Publication Interview - There was an Old Lady Who Gobbled a Skink

Author and MFAC alum Tamera Wissinger* talks about her new book, There was an Old Lady Who Gobbled a Skink. Learn about her writing process for this fun and original take on a classic rhyme.

Tell us about your new book?
It’s my take on the folktale There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly. In this new version the old lady is a fisherwoman down by the dock who gobbles a skink, a worm, a bobber…all kinds of fishing tackle and supplies.

Do you have a favorite part of the book or a favorite character?
Hmm. I like how all the parts works together to create suspense and fun for young readers. Those elements lead to a surprise at the end, which I hope keeps with the tradition of the original.

Did you workshop this story at Hamline or work with a faculty member?
I worked with Marsha Chall and Phyllis Root on this story. Both of them gave me great insights and helped me fine-tune the story. As a result, it became part of my creative thesis and one of the picture books I read for my graduate reading.

When did you first begin work on it? When did you finish?

I began this story nearly a decade ago - in the spring of 2006. I was toying with a few different story and poetry ideas when a cluster of interesting water and dockside rhyming words and phrases emerged. Once I recognized that a might be able to write an homage to the old lady original, the story really took off. That summer I went to the University of Iowa summer writing festival and worked on it with children’s author and teacher Jill Esbaum.

In 2007 I put it aside for my first two semesters at Hamline and pulled it back out in 2008 when I was paired with Marsha and then Phyllis. I finished a draft that was ready for submission in the fall of 2008. That was my final semester at Hamline. It took me a few years to find the right publisher. Once it was accepted at Sky Pony, the editor and I tweaked it slightly, so the text was officially completed in 2015.

As the work progressed from inception to copy-edited version, what were the major changes? How did those changes come about?
The biggest change came early in the life of this story. Initially I wrote the old lady eating the largest items first. Jill suggested that I consider going from small to large. I thought that was a good idea so I tried it. That wasn’t as simple as just reversing the order, though – it meant basically rewriting the entire story. In the end it’s a stronger story that way, so worth the effort.

What research did you do before and while writing the book?
Most of this story grew out of my own experiences of fishing with my family when I was young and my imagination. Once I had decided to write this in the spirit of the original, I read that version and many other versions to see how those authors handled the sequencing. I spent time thinking about the order of the items and logic of that order. Also, I went fishing with my husband and family and quietly paid attention to what happened during the day.

Where did you do most of your writing for this book?
At the time I wrote this book I was living in the Chicago area, so I wrote much of this book in my office looking out at a cluster of pretty maple trees.  

Any final thoughts on the book you'd like to share?
I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity I had to work with Phyllis and Marsha on this manuscript while I was at Hamline. They both gave me thoughtful feedback and were advocates from early in the life of this book.

*Tamera Will Wissinger writes poetry and stories for children. She grew up as a reader in an Iowa fishing family and earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University. She is the author of THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO GOBBLED A SKINK and THIS OLD BAND from Sky Pony Press as well as GONE FISHING: A Novel in Verse and the forthcoming GONE CAMPING: A Novel In Verse from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers. She has gobbled many things, but never a skink, or worm, or bobber, or any of the fishing gear gobbled by the old lady in her book. You can connect with Tamera online at her website, on Twitter, Goodreads, or on Facebook.

Inkpot Interviews: Tamera Will Wissinger

Tamera Will Wissinger is a January, 2009 graduate of the Hamline MFAC program. Her picture book, This Old Band (illus. by Matt Loveridge), will be published June 3, 2014 by Sky Pony Press. Tamera lives in Vero Beach, Florida. You can learn more about Tamera and her writing by visiting her website.

Please describe the book.

In This Old Band, a ragtag band of cowboys and a cowgirl dance, play their instruments, and make noise out on the open range while they count down from ten to one all day and night to the tune of a familiar folk song.

As the story progressed from inception to copy-edited version, what were the major changes?

This was always a counting concept book that featured rugged westerners, but initially I envisioned a story that included a duel. After many attempts and rewrites over a number of years, it became clear to me that these characters did not want to fight; they wanted to play!

How did those changes come about?

I started to think harder about concept books, what made them work, and what I had loved to sing or chant when I was young. Once I settled on the rhythm of "This Old Man," I shelved my original drafts and focus on ways for this band to perform. 

When did you first begin work on it?

I began working on that initial dueling story shortly after a trip to Jackson, Wyoming in 2008, however; I think the story probably began brewing in my mind after earlier trips I had taken to New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Having grown up in the Midwest and spending much of my time in Florida, on each of those trips west I was captivated by how the dust and light work together, the sweeping landscapes of valleys, peaks and mesas, the sometimes lush, sometimes sparse vegetation, up-close wildlife and far away ranches, national forests, the good, hearty people, the history…I need to visit again soon!

When did you finish?

The current version felt complete in 2012 and that’s when I began submitting it to editors.

What research was involved before and while writing the book?

Before writing the book, I let my imagination run with the images from my western trips. After I had written a solid draft, I had a great discussion with fellow Hamline Alum and reader extraordinaire, Jamie Swenson, where she helped me clarify my purpose and the story’s focus. From that point, as I zeroed in on the specific images featured in each spread, I verified that those images would hang together to create the setting.

Gone Fishing, your first book, was published in 2013. What have you learned about the business of writing since then?

We may write alone, but producing a book and helping it reach readers is a wonderfully collaborative business. Before release, there is a huge amount of behind-the-scenes work happening with the editor and her or his team to complete the book and prepare for release – that includes artwork coordination, layout, first and second page reviews, copy editing, internal marketing and sales, promotions, etc. Then once the book is out in the world, teachers, librarians, booksellers, fellow authors, friends, children and parents – any book lover, really – can have a huge impact on how a book is received by helping spread the word through social media, word of mouth, invitations to events, etc. I’ve always treasured places where I can find books – libraries, schools, and bookstores – after the release of Gone Fishing I have an added admiration for anyone who helps books reach places where they can nurture reader.

Where do you do most of your writing?

Lately I've been "writing in my head" while I'm physically doing something else that doesn't require all of my attention. For example, while I'm cleaning or standing in line at the store, I find myself working through a plot point, or a rhythm or rhyme structure for a poem. I'm lucky enough to have a writing space in my home with plenty of books and a door when I need it. It's where I go when I'm ready to get those thoughts down or ready to decipher a scribble on a grocery receipt.

Do you remember the first book you loved?

Yes! It’s a counting book called Over in the Meadow, based on the original version by Olive A. Wadsworth and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats. It was a gift from my grandparents and uncle and it came with a record. I loved hearing that baritone voice chant, “Over in the meadow in the sand in the sun, lived an old mother turtle and her little turtle one.” I’m sure I replayed that story hundreds of times, probably driving my mother batty. That rhythm and rhyme and those images are huge parts of my fiber as a writer and poet. I still have the book, but, sadly, the record has disappeared.