Birth Stories for Books, JUST LIKE CLICK, by Sandy Grubb

Back in October 2018, I started a blog series called, Birth Stories for Books, Posts About Paths to Publication from Published Authors and Illustrators. My first post featured Oregon author, Jody J. Little, and her debut middle grade novel, Mostly the Honest Truth.

Fast forward six years later (! -- I hadn't realized I'd been doing these features for that long!), and I received a message from fellow SCBWI-Oregon member, Sandy Grubb, sharing the good news of her debut middle grade novel, JUST LIKE CLICK. Sandy and Jody are longtime critique partners, which is how Sandy became familiar with my blog series (I love these kinds of connections!) 

by Sandy Grubb

Anyhow, Sandy goes on to congratulate me about receiving the Walt Morey Young Readers Literacy Legacy award, and shares with me that Walt Morey was the very first author she ever met in person back when she was a third grade teacher in Idaho. Meeting Walt Morey inspired Sandy to aspire to publish one day.

Wow! Does this tie into the remarks I gave this time last year when I received the Walt Morey award, or what?! 

So here we are today, and Sandy's debut book, JUST LIKE CLICK is now out in the world (Fitzroy Books, April 2024). I'm so excited to be able to share Sandy's birth story for this book with you here today. Congratulations, Sandy! Take it away:

A Boy, a Book, and a Superhero
by Sandy Grubb

I was in college when I dared to dream that I’d like to write and publish a book one day. As an English and French Literature major, I fell in love with the beautiful novels I read. Several years later, I was teaching third grade in Nampa, Idaho, when the author of Gentle Ben came to town. I walked my class downtown to meet Walt Morey. I was so impressed with him. I’d never met an author before. It was then, I was inspired to focus on writing for children.

Now that’s fine and good, but next I needed to figure out what to write about! So, the dream kept percolating for quite a few years. I snatched at ideas and places and premises and people and made a few scribbles in a notebook. 

It turns out, the idea for my story started nearly 90 years ago, of course long before I was born, when two creative, talented men, the writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, created my favorite superhero, Superman. Just as my book didn’t happen overnight, it turns out Superman didn’t happen overnight either. Jerry and Joe first pitched the idea for a superhero comic strip, hoping to be syndicated in the newspapers. They were met with rejection again and again. They tried for five years to sell different iterations of “The Superman,” the first version using superpowers for evil, the next striving to be more sensational but still evil, and finally the Superman we know today who uses his powers for good. 

Jerry and Joe gave up on selling to the newspapers and sold their Superman story to Detective Comics (which later became DC Comics) for $130. Unfortunately, they also signed away all rights to the story. The rest of their lives they (and their heirs) were in and out of court trying to retrieve as many of those rights as they could, which as you can imagine became worth millions of dollars. With that sale, no one could have anticipated the multi-billion-dollar industry that was birthed.

The first Superman comic was dated June 1938 and released in April of that year. The emergence of superheroes coincided with the end of America’s Great Depression and the beginning of WWII. One could reason this was a time when people were looking for a superhero to save the world, but many reflected later that superheroes inspired Americans to believe they could save their own world. Today, readers are drawn to them for entertainment certainly, but also to inspire them to believe they can become something greater, to give their worldview moral clarity, and sustain the hope that justice will prevail.

The majority of today’s popular superheroes were created in the 30s and 40s, with another surge in the 60s. Interestingly, most were created by Jewish immigrants, like Jerry and Joe. Jewish people were harshly discriminated against for many years in many countries, including the U.S., causing them to feel like outsiders. They felt forced to change their names to hide their identities in order to get jobs and housing. Many jobs, including positions in traditional publishing, were closed to them. Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man, was one who changed his name from Stanley Lieber. Siegel and Shuster didn’t need to change their names; their parents had already done so. And so, it’s no surprise that most superheroes they created also hide their true identities, live as outsiders, and struggle to find their place in the world.

Image Provided by Sandy Grubb

Just Like Click is a type of superhero story. I’m calling it a superhero story for a new era. It’s not like the old Superman. It’s not in the DC universe, nor the Marvel universe—though my protagonist Nick idolizes all those classic superheroes. Stan Lee gives this definition of a superhero, “So in order to be a superhero, you need a power that is more exceptional than any power a normal human being could possess, and you need to use that power to accomplish good deeds.” In my book, Nick steps off the comic book pages he creates to become Click, a powerful undercover superhero, to save his dad’s job and his home at Black Butte Ranch, which would all be a lot easier if he had actual superpowers. At its heart, Just Like Click is a story of friendship, family, and finding yourself. 

As the story begins, Nick feels a kinship with undercover superheroes as he very much feels like an outsider, misunderstood in his own family and among the peers he’s grown up with. Superheroes, along with some new friends, help him dig his way out of the black hole he’s fallen into and find confidence and affirmation. With warmth and humor and fun comic-book-style illustrations, Just Like Click is a fast-paced adventure story. Kirkus Reviews tagged it “compulsively readable.”

So, I discovered my premise, my characters, my setting, and some fun twists and turns for my plot. My grammar and punctuation were impeccable, but I still needed to learn how to write a good story. After many SCBWI workshops and reading Lisa Cron’s Story Genius and Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat Writes a Novel, the light broke forth. In all, I spent five years drafting and revising Just Like Click, four years searching for an agent, two years on submission with twenty-six rejections, and two years in production after signing a publishing contract. The result is my debut contemporary middle grade novel.

I hope every young person who reads Just Like Click will come away believing they are superheroes, with superpowers they can use to change the world for good.

On my website at sandygrubb.com, you can find discussion questions, activities related to Just Like Click, and some fun how-to-draw-a-comic templates. I hope you will enjoy my book and share it with young readers you know.

What an inspiring story-behind-the story, Sandy (and an important cautionary tale about protecting our rights)! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. I especially love that your book is set in Central Oregon and your hook, a superhero story for a new era. Brava! 

And now, dear readers, you know what to do. The best way to thank an author whose insights have been helpful and/or inspiring to you is to support their work. Buy their books. Request them from your library. Read and share them with others. JUST LIKE CLICK is available where books are borrowed and sold, including your own local, indie bookstore. 

Image Provided by Sandy Grubb

A former elementary school teacher and a longtime member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Sandy Grubb has an English and French Literature degree from Stanford University and a teaching certificate from U.C. Berkeley. Passionate about making life better for children around the world, she serves on the Board of World Vision U.S. Sandy and her husband live outside of Portland, Oregon, overlooking the beautiful Mt. Hood, where they enjoy hiking and skiing. Learn more at www.sandygrubb.com .  

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Birth Stories for Books is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of multiple picture books including, Lucy's Blooms, Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?, and 16 books in the Story Time With Signs & Rhymes series. Dawn is a contributing author to the award-winning book, Oregon Reads Aloud, and a frequent presenter at schools, libraries, and educational conferences. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com.  

Have Swag Will Travel: An Interview with Anna Monders About Her Booktalk Blog

Nikko Prochovnic, Class of 2020
Photo Credit Owls Eye Photography

Hi friends. My blog has been a bit quiet lately. Much of my personal attention has been focused on celebrating my son, who is a member of the high school graduating class of 2020, and much of my professional attention has been focused on sharing resources with parents, teachers, and librarians who are now teaching/ providing library programming from home.

If you haven't yet checked out the wonderful (and growing) compilation of educational resources available on the SCBWI website, I encourage you to do so. There are book readings, writing workshops, art demonstrations, enrichment activities, etc. for all ages, (for example, I've posted a self-guided workshop about creating character voice in the "workshops" section of the database, some detailed activity guides in the “activities” section of the database, and some sign language resources in the “bilingual” section). More resources will be added by authors and illustrators each week. Here is the link: https://www.scbwi.org/digital-directory-for-remote-learning-resources/  Please feel welcome and encouraged to share this collection of resources widely, particularly with anyone who is teaching / offering programming remotely and/or homeschooling their own kids.

Speaking of resources, prior to the pandemic, I interviewed Anna Monders about her booktalk blog, and I'm so happy to be able to share that interview with you today:

Dawn Prochovnic: Hi Anna. Thanks so much for stopping by. Last fall we were both presenters at the Oregon Association for School Libraries conference. One of your sessions was called “You Can Booktalk!” which prompted me to visit your excellent booktalk blog, and talk with you today about… yep, you guessed it, booktalks! 

So, for those readers who haven’t yet visited your blog, (what are you waiting for folks?!), can you tell us what makes a booktalk, a booktalk?

Anna Monders: Let me start by talking about what a booktalk isn’t. It’s not a summary of a book, or a review of one. I like to think of it more like a movie trailer with live-action theatre. It’s storytelling. And it’s performance art.

In my booktalk presentations at schools, each book gets 1-3 minutes in the spotlight. In that short amount of time, I want to make my audience DESPERATE to read the book. I tell them enough about the characters and story to get them caught up in it. I try to leave them with their curiosity burning.

DP: I’m hooked already! I've also heard you and others say that booktalking is a way to get kids excited about reading. Can you give an example or two of how a booktalk inspired a young reader that you’ve worked with?

AM: I have five years’ worth of examples! A couple years ago, I was booktalking Katherine Rundell’s The Wolf Wilder in fifth and sixth grade classes.

At one school, there was a class copy of this title visible on the shelf—but no one had read it. After I booktalked it, there was a crazy rush for the book (nearly ending in a seven-kid tackle heap).

Booktalks can open the doors for kids who don’t think they like to read, or who don’t think they like particular genres. I recently heard a sixth grade boy at an underprivileged school say after booktalks: “I’ve never been so inspired to read before.” Another time, a girl came up after the presentation to tell me she didn’t like mysteries, but that now she really wanted to read Nooks and Crannies [by Jessica Lawson].

I’ve had several boys tell me that they read the entire Michael Vey series after I booktalked the first one at their school.

DP: These are great examples, Anna. How wonderful to be able to reach kids in this way. And, I read in your bio that you present booktalks to over 5000 kids per year. Wow! That’s amazing. Can you share some of the basics of how you put a booktalk together and what it “looks like” or sounds like when it’s delivered?

AM: I present booktalks as part of Jackson County Library’s outreach to elementary and middle schools. Each spring and fall, I prepare 30-35 books, and I present the program to as many classes as I can fit in my schedule—generally 200+ classes per year. Because I’m going to be booktalking each title 50 or 100 times, I can take the time to prepare well.

I start with A LOT of reading. My program serves fourth through sixth grade students, so I’m primarily focused on middle-grade titles. I read reviews, keep an eye on award lists, ask around for recommendations, and look at most of the new titles for this age that come into our library. I like to get a stack of books ready, and then sit down and read the first few pages of each. Most I will discard at this stage. If it’s suddenly an hour later and I’ve missed my bus home, then I know I’ve got a winner!

As I build my list, I try to maintain a balance of genres and work to include enough variety so there will be at least one or two titles to appeal to each kid in the class. Most of my titles are fiction, but I include some nonfiction and graphic novels as well.

Once my selections are made, I write the booktalks. Each booktalk is 150-300 words long, and it takes me several drafts to get the script smooth. I find it helpful to read it aloud a bunch of times, cutting anything that doesn’t need to be there. Then I practice some more; I pace around my office, or up and down the bike path, talking to myself. Starting out, it can be useful to record and watch the practice sessions.

I try to have a strong booktalk ready before I take it into the schools, but I often do a few more revisions once I see what is and isn’t working for my middle grade audience. Usually the script settles within a couple of weeks, and I’ll have it memorized without really trying. (I do keep a “cheat sheet” script taped to the back of the book for emergencies, but the presentation is way more fun once it feels like storytelling rather than a rehearsed script.)

When I’m in front of my audience, it’s all about being “on”—providing a dynamic, live performance. I want the kids to get completely caught up in the stories, so I put myself in that space too.

DP: Your level of preparation is such a gift to young readers. I love the idea of a booktalk being a dynamic, live performance. Do you have a template or “formula” that you use to put your booktalks together?  Are there any particular do’s and don’ts you would offer?

AM: I don’t have a particular formula that I use—different books need different approaches—but being a writer myself helps me shape my booktalks. I look at:

1) Who is the main character? This is the person (animal, entity) the reader is going to connect with, so getting to know this character is an important part of the booktalk. I often include a couple of quirky details about the character or their situation.

2) What important change happens at the beginning of the story? This inciting (and hopefully exciting) incident can often be used as the primary hook for the booktalk. It sets the story in motion. Many of my booktalks will have a paragraph about the character and their situation when the story opens, then the second paragraph introduces the change, opening with some form of, “Then one day…”

3) What does the main character want more than anything? What is getting in their way? This combination of desire and obstacles shapes the course of the story and gives the audience a glimpse of the central question the story will answer. 


A few years ago I had a full day of classes at a middle school. At lunch time, a sixth grade girl from the first period class came back into the media center where I was set up. “I have a question about one of the books,” she said. “A couple of them actually.” And then she proceeded to go down the line of books and ask the central question I’d alluded to, but hadn’t stated directly: “Did he pull it off?” (Great Greene Heist.) “Do they survive?” (Michael Vey.) “What happened to the cousin?” (London Eye Mystery.) “What’s wrong with the kids? Are they robots?” (Under Their Skin.) “Do they get in a big fight?” (Hidden.) “Did she make it?” (The War That Saved My Life.) “Who was the girl?” (Listen to the Moon.) She wanted her curiosity satisfied.

DP: This is absolutely awesome!

AM: As for do’s and don’ts. I’d say the most important thing is not to give too much away. Except on rare occasion, I only include story elements revealed in the first quarter of the book, and often less.

Other guidelines I follow are:

• Treat the booktalk as a performance. Bring energy, enthusiasm, funny voices, dramatic pauses, props…

• Use what the author has given you in the book. Make use of direct quotes or specific phrases the author uses, to give a flavor of the story. Exploit an appropriate chapter cliffhanger in the early part of the book to use as a cliffhanger end to your booktalk.

• Choose books with a good hook. Mysteries and thrillers are an easy place to start. But that being said…

• Be honest in the booktalk. Do not make a quiet friendship story sound like a spine-chilling adventure just so more kids will pick it up. You may deter the true audience for the book, and you’ll disappoint the adventure-obsessed reader who does try it.

DP: This is such great info, Anna. I want to listen in on your booktalks (more on that later!) Also, I want to point out that the three things you look at when shaping a booktalk are also good things for authors to look at when shaping the books we're writing! 

I'm curious if there are particular approaches/formats that you’ve learned that kids really enjoy the most? Does your approach vary for different age groups of young readers?

AM: I love including some interactive aspects in my presentations. It helps kids get engaged in the talk. One of my favorites was handing out superpowers after booktalking The Mighty Odds by Amy Ignatow.

In the story, the main characters each gain an unusual superpower. Nick can suddenly teleport, but only four inches to the left. Cookie can read people’s minds, but only if they’re thinking about directions. Farshad gains super strength, but only in his thumbs… When I was working on my booktalk for this title, I came up with similarly bizarre superpowers and wrote them on popsicle sticks. (i.e. You have super hearing, but only for insect noises. You can breathe under water, but only within sight of a shark. You can communicate by telepathy, but only while singing 1980s songs…)

After booktalking this title, I would let a handful of kids draw out a popsicle stick and learn their new superpower. The kids loved it. LOVED IT. It was totally fun. And I kept the superpowers in a handy duct tape pouch that I then used as a lead-in to booktalking a duct tape craft book and introducing the library’s teen duct tape club.

DP: You are brilliant! I LOVE this SO MUCH!

AM: Other times, I’ve included a bit of reader’s theatre. Last year I booktalked Mac Undercover, the first book in Mac Barnett’s series, Mac B., Kid Spy. I took a key scene – where the Queen of England calls up Mac out of the blue and asks him to find the stolen Crown Jewels – and I wrote out a very short dialog. Kids loved to volunteer to be the Queen or Mac. There were some great Queens of England! I now have a virtual booktalk for Mac Undercover (it's totally fun -- the 89-year-old mother of a British friend of mine recorded the Queen's part of the dialog for me -- remotely from her care home in England!).

DP: What fun! I incorporate reader's theatre into my picture book-related activities (examples for Pirate and Cowgirl here and here), but I've not considered that as an activity option for older readers. Great idea!

What inspired you to start giving booktalks?

AM: Jackson County Library Services, in Southern Oregon, offers a free booktalk presentation to any fourth, fifth, or sixth grade class in the county. When I found out about the program, I thought it would be an awesome job to have. A few years later, I was hired as their new booktalker.

I was already involved in the kidlit writing community, so I was thrilled to have a position that required reading kids’ books and one that got me out sharing books with my target audience. It’s heartening to see students get so enthusiastic about stories!

DP: It sounds like a perfect job match, indeed! I'm wondering if you have a favorite booktalk experience you’d like to share?

AM: One of my favorite experiences is when kids call me “evil.” It means I’ve done a good job getting them totally caught up in the story, and then—slam—I leave them with an unforgivable cliffhanger. One time a sixth grade boy told me, “If I hear one more cliffhanger, my head is going to explode!”

DP: That is so marvelous. 

Any mishaps or cautionary tales that others might benefit from knowing about (or simply get a kick out of)?

AM: Flexibility is key for a successful school visit—whether it’s a booktalk visit or author visit. At some point, there’s going to be a fire drill, intruder drill, earthquake drill. Or a last-minute assembly. Or a substitute teacher who didn’t know to send the class to the library.

I always carry an extra set of handouts because sometimes I have one teacher signed up for a presentation, but they don’t tell me their teaching partner is bringing a class in as well. Being easy-going about the whole thing makes the experience better for everyone.

At the same time, I have learned to set certain boundaries: yes, adding an unexpected fourth grade class to a fourth grade presentation is great. Adding a seventh grade class to a fourth grade presentation…not so much.

DP: Excellent advice, Anna. 

As you likely know, I have two new potty-humor picture books that came out last October. One is cowgirl-themed and the other is pirate-themed, geared for kids ages 3-8, for whom potty humor is at the height of its glory. If you have any great ideas for book talking either of these titles to young audiences, I’m all ears!

AM: I wish I had a great suggestion for you! The techniques I use with the middle graders transfer easily to teens and adults, but I haven’t tried it with picture books. Picture books have a different sort of magic – and the great advantage of actually being able to read aloud the entire book in a short amount of time. I am currently considering adapting my program for third graders, so maybe soon I will have more thoughts on working with a younger audience!


DP: I actually think many of the tips you've provided will transfer to younger audiences, but I suspect you will gain even more insights if you decide to bring your programs to third graders. 

Before we wrap up, let’s shift gears a bit. I suspect that the same elements that go into a successful booktalk, could be applied to a successful agent/editor pitch. Based on your experience developing and delivering booktalks, what tips would you suggest to authors as they develop and deliver pitches for their books?

AM: When I first pitched my middle-grade novel to agents at the Willamette Writers Conference, I was intimidated by how limited the time was. Years of sweat went into that manuscript. Tens of thousands of words. Plot twists. Character development. How could I share everything I needed to in only seven minutes?!

What I’ve learned from booktalking is how much information can be conveyed – and how much desperate enthusiasm can be generated – in just 2-3 minutes. That’s all it takes. A couple of minutes is absolutely enough time to pull listeners into a unique story world and get their curiosity engaged.

When I returned to Willamette Writers to pitch again, after a couple years of doing booktalks, I wrote a “booktalk” for my manuscript. I asked myself the same questions I was using on my real booktalks: Who is the main character? What important change happens at the beginning of the story? What does the main character want more than anything? And why?

I used specific details and wording from my manuscript, as I often do in my regular booktalks, to give a flavor of the writing. I ignored a lot of the backstory that I had included in my original round of pitching—instead I went for visual details that would either convey the specificity of the world or the stakes for the character.

DP: This is really excellent advice, Anna, and I especially love the term "desperate enthusiasm." I will definitely try to create that the next time a prepare a pitch, or even a query letter. 

Is there something you wished I would have asked you that you haven’t had the opportunity to share?

AM: It’s hard to imagine I have anything more to say! Maybe just one last thought: A booktalk isn’t about convincing someone to read a particular book. It’s about opening up stories so kids can see which ones resonate with them. I reassure kids at the beginning of my presentation that I am not there to tell them they “should” read any of the books I’ve brought. Instead, I want them to see which books they are excited to read. Maybe they’ll like all of them. Or maybe only one—and that’s okay. It’s their choice that is important.

DP: That's such an empowering approach, Anna, and a perfect note to end on. 

I can't thank you enough for sharing your expertise with us. 

AM: Thank you, Dawn, for inviting me to share about booktalking! I hope this is a useful glimpse into the process.

DP: I've learned so much from you, Anna. It's VERY useful, indeed. Thanks again for taking the time to share with us. 

Readers: Between the time that I interviewed Anna and the time when I formatted the interview for publication, COVID-19 significantly changed the way that authors, librarians, teachers, and booksellers can interact with readers. Anna has recently created a virtual booktalk channel on YouTube, where she will post weekly booktalks for readers in grades 4-7. I encourage you to check it out and share it with others. You can search "JCLS booktalks" on YouTube, or follow this link. 

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Anna Monders has been the booktalk specialist for Jackson County Library Services in Southern Oregon for the past five years. She presents booktalks to over 5000 kids a year, primarily in fourth to sixth grade. She’s thrilled when kids in her audience swarm the school library or go home and beg their parents to take them to the public library. Many of her booktalks are available on The Booktalk Blog.







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Have Swag Will Travel is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of multiple picture books including Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?, and 16 books in the Story Time With Signs & Rhymes series. Dawn is a contributing author to Oregon Reads Aloud and a frequent presenter at schools, libraries, and educational conferences. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com.

Birth Stories for Books, CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?, by Estela Bernal

Can You See Me Now? by Estela Bernal

One of the things I most love about the Birth Stories for Books series on my blog is getting to know members of my writing community a little more deeply. I met Estela Bernal several years ago. We’ve signed books together, shared meals at book-related events, and exchanged friendly conversation at these opportunities, but we’ve not really gotten to know each other beyond these settings.

I really enjoyed getting to know Estela a little bit better as we prepared for this blog post, and I look forward to the next in-person opportunity to connect with her.

Friends, meet Estela Bernal: Air Force veteran, former teacher and social worker, SCBWI and Willamette Writers member, CASA volunteer, foster parent, and author of CAN YOU SEE ME NOW? (Piñata Books, 2014).

My Writing Secret
by Estela Bernal

Born and raised in a small Texas town, my love of books and reading began in first grade. Like most Hispanic kids at that time, I didn’t have books at home and there were no libraries anywhere near the town, much less in the neighborhood. When I started learning English and suddenly had access to books and other written material, I was hooked. I read everything I could get my hands on, as if trying to make up for lost time.

To this day, I can’t remember how or where I found a copy of The Good Earth. I read and re-read it, losing myself in that world—strange and exotic, yet familiar in so many ways. Since my father was a farmer, perhaps it was my own family’s connection to the land that drew me in and held my interest.

Although I did my share of writing in college, my writing was limited to reports, essays, and such. Unlike most writers, though, it never occurred to me to write my own stories until many years later. It came about in a unique and unexpected way. I was at a Tish Hinojosa concert in a small and intimate venue in Davis, California. Tish sang folk songs, traditional Mexican songs, and some of her own compositions (many of them about social injustice). That very evening, I decided I wanted to write. Rather than songs, though, I immediately decided I’d like to write for children.

My writing journey started with reading books on craft and many more children’s books. Along the way, I took writing classes here and there. I found the whole process fascinating and, although I was working full time and had a part-time job, I spent most of my spare time reading and trying to write.

After I’d been writing for a while, I attempted a YA novel and entered it in a UC Irvine writing contest. I was surprised and elated when, a few months later, I got a $500 check and a letter informing me my entry had won 2nd place. At the ceremony held to celebrate the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners, one of the staff said, “Your friends and family must be very proud of you.” She was shocked when I confessed that no one even knew I wrote.  “Well, now you’ll have to come out of the closet, won’t you?”

But even with that validation of my work, I remained in my little writing closet for a while longer. It wasn’t until I retired from my jobs that I finally shared my “secret” with family and co-workers who were just as surprised as the UC Irvine staff member.

My retirement wasn’t really official until three months after I moved to Portland where I had much more time to indulge my reading and writing passions. I somehow found out about an organization called The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). It so happened that the regional group was having a picnic. I couldn’t believe my luck at finding such a resource and the local group of amazing fellow writers. It was there that I met the lovely Dawn and learned about an upcoming Silver Falls retreat. At the retreat I met Kim Kasch. We were both looking for a critique group and, after several short-lived attempts we ended up forming the Rose City Writers group which meets every other week.

I’ve lost count of how many conferences, workshops, and retreats I’ve attended since. I always come away totally energized and motivated to keep going.

Oregon Reads Aloud

My MG novel Can You See Me Now? was published in 2014. A couple of years later, thanks to another lovely lady, Amber Keyser, I was asked if I’d be interested in writing a story for the collection (Oregon Reads Aloud) which celebrates Start Making a Reader Today (SMART’s) 25th anniversary. I was not only honored to join a very talented group of local writers and illustrators, but it was especially meaningful to be part of a project that does so much for schools and children who may otherwise not have the beautiful experience of having a reading mentor. As a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) for children in foster care, I knew many CASAs are also SMART readers, so that made it even more special.

Although my free time has again shrunk quite drastically (since I became a foster parent myself to a very active nine-year-old), I continue to attend as many writing events as I can fit in and write a little whenever I can. Some recent SCBWI events (a Novel Idea in April and a Picture Book Intensive in May) were a special treat because, not only did I have the opportunity to absorb great information, I also got to connect with fellow writers and meet new writers and illustrators.

I continue to draw inspiration from others’ creative journeys. I’m currently reading (mostly during the few quiet moments before my own bedtime) A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader, a collection of letters by authors, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and philosophers about the impact reading has had on their lives. Each letter is accompanied by an illustration. As I read these letters, the young reader still curled up inside my heart, keeps nodding, smiling and being reminded that, despite the different creative paths we each may follow, there is one common thread that binds us all—our love of books and reading.

It’s been a wonderful journey so far and SCBWI continues to play a very important role in my life.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about your path to publication, Estela, and about some of the other aspects of your life. I'm so glad your secret is out!

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Estela Bernal is an Air Force veteran, former teacher and social worker, as well as a member of SCBWI and Willamette Writers. Her MG novel (CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?) was a finalist in the 2016 International Latino Book Awards. Her PB story Mount Tabor: Home of Ardi the Squirrel was published by Graphic Arts Books as part of an anthology of stories by Oregon authors (OREGON READS ALOUD). Learn more at her website, www.estelabernal.com.

“I believe reading plays a key role in a child’s education and am a big supporter of diversity in children’s books. Because I support diversity in children's lit, I help sponsor a writing contest for children through Skipping Stones, a multicultural literary magazine for children based in Eugene, OR, which promotes diversity in children's books. Through my readings, workshops, and classroom presentations, I hope to instill a love of reading, writing, and learning among children, particularly underprivileged children. I’m currently revising two YA novels (one historic and one contemporary), one MG novel, and several PB stories—all in various stages of completion.”

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Birth Stories for Books is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of multiple picture books including Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? (forthcoming, 2019), and 16 books in the Story Time With Signs & Rhymes series. Dawn is a contributing author to Oregon Reads Aloud and a frequent presenter at schools, libraries, and educational conferences. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com.

Birth Stories for Books: HECK, WHERE THE BAD KIDS GO, by Dale E. Basye

First Title in Series

When I started the Birth Stories for Books series, I had no idea how much I would learn in the process, or how many different versions of paths to publication there could possibly be to share. What a treat it has been to read so many different and varied paths to publication.

I also never anticipated that a guest contributor would frame their Birth Story in quite the clever and hilarious way that author Dale E. Basye has done with this post. How I wish I had thought of this framework myself ... and yet, I don't think anyone could have pulled it off as well as Dale has. So, before this baby is overdue, let's turn it over to Dale and allow him to share how his first book, HECK, WHERE THE BAD KIDS GO was conceived, carried, labored and then birthed.

When an Idea and the Incessant Need to Prove Yourself Fall In Love…
by Dale E. Basye

Conception

It started innocently enough. I was reading a lot to my new son. Mostly snarky classics by Roald Dahl, but also new stuff like A Series of Unfortunate Events (which was new then, as were we all…). And at some point, I was thinking “Wow…you can get away with a lot in children’s books! It would be really fun to write one!” Meanwhile, I had been working in advertising for nearly ten years and the cracks in my creativity were beginning to show. I needed an outlet: beyond my ever-growing desktop folder of rejected advertising campaigns deemed too edgy and bizarre. 

About this time, I—like most new fathers—was thinking a lot about hell. And, perhaps Pat Benatar’s “Hell is For Children” was on the radio, but that’s when the idea of an under-aged underworld popped into my head. Not quite Hell—that would be a little bit much—but maybe something more kid-friendly, something like…Heck. And then one thing led to another…

Testing Positive

I had a regular lunch with a friend: a fellow writer who was stifled by her advertising agency job and wanted to stretch out by developing ideas for potential books or screenplays. As was typical with our lunches—after gossiping and dishing dirt on our mutual acquaintances—we got to the work of sharing our accumulated ideas. So, when it was my turn, I read my list of ideas along with a pithy synopsis of each. One of these was “Where do the souls of the darned toil for all eternity, or until they turn 18, whichever comes first? Well, Heck, course. ‘Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go’.” She loved it! So that was all that I needed: just a little direction on what idea to pour my energy into for the next few months.

First-Trimester

I initially envisioned Heck as a TV show (which may very well be the case someday soon…full circle and all), as I “saw” it in my head. So my first draft was in screenplay format. I entered it into a Bravo TV contest where the winning entry would result in a pilot and possible series! I’d like to think that it came in second…along with all of the other entries that lost. But at least the contest got me off my butt (or got me sitting on my butt, more to the point) to “finish” the story (as if any story is ever finished…).

Second-Trimester

I have always needed some sort of deadline…some tape at the finish line to break, even if the finish line itself was self-imposed. So to me this was the Willamette Writers Conference. I picked an editor to pitch to, Diane Landolf of Random House Children’s books, and thus I had my goal. So I busied myself adding flesh to the skeleton that I had created for the Heck script to make it more bookish. And so the date of the conference arrived all too soon, and I valiantly pitched Heck (along with another story about a robot on Mars) and—while expecting polite refusal and perhaps some useful feedback—I surprisingly, received an invitation to send her the finished manuscript. Leaving the conference table, slick with flop sweat, I assumed that this was standard procedure. She didn’t want to make a “scene,” so she allowed casual solicitation. It wasn’t until a month had passed when I received an email from Diane asking where the manuscript was that it hit me: she really did want to read Heck. In fact, she also relayed that my pitch was the best that she had heard, and that she had checked out my website and knew that I could, in fact, write, so…

Third-Trimester

…I had to hustle to bring this baby to term! I finished my manuscript and sent it off to Diane, trembling all the way. She got back to me fairly quickly saying, while she loved the story (uh-oh, I thought: looking for “while”s and “but”s like landmines in her letter), she couldn’t offer me a publishing deal as the story didn’t really have an ending (it still had a sort of “tune in next week…” kind of pseudo-ending). But, she went on, she was confident that—if I followed her extensive notes (more words than the manuscript itself, it often seemed)—that she could offer me that wonderful of most wonderful things: a publishing deal! 

Contractions

Isn’t. Can’t. Don’t. Shouldn’t… yeah, the contractions were coming fast and furious at this point. Here is a glimpse into my typical response to feedback: “What?! There’s no way I could do that. Absolutely no freakin’…well, I suppose I could do this. But, then…no…well, wait: sure. Actually, yes! If I did that, then I could do THIS! Oh…yeah! Great!” 

Labor

And so it went. Back and forth. Back and forth. Push. Push. Breathe. Breathe. And, after a couple of months, the manuscript was “finished.” 

I use quotations for “finished” because, well, then there’s the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) to edit…a process where I learned that you can not change major things at this point (I have an irritatingly George Lucas-ish habit to want to drastically change things I’ve already done rather than just move on).

There is also the artwork. Before publishing my first book, I always assumed that the author and illustrator would meet-up, maybe go camping together, and come up with a whimsical marriage of story and art. But it’s not like that. At all. It is more of an arranged marriage. The first cover art for Heck wasn’t right. The illustrator—who was excellent—created a heroic visual blend of adventure and fantasy that, while beautiful, totally missed the tone of “creepy and funny.” So then my editor told me of an illustrator that Random House wanted to try—Bob Dob—and that Heck seemed like the perfect prospect. And it was: his style was goofy yet dark, scary and hilarious (scarilarious?). At this point, with the art giving Heck its weirdly beautiful face, the book was starting to crown…

Birth

And so the day arrived. The day of birth. Publication day! Frankly, there is nothing cooler than seeing your book in a store. Seriously. The pride in reading your name on a spine, right between J. M. Barrie and L. Frank Baum (in my case), is, ironically, hard to put into words. To this day, if I see my book in a store (usually a bookstore, not so much a Bed Bath and Beyond), I will tidy it up on the shelf so that it puts its best face forward (truth be told, I will sometimes do so at the detriment of Mr. Barrie and Baum).

With birth also comes parties: events to announce your book to the world! Parties filled with strangers: publicists, bookstore owners, librarians, etc. These are all great fun and are a way to get everyone excited for your book (fun fact: librarians really like free liquor…maybe they think they are merely borrowing it for 2-3 weeks before returning it). It makes you feel like you are the toast of the town. But that feeling can’t last forever, sadly…

Post-partum Depression

The attention of a publisher is like a lighthouse. It slowly rotates, in order to illuminate a landscape (in the case of the publishing industry, the works of other authors). And, like a lover’s gaze, you are warm and special…but then that gaze (or the beam of a lighthouse…sorry for the assault of metaphors) moves on, and you feel cold, alone, unloved, and stuck in the dark. 

So there’s that. But, still: there is that afterglow a new author experiences that makes them think that anything is possible. There is a bit of a publicity budget which either affords cool tchotkes (in Heck’s case, cool die-cut brochures and silly giveaway items like measuring tape that gauges “how bad you are”), or helps fund a number of scheduled appearances. And those are great. But then…it’s over. And—if, in an extreme display of idiocy, you promised a series—it’s time to get back to work. At home. Alone. In the dark…

Second Child

The second book is easier. It’s also harder. Easier because you know you can write a book this time out. A whole book. From beginning to end. And live to tell the tale (or write it, more specifically). But it’s also harder (or at least it was for me) since I took the second book a little more seriously. I was a real author now, writing a real book that a real editor and a real publishing house were waiting for. For real. 

Book Eight

And the process continued for books three, four, five, six, seven… Each book selling fewer and fewer copies, with the publicity budget and overall publishing interest dwindling in kind. 

But, like a child, a book takes on a life of its own (even books about death). You have to sort of let it go. Let it be its own entity. People will have their own unique experiences with your book. In the case of Heck, some children who didn’t like reading due to their frustration with personal learning disabilities embraced the book and vowed that it provided an entry into a world of literature: something that actually changed their lives. Conversely, there are also the “one-star reviewers” who viewed Heck as an abomination. And, at least in terms of adjective overuse and pointless asides (like this one), they very well may be right. 

So while the experience has left me with numerous emotional stretch-marks, birthing books is indeed the hardest job you’ll ever love. In many ways, my life has gone to Heck ever since. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Dear readers (and labor and delivery nurses), I hope you have enjoyed this story as much as I have. I've read it over and over again, and laughed out loud. Every. Single. Time. (Sometimes in new places that I had overlooked in a previous reading). Thank you so much, Dale, for sharing your story with us, but mostly, thank you for taking my invitation to share your birth story so fantastically literally. May your books always be fruitful and multiply!

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Dale E. Basye is a writer, author, and bon vivant (a fancy French word that means “someone who misuses fancy French words”) who lives in Portland, Oregon, where he must—on a daily basis—wage life-or-death struggles with grizzly bears, nettled beavers, and inconsistent Wi-Fi signals.

Dale E. Basye has written stories, screenplays, essays, reviews, and lies for many publications and organizations. He was a film critic, winning several national journalism awards, and published an arts and entertainment newspaper called Tonic.  

When he isn’t writing books, which is the great majority of the time—time spent either not writing or putting off writing or planning on putting off writing—Dale enjoys riding his bicycle (or anyone’s bicycle, actually), eating tiramisu, and converting oxygen to carbon dioxide. Find out more at http://wherethebadkidsgo.com/.