches full time at Rowan University in New Jersey. Lisa talked to the Inkpot about her newest YA, Nothing But Blue, which was published last May by Houghton Harcourt Mifflin. 

Please describe the book in under 50 words. (Feel free to use the publisher’s promo copy, but do attribute it.)
“A girl walks along a road, disoriented and confused, seeking a home she barely remembers. Calling herself Blue, she embarks on a harrowing journey, eating from dumpsters, dodging the law, and struggling to piece together who she is and where she came from. She encounters people who help and people who hurt, and befriends a protective, magical dog who watches over her, body and soul. The story unfolds in alternating narratives marked “Now” and “Before,” and as Blue makes her way back home, we discover the difficulty of her family relationships, the boy who used her and threw her away, and the tragic event that ripped her from her home.” – from Booklist

As the story progressed from inception to copy-edited version, what were the major changes? How did those changes come about? When did you first begin work on it? When did you finish?
I began working on Blue after I left a full-time teaching job and moved to Savannah with my partner (I was still teaching at Hamline during this time), but had no other social life. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep publishing, but I wanted to keep writing, so I decided I could write whatever I wanted. I’d had this idea about a girl who loses everything, which was loosely based on a true story of an acquaintance of mine whose house had blown up in a gas explosion fifteen years prior. I was intrigued by the idea of living totally in the present and therefore of writing from the perspective of a character who had no sense of her past. I’ve also always been interested in off-the-grid lifestyles. I also wanted to incorporate the deep bond between human and dog. I bought a new notebook and went wandering around Savannah writing in cafes, pretending that I was the girl from my novel. I had wrote most of the first draft over six months, filling four notebooks, then typed and revised it into the computer for about another six months. By this time I got a full-time teaching gig in NJ. My partner and I moved again, and I spent the next year working closely with my editor.

As with all novels, many things change and evolved—names, places, incidents, etc…,but the premise throughout this book remained the same all the way through—a girl loses everything and has to embark on a journey by foot. Perhaps the biggest change was when I decided I wanted to add in ten “Before” scenes/chapters, all written in past tense and interspersed with the character’s present tense voice. Without these sections from Blue’s past, it would be hard for the reader to be able to compare Blue pre-accident to post-accident. The reader knows more than the protagonist, which is an effect I’ve always liked playing with. After the first solid draft I mostly had a lot of pacing issues and plot to structure. 

What research was involved, and how did it affect the story’s development?
I had to research Acute Stress Disorder(ASD), long-distance walking, and trainhopping the most. The facts related to these things all affected Blue’s journey.

At first I thought Blue had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but after consulting with a psychiatrist, learned that Blue has all the symptoms of ASD instead—ASD occurs immediately after a specific trauma, causes short-term memory loss, confusion, possible hallucinations, paranoia, and lasts 2-5 weeks. Perfect.

Trainhopping was the most intriguing research for the book. I never went trainhopping, but I spoke with several who have, along with people who have lived in a community like Hobo Town. I was surprised to learn that trainhopping is still a common undertaking (and still very dangerous), people give themselves rail names, and Rail Bulls exist.

Without naming names, tell us who your first readers are (e.g., live-action writing group; online writing group; editor; agent). When do you share a piece of writing?
My husband is also an author/illustrator. I often give him the beginnings drafts of my ideas and he always says kind things. Then, when I have enough pages I’ll show my editor. She is so kind—she reads anything I give her (which doesn’t mean she publishes it all!) When and if I develop a more solid draft version I’ll show it to one of two trusted friends who are not writers but are avid readers and wonderfully smart people. Then we’ll have a casual conversation about it which I find invaluable. But I find I do this less and less since I don’t want to burden them,  and my editor is pretty fantastic.

What books do you love to teach or recommend to students?
I recommend that students read any book that catches their eye for whatever reason, but to read it with a critical eye. Respect the author, but question his or her choices objectively.

More specifically, I almost always refer to Robert Cormier’s classic YA , The Chocolate War—it is so rich in language and provides for interesting, gritty discussion. For MG, Holes, by Louis Sachar is a perfect study of plot as well as a great all around read. Also The Giver, by Lois Lowry for language, pacing and tension.

What widely-loved or acclaimed book is one that didn’t work for you?
Not even sure where to begin with that one. If I read a widely-acclaimed book with a critical eye I am sure to be skeptical. On the other hand I give all writers the benefit of the doubt in their genuine sincerity, and just because it might not work for me really has no bearing on anything (except that I probably would not teach it).

During the January 2013 residency Emily Jenkins lectured on “How to Be Funny,” and one of her suggestions was to “use jolly words.” A good idea even if one isn’t trying to be funny. Do you have a favorite jolly word?
My jolly words tend to be on the melancholic side. "Lugubrious" remains my favorite. 

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Click  to watch the Nothing But Blue trailer.

The Inkpot Interviews: Jamie Swenson

Jamie Swenson is a July ’09 graduate of the MFAC program. Her first book, Boom! Boom! Boom! was released in May. Currently serving as the RA for the Wisconsin chapter of the SCBWI, Jamie lives and writes in Janesville, Wisconsin. You can find out more about Jamie on her website.

Please describe the book in under 50 words.

Here’s what the publisher wrote:
“Flash! Crash! Boom! Boom! Boom! One rainy night, in the midst of a storm, a brave little boy is cozy and warm. He’s all snuggled up, safe in his room—when ‘Arrooo,’ howls dog, ‘is there room?’ Of course there’s room—and all is well—until … Flash Crash Boom! Boom! Boom! What happens when too many friends start to squish in? That’s when the fun is sure to begin.”

Would you tell us a bit about the story’s development?
Boom! Boom! Boom! was actually one of the very first picture book manuscripts I ever wrote. I believe I wrote it about two years before entering Hamline. It is most certainly one of the most revised of my books—and it traveled through every single Hamline advisor I had—each giving it a little suggestion (or a big one)—and each leaving a mark on it and me! The major change from my very first draft was the introduction of a real main character. I believe it was Marsha Chall who wondered, “Who is telling this story?” At the time she saw it, it was little more than a rhythmic poem—it was not yet a real story. The manuscript had received at least three glowing rejections, but something was missing. There was no one for the reader to relate to—not really. Just a floating voice. It started: “Flash Crash Boom Boom Boom! A beagle jumped onto my bed.” After Marsha’s suggestion I revised the opening to, “One stormy night, I jumped into bed. Safe with a book and my bear named Fred.” Of all of the tweaks, nudges, and overhauling of this story—that one line probably did the most work in making this a story with a main character. It might not seem like a big change—but the idea that a real person, with a book, and a bear named Fred, seemed to make all the difference.

While this book did go through revisions during the writing process, none were made with my editor at FS&G. It’s a little different, I think, with rhyming text. Either it’s working and you don’t need to change it—or it’s not and you do. Janine liked it the way she acquired it—and I think that is due to all the work that I had already put into the text.

Chris Raschka

How did it come to the attention of its editor?
About six months after graduation (Oct. 2009), I sent a different manuscript out to four or five houses as a simultaneous submission—simply based on which houses were open and accepted picture books. That manuscript, If You were a Dog was eventually fished from the slush and acquired by Janine O’Malley. That book has the wonderful good fortune of being illustrated by Caldecott Medalist, Chris Raschka—which was actually doubly good luck for me—because Mr. Raschka is a very busy man and couldn’t start that project until 2012 at the earliest. So, Janine said, “What else do you have?” Again, lucky me—I happened to have eight picture books ready from my Creative Thesis. I sent her an additional three or four—and in spring of 2010 she picked Boom! Boom! Boom! (Hoorah! Hoorah! Hoorah!) and David Walker, who is also a talented illustrator, was able to get started on it right away—so it only took from about March 2010 to May 2013 for this one! GRIN.

What research was involved?
I researched publishing houses! I relied heavily on the Children’s Writers Market. I highlighted every possible house that was open and listed the names of the acquiring editors. I sent the manuscript to around five houses, and I’ve yet to hear from the other four.

Did you ever workshop this story at Hamline?
No, I never workshopped this manuscript—at least—not that I recall. I did work on it with Marsha Chall and Phyllis Root—not as much with Lisa Jahn-Clough or Marsha Qualey (because we worked on novels instead of picture books).

What was your critical thesis?
"What Haunts You?: Elements of the Middle Grade through Young Adult Ghost Story"

What was your creative thesis?
A combination of part of a supernatural middle grade novel and about eight picture books. 

Did you discover and fall in love with any books while in the MFAC program?
Oh my goodness, yes. I work in a library so I was already deeply in love with so many books; still, through required reading at Hamline I found some titles that I had either missed, or judged by the cover and hadn’t read (oh, the horrors!). After hearing M.T. Anderson speak at a residency I went back and re-read Feed with a greater appreciation for the crafting of that book. I also found books by my fabulous advisors that I love—including Marsha Qualey’s Come in from the Cold, Lisa Jahn Clough’s ALICIA books, Phyllis Root’s Kiss the Cow, and Marsha Wilson Chall’s Prairie Train.

Without naming names, tell us who your first readers are. When do you share a piece of writing?
My first readers are my critique group members, two of whom also graduated (in different years) from Hamline’s MFA program. We were already together as a critique group when our first member headed off to Vermont, and then switched to Hamline. I was second to go—and then one more of us went and finished the program. The other three writers laugh and say that they’ve lived through THREE MFA programs now, so surely they deserve some type of honorary status!

I share a manuscript when I feel it has a voice and some form of direction—but it still needs input from another person. If I share too soon, they cannot help. If I share too late, that ship has sailed and I might not hear what they tell me. Sometimes, I will share, revise, share, revise, share, revise—until they say, “STOP!” And then it’s either ready to go to my agent who will likely make me revise again anyway—or—it just isn’t there and I put it away and hope that I figure it out someday. 

Can you briefly describe your writing life? How has it changed since you graduated?
The major change in my writing life since graduation is the lack of a real deadline. I floated for about six months after the program—and then I started being more intentional about my writing time again. Because I work part-time, I have to make good use of my non-work days. I schedule my writing time just like I schedule my work time—I have to be there at a set time and stay for a set number of hours—whether or not I FEEL LIKE IT—just like my ‘other’ job!

What are you working on now?
My first book is just out, my second book is scheduled for January 2014, and my third book is still with Mr. Raschka (take all the time you need, Mr. Raschka!). I continue to play with picture book ideas, and I am working on my first early chapter book. I haven’t done very much with my novels since leaving Hamline—but all in good time!

What would you like to say to current or prospective students?
Keep at it. Listen to all those bits of wisdom that float out of your advisors’ mouths. Ron [Koertge] is right—MFA students spend way too much time thinking and not enough time writing. Writers “on the outside” do that too! Quit analyzing everything or waiting for the perfect time in your life to write. It will never come. WRITE it now! You will never be perfect. Your writing will never be perfect. But if you never write anything—I guarantee you won’t get any better AND you’ll have nothing to show for it! I am as far from perfection as can be, but I love writing and I love storytelling and I love playing with words. I don’t plan to stop any time soon—and neither should you. I think if I excel at anything, it’s listening to revision suggestions and revising my work. Don’t fear the revision process.

Now, don’t you have a packet due soon? Scoot.