This is our second “Walking and Talking” installment by the clearly multi-talented Steve Sheinkin. This week? Jenni Holm discusses how she works and gives some background on the blood, sweat and tears that went into The Fourteenth Goldfish.
Be also sure to check out the first Walking and Talking with . . . John Corey Whaley. Big thanks to Steven too for letting me post these!
About Elizabeth BirdElizabeth Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
[…] Creators | Jennifer Holm, writer of both the Babymouse graphic novels and the new picture book The Fourteenth Goldfish, talks about her writing in an interview done in comics format. [A Fuse #8 Production] […]
Two of my absolute favorite authors! Thanks for posting, this is awesome.
These are SO cool to read. Love the insight into the author’s writing process. And it’s reassuring, since for my (non-literary) job, getting the first draft written is always the most intimidating and difficult.
Ooh, these are SO cool.
Very cool! And I’m excited because Jenni Holm is coming to our library system in November, and I was just asked to be an usher, so I’ll get to meet her….
I love these! So good!
Wow. Just wow.
Neato!
I love the way Steve captured their connections, here. And especially the way Jenni described the importance of trimming & focusing her stories, making them tighter & cleaner. I know that’s important for all ages, but especially for middle grade readers.
Plus, you gotta love the jellyfish on her t-shirt! Did anyone catch the reference to The Fourteenth Goldfish? Here’s what I think is really cool: how these stories then take a life of their own in kids’ minds, regenerating themselves kind of like these jellyfish:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/magazine/can-a-jellyfish-unlock-the-secret-of-immortality.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0