by Bethany | Jul 26, 2023 | blog, Courage to Create, Milestones Met
A Milestones Met Interview
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.)!
Book sale! My MG novel, Sunchild, has been acquired by Taylor Norman at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books.
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal and how has the Courage to Create program/tools served you in reaching this milestone?
Ever since I turned in my second novel two years ago, I’ve been hoping that the publishing world would let me write a third. This may seem like a given, but it’s not. Sales numbers, reviews, and awards all play a roll in whether a two-time author gets to be a three-time author. In 2021, I started working on a pitch to my agent and writing the first ten chapters of Sunchild. CTC played a big role in helping me stay centered, focused on the right things, and gracefully patient as my agent submitted our proposal, wrangled over the advance, and nudged the contract through multiple delays.
When we reach a milestone, it means we may encounter new fears and challenges, as well as joys along the journey. How has being a part of the CTC community prepared you for both enjoying the celebration of a milestone reached and the work that is next to come?
The mix of sweat and stardust in CTC content and the beautiful community of writers at every phase of literary life has given me a healthier perspective on my work. As I wrote my BIG WHY and worked with several of the beliefs, I realized that my creative life needs nurturing — I can’t run on empty. Being among writers, “talking shop,” and taking deep doses of mindfulness fills me up!
In the Courage to Create, we call on our Big Why as we engage in the ups and downs of the literary life? What’s your BIG WHY and how does it keep you motivated to keep working towards new milestones?
“I write to affirm the bright core of all of us.” This is my BIG WHY, and it is saving my sanity! I received a challenging edit letter on the book, so I have a thorough revision to do. It can be discouraging to dive back into a manuscript on which you’ve already worked so hard, but I’m making it through by focusing on my BIG WHY and breaking the task into smaller chunks.
It’s not easy to keep creating courage when it comes to our literary lives. Did you ever encounter a low point or period and did you lean on any of the CTC tools or practices? What did the no/not yets, or near misses/champagne rejections teach you in hindsight not that your YES is here?
I signed up for CTC during a low time. I was “living the dream” with two novels out, but I was hitting a lack of motivation and a fatigue with pounding out a first draft. I was also having trouble “keeping my eyes on my own paper,” that is, not comparing myself to more prolific or more decorated authors. The CTC beliefs of “Compare/Despair” and “Creativity is not a competition” helped me so much! I’m finishing up this CTC cycle with a more playful approach to my writing and more joy about my creative life overall.
As we celebrate your milestone reached, what thoughts can you share with other writers who may doubt they will reach their first or next milestone?
Enjoy the words, the characters, and the worlds you create — the part you can control. Keep that joy alive even as you learn about the business of publishing and even as you reach milestones. Savor the milestones, but when the streamers come down, get back to the words; they can be your well of joy. Write the next project even as previous ones are coming to fruition, going on submission, or sitting on the back burner.
What is your favorite Courage to Create Belief?
Compare/despair is a sign WE CARE. Acknowledge it. Work with it. Let it LEAD US FORWARD.
Rebecca Balcárcel is the award-winning author of MG novels SHINE ON, LUZ VÉLIZ! and THE OTHER HALF OF HAPPY. She also co-edited and contributed to BOUNDLESS, a short story anthology by multi-racial/multi-cultural authors, now out. A Guatemalan-Anglo American, Rebecca loves popcorn, her kitty, and teaching her students as Associate Professor of English at Tarrant County College. Find Rebecca on YouTube as the SixMinuteScholar.
by Bethany | Jul 26, 2023 | blog, Courage to Create, Milestones Met
A Milestones Met Interview
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.)!
I released two books in 2023 — my picture book, Sparrow’s Prayer (Beaming Books, February 2023) and The Art of Calm: Spiritual Exercises for the Anxious Soul (Morehouse, April 2023).
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal and how has the Courage to Create program/tools served you in reaching this milestone?
I have been writing all of my life, but it wasn’t until 2012/2013 when I submitted something to a publisher. Much to my shock and surprise, it was published! In early 2020, while stuck at home during Covid, I started attending online workshops through The Writing Barn. Literally changed my life. Since then, I gained an agent, and published several more books. Courage to Create has continued to provide me with support, feedback, and inspiration I’ve needed to keep writing.
When we reach a milestone, it means we may encounter new fears and challenges, as well as joys along the journey. How has being a part of the CTC community prepared you for both enjoying the celebration of a milestone reached and the work that is next to come?
I have a hard time not moving on to the next project. I fail to celebrate what is happening – in the present moment. Courage to Create has helped me to take special note of each and every milestone… and not let them pass me by.
In the Courage to Create, we call on our Big Why as we engage in the ups and downs of the literary life? What’s your BIG WHY and how does it keep you motivated to keep working towards new milestones?
My mission is to use art, color, and poetic language to communicate love and promote healing and hope in today’s hurting world. This is why I do what I do.
It’s not easy to keep creating courage when it comes to our literary lives. Did you ever encounter a low point or period and did you lean on any of the CTC tools or practices? What did the no/not yets, or near misses/champagne rejections teach you in hindsight not that your YES is here?
I wish I could say that there is one low point. I have highs and lows every day when it comes to my writing. I’ll be soaring at one point, and drowning in another. I am my own worst enemy. I remember getting nine rejections in one day. I went from tears to laughter – and maybe some anger. From this rollercoaster ride, I have learned to keep writing – no matter what.
As we celebrate your milestone reached, what thoughts can you share with other writers who may doubt they will reach their first or next milestone?
They have already reached a milestone! They are writing! In all seriousness, my advice is to rest, listen, read, go for walks, see the world around you, journal, dream… and write. Keep going – even on the days it’s extra challenging. And on those days… it’s okay to turn the computer off or put your pen away. Give yourself grace and space.
What is your favorite Courage to Create Belief?
REST is a radical act. For the work. For ourselves.
Roger Hutchison is the author and illustrator of nine books for children and adults including, The Painting Table, My Favorite Color is Blue. Sometimes., Faces: A Love Story, Sparrow’s Prayer, and The Art of Calm: Spiritual Exercises for the Anxious Soul. There is prayerful poetry woven through Roger’s work, a gentle reverence in his tone and posture toward the heartbroken. Roger’s mission is to use art, color, and poetic language to communicate love and promote healing and hope in today’s hurting world. Roger serves as the Director of Christian Formation and Parish Life at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston, TX, and is a member of the National Alliance of Grieving Children and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. He lives with his wife Kristin just outside of Houston.
by Bethany | Jul 26, 2023 | blog, Courage to Create, Milestones Met
A Milestones Met Interview
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.)!
I recently signed with literary agent Sean McCarthy of Sean McCarthy Literary Agency; I may also have more news (wink, wink) that I can’t quite share yet.
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal and how has the Courage to Create program/tools served you in reaching this milestone?
I’ve written funny stories and poems ever since I was a kid, but I’d say I “officially” started taking my writing seriously in November of 2019 when I became an SCBWI member and began to put my whole heart into it. I only joined Courage to Create this year–after hearing so many positive things about it from critique group members. Still, even before that, I attended many of the Writing Barn webinars and confabs, and have always been impressed by the supportive atmosphere that Bethany and her teams have nurtured. One thing I particularly love about CtC is the Manifesto—it’s like one of those masterly paintings where you notice something new each time you look at it. Because, of course, the creative journey never ends if we’re doing it right!
When we reach a milestone, it means we may encounter new fears and challenges, as well as joys along the journey. How has being a part of the CTC community prepared you for both enjoying the celebration of a milestone reached and the work that is next to come?
Being agented is still so new to me that I’m not even sure I’ve woken up from the (happy) shock enough to put my thoughts together on this! However, one of the nicest aspects of the CtC community is how warm and engaged it is; it’s a very easy place to connect and make friends—even if you tend to be a nerdy, introverted hermit like me! (All hail Zoom!)
In the Courage to Create, we call on our Big Why as we engage in the ups and downs of the literary life? What’s your BIG WHY and how does it keep you motivated to keep working towards new milestones?
My Big Why is to create “friendly books for loner children.” In my experience as one, books become the default companions for many loner kids, and their relationships with them are profound. I want my books to hold up their end of that relationship and be welcoming, long-term companions. Of course, like all important things, there are also a ton of other reasons I write! You can see those here.
It’s not easy to keep creating courage when it comes to our literary lives. Did you ever encounter a low point or period and did you lean on any of the CTC tools or practices? What did the no/not yets, or near misses/champagne rejections teach you in hindsight not that your YES is here?
Here’s something that may be a hot take, related to the Manifesto’s ambition aspect: I am genuinely glad I submitted so early. That I queried so early. All of that. I’m not saying everyone should do it (at least not on purpose), only that when I hear people say that they are embarrassed at what they sent out at the beginning, yadda yadda, like they are apologizing for having hopes and dreams and ambitions and putting themselves out there before maybe their craft was ready—it honestly makes me sad. Because what’s the bigger mistake—to do that, or to never know? I mean, how else DO you know if your craft is ready? After all, these things are so subjective! What I do know is that, for me, each rejection was a kick in the pants—and sometimes, I was fortunate and got specific advice on what I needed to improve, which definitely helped me level up more quickly than I would have. Now, this way of doing things requires you to be okay with constructive and even negative feedback (which, truthfully—many people aren’t)! But for me, putting my stories out there, time and (after revision) time again kept me going. Gradually the form rejections started turning into “no because,” and then “I love this but,”…and then silence and genuine consideration…and then, eventually, my yes. It’s just the process; IMHO, waiting to start it only prolongs the inevitable. In short, don’t be scared to send your stories out there and see what shakes out—after all, what’s the worst that could happen? You have to write another story? (LOL, the horror!)
As we celebrate your milestone reached, what thoughts can you share with other writers who may doubt they will reach their first or next milestone?
You know, it’s hard to know what will help others most when they are feeling frustrated, but something that’s always stuck with me is Ursula Nordstrom’s famous quip, “I am a former child, and I haven’t forgotten a thing.” Related, if you believe Anders Ericsson’s “10,000-hour rule”—the idea that once you spend 10,000 hours on something, you are an expert—guess what? We were all expert children, many times over! We may be feeling our way through craft, connection, or so many things, but that fact remains: childhood, at least our own, is something we KNOW. We can do this—write the kinds of stories that would have helped us as children—if only we let ourselves truly remember.
What is your favorite Courage to Create Belief?
The only STAMP OF APPROVAL we need is our own.
Elayne Crain writes childish things, following a lifelong passion for children’s literature. She mostly writes humor picture books, though she is also working on two middle-grade novels, a collection of children’s poetry, and other equally laughable things.
by Bethany | Jul 26, 2023 | blog, Courage to Create, Milestones Met
A Milestones Met Interview
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.)!
I recently signed with an agent!
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal and how has the Courage to Create program/tools served you in reaching this milestone?
I’ve been writing seriously since early 2016 and submitting to agents almost as long. Courage to Create has been the most fantastic support system at a point when I was losing faith in myself and my creative abilities. It taught me to stay the course, to find joy in the journey, and to share my successes and setbacks with this incredibly supportive community. The behind-the-scenes webinars with editors and agents increased my industry knowledge and allowed me to form opinions about where (and with whom) my work might be a good fit. CTC kept me sane and motivated and helped put everything in perspective. It’s been powerful to learn that much of what we creators experience is universal. We are not alone. Thank you, CTC!
When we reach a milestone, it means we may encounter new fears and challenges, as well as joys along the journey. How has being a part of the CTC community prepared you for both enjoying the celebration of a milestone reached and the work that is next to come?
CTC has helped prepare me for the reality that celebrating a milestone will most certainly bring new challenges, new concerns, and lots more work! The rejections will keep coming. The ups and downs will continue. But now I know that’s the norm and I won’t be taken by surprise. With continued support from the CTC community, I will be able to face these new situations with grace and determination.
In the Courage to Create, we call on our Big Why as we engage in the ups and downs of the literary life? What’s your BIG WHY and how does it keep you motivated to keep working towards new milestones?
For a long time my BIG WHY has been: “I want to make a kid laugh.” That has expanded over the last few years to include: “I’d like to make a kid feel delight, amazement, wonder.” But perhaps the person whose BIG WHY I aspire to most is that of author Alastair Heim, who said: “I don’t want to win a Newbery or a Caldecott. I just want to win bedtime.” The idea that a kid might request a book I wrote at bedtime is enough to keep me motivated for a lifetime!
It’s not easy to keep creating courage when it comes to our literary lives. Did you ever encounter a low point or period and did you lean on any of the CTC tools or practices? What did the no/not yets, or near misses/champagne rejections teach you in hindsight not that your YES is here?
I hit so many low points on my journey I thought I’d end up at the Earth’s core. At every CTC webinar or gathering I would re-read the Beliefs and cling to each and every one of them like a lifeline. At various times, “Creativity is not a competition” and “Compare/Despair is a sign we care” were my life rafts; at others “It takes the time it takes” and “We believe our books into being.” But with the benefit of hindsight, I think the most important practice I learned from CTC is to focus on the goals — my own goals, my own craft — and to let them take me where they would. And like so often in life, once I focused on internal goals (becoming a better writer) and let go of external ones that were mostly out of my control (finding an industry partner), something finally happened.
As we celebrate your milestone reached, what thoughts can you share with other writers who may doubt they will reach their first or next milestone?
Stay the course. Focus on goals you can control, like improving craft. Seek out compatible critique partners (I found great ones in classes where we shared and critiqued each other’s work) and really listen to their feedback. Take every opportunity to share your work. And even though it may feel like an eternity, there is someone out there who will truly believe in your stories — written, visual, or both. Wait for that person. You deserve a champion.
What is your favorite Courage to Create Belief?
Focus on the GOALS. Milestones happen on their own.
A former landscape architect, Claire Bobrow lives in San Francisco, CA, where she works part time at a local independent bookstore and volunteers with several organizations, including 826 Valencia, helping kids with creative writing projects. Claire started her own creative writing journey in 2016 and, to her surprise and delight, won the SCBWI Work-In-Progress award for picture books in 2020. When not word-wrangling, working, or volunteering, Claire loves to garden, hang out in bookstores and museums, listen to opera, and spend time with friends, family, and her adorable senior dog, Zuzu.
by Bethany | Jun 21, 2023 | blog, Courage to Create, Milestones Met
A Milestones Met Interview
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.)!
I signed with the amazing agent, Liz Nealon, of Great Dog Literary!
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal and how has the Courage to Create program/tools served you in reaching this milestone?
I wrote my first picture book in 2016 (sort of by accident, and then very much on purpose) and then I was hooked. I took classes and found groups like 12×12 and SCBWI. I briefly worked with a project-by-project agent and quickly sold a book to Chronicle in 2020. When I decided the best fit for me would be a career agent, I thought the process would be just as quick and easy, but it wasn’t. In 2022 I joined CTC right about when I was feeling the exhaustion from querying. Several interested agents had asked for more work and then never responded again, even after nudges, and the silence was harder than the rejections. I was taking a lot of time from my home and family to pursue this dream and I felt my life was not balanced. I held tight to “believing my books into being” and trusted that the vision I saw for myself was inevitable. I did some soul searching to rediscover why I started writing in the first place, and returned to joy. From that place, the waiting wasn’t as exhausting.
When we reach a milestone, it means we may encounter new fears and challenges, as well as joys along the journey. How has being a part of the CTC community prepared you for both enjoying the celebration of a milestone reached and the work that is next to come?
The support of the CTC community has shown me that there is no magic leveling up that erases insecurities or disappointments, but that sticking together through all the ups and downs makes them easier. I am celebrating this milestone with my whole being, and the time it took me to get here only sweetens the prize. I’m a little nervous about each new step, but I feel supported.
In the Courage to Create, we call on our Big Why as we engage in the ups and downs of the literary life? What’s your BIG WHY and how does it keep you motivated to keep working towards new milestones?
I write to help children feel seen, heard, and understood. I do this for the child I was and the adult I am, and every person who connects with my writing.
It’s not easy to keep creating courage when it comes to our literary lives. Did you ever encounter a low point or period and did you lean on any of the CTC tools or practices? What did the no/not yets, or near misses/champagne rejections teach you in hindsight not that your YES is here?
Yes, I felt invisible for a while. It helped that Bethany told me I wasn’t. My beloved critique partners kept me emotionally afloat and focused on my craft. I connected with so many CTC beliefs, particularly, “It takes the time it takes, I believe my books and career into being, and Rest is a radical act.” I returned to those over and over again. The near misses told me I was close so I kept putting my work out there, because my stories weren’t reaching anyone if they just stayed in my computer.
As we celebrate your milestone reached, what thoughts can you share with other writers who may doubt they will reach their first or next milestone?
My advice is to let go of limiting beliefs. I realize now that I limited myself by thinking I knew how each next step would look. When I let go of that narrow focus and allowed myself to open up to opportunities that brought me joy (even if they didn’t seem like they were leading me to my writing goals), those opportunities, shockingly, led me directly to more joy and more opportunities that were very much in line with my writing goals, and more importantly they made my life feel lighter and more exciting.
What is your favorite Courage to Create Belief?
We BELIEVE our book and careers into BEING.
Christina Shawn is a reading specialist, literacy coach, and author who writes about magical moments in our everyday lives. She lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband and three kiddos, who provide a constant supply of support, humor, and inspiration. She has a regular meditation and yoga practice, and enjoys beach bike rides, mountain hikes, and adventuring to new places. Mostly, Christina loves the spark of learning something new and passing it along. Her picture book, THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE, illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani, about a growing family, releases in March 2025. Keep an eye out for some more exciting book news – coming soon!
by Bethany | Jun 7, 2023 | blog, Courage to Create, Milestones Met
A Milestones Met Interview
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.)!
I have sold my first picture book biography! IT BELONGS TO THE WORLD is a biography of Frederick Banting who discovered insulin. It will be illustrated by Janina Gaudin, known online as Miss Diabetes, and published by Clarion.
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal and how has the Courage to Create program/tools served you in reaching this milestone?
I’ve been writing for kids for about seven years now. The Courage to Create community has helped me have patience when things were going slow, and I always remind myself “It Takes the Time it Takes.”
When we reach a milestone, it means we may encounter new fears and challenges, as well as joys along the journey. How has being a part of the CTC community prepared you for both enjoying the celebration of a milestone reached and the work that is next to come?
As a fiction writer, I’m very nervous about how my first nonfiction work will be received. But CTC has helped me remember to have pride in my work.
It’s not easy to keep creating courage when it comes to our literary lives. Did you ever encounter a low point or period and did you lean on any of the CTC tools or practices? What did the no/not yets, or near misses/champagne rejections teach you in hindsight now that your YES is here?
Oh, what a low point I was having! I was actually lying in bed, a bit depressed in the middle of the afternoon, certain my writing career was over, when my agent called with this offer. I had been struggling with a couple R&Rs and I had to remember that It Only Takes One Yes!
As we celebrate your milestone reached, what thoughts can you share with other writers who may doubt they will reach their first or next milestone?
Just keep doing the work. I wrote this manuscript during the pandemic and I really pushed myself to keep going on hard days as I knew I needed to keep the creative juices flowing. As Bethany has taught me, you can’t control if someone will publish your book, but you can control if you write a good one.
What is your favorite Courage to Create Belief?
“Focus on the GOALS. Milestones happen on their own.”
Lisa Katzenberger is the author of IT WILL BE OK and NATIONAL REGULAR AVERAGE ORDINARY DAY. She is a Writing Barn instructor and serves on the Board of Trustees of her local public library. Connect with Lisa at www.lisakatzenberger.com.
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