The Ego’s Playbook is written from the POV of the Ego, and it’s chock full of art. Author Pam Grout says it’s “like a picture book for adults.”
Pam wanted lots of visuals, similar to Gun Violence 101 by Thomas Gabor, PhD, which I designed and illustrated last year.
POV
THE EGO’S PLAYBOOK is written from the persepctive of the Ego. Pam wanted the art to look as if the Ego had doodled his pernicious plans as they occurred to him, on whatever scraps he could find. Paraphrasing Pam (condensing from boatloads of emails), “I want the art to look as if the Ego doodled on the back of a coffee-stained napkin.”
Artifacts
I bought a scanner (joy! haven’t had one since we moved to Asia in 2019) and spent weeks collecting bits of paper from sidewalks and parking lots, amassing a giant cluttered pile. Did my stash include bags and wrappers from chopsticks and paper straws? You know it did! Bonus points for readers who can spot them in the book.
I love reading and writing first person POV in fiction, and have a deep affinity for books like Everything, Everything (Nicola Yoon) that include artifacts created by their characters. I’ve written several as-yet-unpublished YA novels that include artifacts, doodles created by the characters in the books (but really by me, of course), so assuming the role of the Ego while drawing was easy and fun. Many of the illustrations, including this one, were thought up by Pam.
Meet the Author: Pam Grout
Pam Grout and I had not met before this project. As we got acquainted, we discovered we have loads in common. I also discovered that she is a delight. You should definitely follow her blog and read her many books.
Way back in 2023, my friends Laura Backes Bard and Jon Bard, the couple behind the Children’s Book Insider Newsletter, Write For Kids, and Writing Blueprints, asked me to design characters for a new website that would combine all of their services.
In a Zoom meeting, Laura and Jon cast their vision: Characters representing several types of writers sitting around an Algonquin-style roundtable. I sent this sketch full of options.
We all preferred the anthropormorphic characters for this kid lit venture. Over time, Laura and Jon fine-tuned their vision and sent me descriptions of 6 characters and a color palette…
…which I illustrated in various poses.
Eventually, I also had the pleasure of athromorphizing Laura and Jon.
I mean. How cute is this?
(o:
If you’re a writer of books for kids—of if you’d like to become one—definitely check out this fantastic new website. Write For Kids Online has everything you need to get you started and send you on your way to becoming a successful author.
When I was very young, my family moved from Illinois to Missouri. At the new house, my father promptly planted a row of roses along the back edge of the patio for my mother. Mom wasn’t a big gardener. I’m not sure how much time she or Dad spent tending her roses, but every summer, they bloomed.
My husband and I recently bought a home in Timaru, New Zealand. It’s our fourth house, although we haven’t owned one since leaving the US in 2015. Buying a home here has been our dream for nearly a decade, so of course we’re floating on a cloud of joy now that we;re home owners—but for me, it’s not just the house that’s making me happy. It’s the roses.
City of Roses
I can’t smell a rose without thinking of my mom, and Timaru is teeming with them. We just happened to drive past this gorgeous “Rose Cottage” while running errands this morning.
In five minutes, I can walk from our front door to a gorgeous rose garden in Caroline Bay, a beautiful city park.
Last weekend, a rose festival kicked off the summer season. (New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, so summer begins in December.) And there are roses casually strewn about everywhere, decorating the lawns and gardens of nearly every house.
A Woman Who Prays
Dec 7 was my mom’s birthday. She passed away a few years ago. Some people say that grieving hearts heal over time, but I’m not sure that’s true. It’s more like grief changes you. You learn to function in spite of it.
My mother never stopped praying, and I know she had a hand in guiding me and Fred to Timaru, city of roses. Strangely, our new house—which has plenty of other flowers—had nary a rose. We fixed that today. We bought this rose and planted it for my mom, Marianne.
She is everywhere here, all around me, in every rose.
I feel closer now to my mother than ever—despite the grief and loss, which are still there, and always will be. I’m very, very grateful for our new home, and for the roses,
If you’re an American who has never been to the UK, Australia, or New Zealand and have never experienced entertainment (films, series, books) created by citizens of the aforementioned, what I’m about to share may shock you: Americans, on average, don’t speak as well as our neighbors from across the pond. A command of the English language is not prized in the US; in fact, in my experience, it is mocked. (I’m talking to you, Grinchman75—you meant “grammar Nazi” as a burn, but I have risen like a … what do you call that thingy? Oh yeah… a Phoenix!)
One American in particular—me—is especially guilty. I grew up in a family ruled by the ellipse. Rarely were sentences completed. Instead, we trailed off after a few words (…) ending our sentences with facial expressions, gestures, and—especially my father—laughter.
Dad (best father ever) also uses self-created replacements for words he doesn’t know or can’t remember, “jobbie” being a perpetual favorite; as in, “Kid, bring me that little jobbie (gestures towards object on table). No, not that one, the one we got from the…” (nod and smile, eyes sparkling, followed by raucous laughter).
Word Robbers
Sleep deprivation from motherhood whilst working two jobs did my brain no favors. I suspect wine with dinner (I swear, doc—two glasses a week) doesn’t, either. But lately, the main theft of my ability to speak proper English is my career. As a WRITER.
Sure, I spend months at a time locked in my studio wrestling with words, but here’s the thing: talking is different. Conversation is an art, a skill, and a muscle. Neglect it and it will atrophy. After speaking to no one apart from my husband (who, by now, understands my half-spoken, half-pantomime communication style), I’m barely able to ask a friend about her day. “How… you? Good?” Crikey.
Books
Reading sharpens my awareness of my verbal inadequacies. The last one to the party, I recently read Bridget Jones’s Diary. Helen Fielding’s vocabulary is stunning!
Same with Nicked, by National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson, which I was prompted to read by an Instagram Story by another amazing author, Rainbow Rowell. (Master American wordsmiths, both.) (USA! USA!) Rainbow’s recent best seller, Slow Dance, is a gorgeous slow burn.
Run, don’t walk, to your bookstores and buy all of these incredible reads!
Do it, now!
What I’m trying to say is, especially now that I’m conversing daily with well-spoken Kiwis (with killer accents, by the way)…
Goodbye, Duolingo!
After two years studying Spanish, Italian, and French, I’ve deleted your rude, mean, albeit educational app from all of my devices. (Image to left is actual app icon used to bully users to engage.) Instead of guiltily trying to recall high school French for fifteen minutes a day (because, let’s face it, le vocabularie in my long term memory is all I’ll ever have), I intend to use my Duolingo time to write and read gorgeous books, and talk about them. Hopefully my English usage will be strengthened in the process.
Shortly after I wrote and created a sketched book dummy for “Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist” in the summer of 2022, my wonderful agent Mela Bolinao of MB Artists sent it out to all of the big publishers.
A snippet of the storyboard I created for “Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist.”
This real response was a typical reaction:
“I’m so sorry to say this won’t be going forward. We had quite a discussion about it, and while everyone found the book to be incredibly moving, we were struggling with how to position the book, since so much of the story’s power depends on knowing who Alitihia was… it’s a quiet book, but with this additional messaging, and we worry that retailers won’t quite get what it is or how to shelve it. But I hope Violet finds a publisher who has a vision for making this work—maybe more school library market?
I’m sad the news isn’t better, but I appreciate getting the chance to see this!”
~A Much Loved Big 5 Acquisitions Editor
Focus: Texas
Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist wasn’t just any book project. Alithia’s family was involved! I knew I had to find a publisher. Mela and I researched independent Texas book publishers and I discovered Brown Books, a Dallas-based hybrid press. I queried them to get an estimate in case it came to self-publishing. I figured if all else failed, I could work with Alithia’s family to crowd-source the expense.
Brown required a physical submission, so I sent my book file to Landmark Printing in North Carolina, my go-to print shop in the US, and they shipped a bound dummy to Brown in Texas.
President and COO if Brown Books, Thomas Reale, sent me this photo of the “Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist” book dummy on his desk.
On Nov 15, 2022, I received this email from Brown Books:
We are in receipt of Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist and would like to talk to you regarding publication.
Please call the number below and ask for me personally.
Sincerely,
Milli
On Thursday, Nov 17, I spoke to Milli. She explained that Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist might be the perfect inaugural release for Brown’s brand-new TRADITIONAL imprint, Michael Sampson Books! No crowd-funding needed!
I Zoomed with Brown’s President and COO Tom Reale on Wednesday, Nov 22; a contract from Michael Sampson Books was sent to to MB Artists on Wednesday, Nov 23, the day before Thanksgiving. Needless to say, it all worked out. My advance and any future royalties fund the Alithia Haven Ramirez Summer Seminar Memorial Scholarship.
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It’s now late October 2023, less than a year later. Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist was released on Oct 10, and we celebrated with a launch party at the El Progreso Library in Uvalde on Oct 12.
Violet with Ryan Ramirez and Jess Hernandez at El Progreso Library in Uvalde, judging last-minute entries from Alithia’s Art Angels 2023 art contest.
After countless emails, Alithia’s parents Jess Hernandez and Ryan Ramirez and I finally met. Which was nothing short of AMAZING.
Jess and Violet at Alithia’s mural in Uvalde, Texas.
I just finished an extensive tour to promote and celebrate the release of Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist. While I was in Dallas I got to meet Milli Brown, Thomas Reale, and their amazing team. Before that, and before Uvalde, the tour took me to NYC where I met—drumroll—Michael Sampson!
Michael Sampson in NYC after breakfast at Ellen’s Stardust Diner.
It’s been an amazing whirlwind. I am exhausted but happy and am so, so blessed. THANK YOU Milli Brown, Tom Reale, and everyone at Brown Books (especially Amy, Kennedy, Sophia, Brittany and Danny); Michael Sampson of Michael Sampson Books; and of course, Alithia’s parents Ryan Ramirez and Jess Hernandez. Thank you! Thank you, Mela Bolinao! And thank you Lauren Przybyl and Fox 4 Dallas for the on-air interview .
On the set of the Dallas morning show with Lauren Przybyl.
Thanks to everyone who hosted me on my US tour, which has been the experience of a lifetime. Every librarian, teacher, and bookseller; all of my kidlit-creating colleagues; and every flight attendant, hotelier and Uber driver who has helped me along the way… THANK YOU!
Tom and me at the St. Louis Zoo. :o)
And thank you to my friends and family who hosted me along the way. My cousin Tom has been especially helpful. Thank you, Tom! 🩷💜🩷
I wasn’t looking for an intern at the start of last term, but Raisa was looking for an internship. And my “ship” was docked right next door.
Yep, Raisa is my next door neighbor. I made a portrait of her once, before I properly knew her. (I imagine inspirational people like Raisa are the subjects of countless unsolicited portraits, especially when those inspiring people live next door to sneaky artists).
As I got to know her, I discovered that Raisa is an artist, and a writer. She is a gifted teller of stories. So much talent. So creative. So dedicated. (She also happens to an awesome and generous baker. And no, she did not ply me with brownies when she asked me about the internship. No baked goods were necessary!)
Kismet
You could say that fate had a hand in throwing us together in Malaysia—especially if you consider that Raisa is from Bangladesh, and I am from the US.
For an entire term, we met on Friday mornings at Shattuck-St Mary’s elementary school library to discuss books and writing and life. In the photo above, we’re studying the story arc of Erin Dionne’s picture book, Balletball, illustrated by Gillian Flint.
And in the above photo, Raisa is dressed as the White Rabbit for Book Week.
Read Raisa’s Stories!
Raisa is just about to begin her senior year of high school. Join her on her writing journey by reading her blog.
Hey, everybody! Meet my friend Cynthia Majinau. Cynthia is the librarian at Shattuck-St. Mary’s Forest City International School in Johor, Malaysia—an American international boarding school, where we both happen to live. (My husband works SSM-FC.)
SSM-FC’s facilities include two amazing libraries, one for the lower school (ages 3-11) and the other for the upper school (ages 11-18). In the photo above, Cynthia is standing near her desk in the lower school library.
Empty slots on the display = kids reading books!
Besides managing SSM-FC’s two extensive libraries, Cynthia also teaches Malay language courses. Since there is only one of her and there are two library spaces, books are often signed out with pen, paper, and the honor system. Cynthia’s favorite task is re-shelving, because that’s when she sees what everyone is reading. Her least favorite moments involve missing books. (The honor system has its drawbacks.)
SSM-FC’s student body is incredibly diverse. For most, English is a second (or third!) language. The school’s libraries are curated by faculty wish lists. Cynthia acquires the books through Follette, and keeps the libraries looking like posh bookstores. Both are inviting, gorgeous spaces filled with contemporary titles as well as beloved classics, and plenty of comfy reading and study areas.
Shattuck-St.Mary’s Forest City is a marvelous school with terrific libraries, and we are fortunate to have Cynthia watching over them!
The Plight of School Librarians
In a recent Zoom interview with Children’s Book Insider’s Laura Backes Bard, author J. T. Fox advocated for school librarians. If, like me, you weren’t aware that school librarians’ jobs in the United States are in jeopardy, buckle up and click here to watch the interview.
This image is from J. T. Fox’s presentation; click here to watch the interview.
For years, I’ve been wanting to write for older kids. I’ve explored a few characters and have written a paragraph here and there, but never built momentum.
As explained in my previous post, in the spring of 2021, an idea for a YA novel popped into my head. I knew it was good, but I remained STUCK.
Thankfully, I was binge-listening to Children’s Book Insider‘s Kidlit Distancing Socials, including a Chris Tebbetts interview. Chris announced a Highlights Foundation online course that he was co-teaching with Erin Dionne: “Getting Your Middle Grade or Young Adult Novel UNSTUCK”.
I took the course, listened to it repeatedly while illustrating other books, and then, over the summer, wrote my novel!
I highly recommend the class, which delivered on it’s promise one hundred percent. I stand before you, UNSTUCK. Able to write. (And in the photo above, I stand before my beat sheet. Perplexed about how to move my plot along… but not stuck!)
Amazing.
“Getting… UNSTUCK” is now an online on-demand course at the Highlights Foundation. Anyone can take it, any time! Click here to check it out.
You’d be wise to connect with the Highlights Foundation to receive course updates. Connect with Erin Dionne and Chris Tebbetts, too! Erin and Chris are excellent writers and excellent teachers. Check out their books, and follow them on social media so you won’t miss notices about any of their other classes or workshops.
I’m a book illustrator who sometimes also writes, mostly for very small children. Writing was never one of my career goals, and writing a novel was never on my radar, until… ba-boom!
Cue lightning bolt.
Yep. I was struck by a story idea for a kidlit novel. Bonus: the subject was of great interest to my teenage son. He loved the idea, and I loved discussing it with him!
After a few years of talking, it was time to act. This book wasn’t going to write itself! Not knowing where to begin, I poked around on the internet, listened to tons of author interviews, and enrolled in a few online classes. I thought I’d share the highlights in a series of posts for any potential authors out there. Note that I am not affiliated with any of these courses, I’m just sharing my experience as an online kidlit writing student.
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Writing Blueprints
If you want to write for kids of any age but aren’t sure where to begin, or you’ve been trying for a while and feel frustrated or lost, look no further. Laura Backes (of Children’s Book Insider and Writeforkids.org) and her team have put together a Writing Blueprint course for every kidlit category, from picture books to middle grade and young adult novels. Each blueprint is self directed and takes you step by step through the writing process. Because the blueprint system is clear and linear, it can save endless hours spent meandering.
“I guarantee that you are going to write a first draft that wanders in a lot of different directions before you end up where you think you should be going. And you will have huge rewrites ahead of you, that you could possibly avoid, by doing this.”
Laura Backes
Before using the blueprint, I had written nearly 20K words guided by a loose outline. The scenes were good, I loved my characters, and I was thrilled to be writing my book! The more I wrote, however, the more I felt that my story was drifting. I sensed massive rewrites and restructuring in my future, which made the process feel heavy. It seemed the only way to find and work out the details of my story was to keep writing, which would mean even more eventual rewriting.
Enter: The Detailed Outline
After helping me create characters and story ideas, the Middle Grade/Young Adult Writing Blueprint guided me through the process of outlining. Creating a detailed outline for my story was not easy for me, but it was so worth the effort! I am much more at ease as I’m writing now, because I know exactly where I’m going.
In addition to the instructional videos and worksheets, the Writing Blueprints package includes lifetime access to the course, and inclusion in a private Facebook group.
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If you are ready to invest in your writing career, Writing Blueprints is a great way to start. Terrific bang-to-buck ratio.
Click here to be redirected to the Writing Blueprints website.
Click here to be redirected to a free trial of Writing Blueprints.
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Want to follow along on Twitter as I write my book? Click here!
What online writing classes have you enjoyed? Let me know in the comment section. :o)
In July 2015, I was hit by an idea for a book about dogs in New York City. As an illustrator (and occasional author) of books for little kids, I imagined a picture book for children.
After having illustrated New York Baby, Brooklyn Baby, and a string of other Local Baby titles for duopress, I could see this new project following a similar format. Or, not! I could see it going in other directions, too. But the years I spent working on Local Baby books for duopress helped spark the dog book concept, so I couldn’t wait to share this new idea with them.
duopress loved my canine brainstorm—hooray! THANK YOU, duopress!
But after writing the manuscript, settling on the title BARK NYC or BARK New York, and trying some sample covers, a shocking question entered the conversation: Is this a book for children? Perhaps BARK should be a book for adults?
Behind the scenes duopress, a publisher of innovative books and games for curious children, was busy opening up a subsidiary line of books and games for adults under the name punchline.
BARK became a punchline project. To break from the original intended audience of kiddos—which had been the focus of my career in recent years (click here to see my portfolio)—we changed our book’s name and cover design. After trying a variety of options, we settled on the title NY Dogs. The final cover is at the top of this post. Below are two of the many options we created during the transition.
Besides getting a new title and cover, the content of NY Dogs also had to be re-written, and had to cover 96 rather than 24 pages. Suddenly I was writing for adult New Yorkers, a notoriously tough crowd. Awesome, yes, but the challenge didn’t stop there. With a publisher named punchline, NY Dogs had to be funny. Clever and witty are closer to my wheelhouse. I needed help! Thankfully there are some very smart and extremely funny people in my life. A handful of them got snagged into contributing to NY Dogs. One of these funny folks had no choice, because he is my roommate. And because we’ve been married for 21 years.
Fred Fruisen
My husband Fred’s funniness is sprinkled through NY Dogs. Finally, his poop jokes have found a broader audience. Congrats, Babe! And… thank you thank you thank you.
Fred Fruisen is a PGA teaching pro and a golf humorist. His first book, 50 Reasons to Hate Golf and Why You Should Never Stop Playing, will be released in May, 2017. Check out Fred’s blog, and like the 50 Reasons to Hate Golffacebook page to follow his progress. I am so pleased and happy for him.
:0)
Doreen Chila-Jones
And of course: my friend Doreen! A former Broadway performer and current stay-at-home mom/freelance writer, Doreen Chila-Jones is one of the funniest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Because of her close ties to NYC and love of all creatures—at last count her menagerie included two dogs, a cat, and a pair of guinea pigs—she was the perfect co-conspirator for NY Dogs.
Doreen is always busy with writing projects, and she keeps a blog about the joys and challenges of raising teens with some very special needs. Her family’s story is amazing. Follow her!
Julia Jones
Doreen is the wife of my college bestie Julia Jones, who is also hilarious. These two are the power couple of Funny, and they are both very talented writers.
Although the demands of Julia’s Broadway stage management career prevented her from becoming an official contributor to NY Dogs, and her humility prevented her from allowing us to credit her at the back of the book along with Fred and Doreen, Julia provided guidance along the way. Follow her wonderful blogfive plus banana splits to find out “what happens when experience of the theater crosses with children.”
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I had some help with one of the visuals in NY Dogs as well, but my studio assistant would scowl at me over the rims of his glasses at dinner tonight if I wrote his name on the internet—so you’ll have to buy your own copy of NY Dogs and read the credits at the end to learn his identity.
THANK YOU to the entire team, including our many fabulous Facebook fans who submitted photos of their furry best friends. We included every single one of their adorable faces in NY Dogs.
In July 2015, I was hit by an idea for a book about dogs in New York City. As an illustrator (and occasional author) of books for little kids, I imagined a picture book for children.
Doreen is the wife of my college bestie Julia Jones, who is also hilarious. These two are the power couple of Funny, and they are both very talented writers.
illustories 