Thank you for joining us for our fifth and concluding segment in our conversation with nationally published children’s book author Lynne Jonell. If you missed parts one, two, three or four, click here.
Lynne, how long have you been writing, and when did you know you wanted to be anauthor?
I’ve been writing stories since third or fourth grade, off and on. I got serious about writing in my twenties; I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators when I was 30; I took a writing class at that time also, and that’s when I really began to learn what it would take to become published.
How did the publication of your first book come about?
I sent it to a number of publishers, and several were interested, but didn’t care for the art I sent with it. Since I was making my living as a commercial artist at the time, this mystified me, but eventually I saw the light and submitted it to G. P. Putnam’s Sons without the art, and they made an offer.
What plans do you have for future projects?
Right now I’m working on the sequel for “Emmy,” titled “Emmy & the Home for Troubled Girls.” I have another novel half written; I suppose you could say it’s in a similar vein, and my working title is “Christina.” Then I have a rather grandiose plan for a series of fantasies that take place in and around a castle in Scotland where my grandfather’s clan held land, and when I get the courage I’d like to look at the novels I wrote in my twenties and see if there’s anything there worth saving.
I understand you do school visits. What is it like to personally interact with your readers?
It’s great fun. I love to hear kids laugh at the funny parts in my stories, and I love it when they tell me their own dreams and goals, and I love looking out at the faces, and getting a sense of the different personalities. I also get a kick out of being a minor celebrity… it certainly doesn’t happen anywhere else!
What is your writing schedule like, and how do you keep yourself from getting burned out?
I have to vary how I work, and when, and where, or I end up bored and in a rut, and that’s death to a writer. I often begin work in longhand, with plenty of doodles in the margins. I’ll type it on the computer and then just keep going. If I get stuck I may take a walk to a little town nearby on a lake, and get a coffee and write at a cafe, or at the library, or on the municipal dock, and try longhand again. When I really get going, I will write all night long, go to bed at 4:30 am, and sleep late. There is something about writing at night that allows me to be very productive. It probably has something to do with the fact that no one interrupts me!
And as far as burnout goes, I’ve learned to sense when it’s near, and that’s when I’ll go to the art gallery, or work in my garden, or take a long walk, or read or listen to music or sail or play the piano or go to lunch with a friend. This is probably the way everyone avoids burnout at their jobs—just do something different and fun, for a rest.
I’ve mentioned your website a couple of times already — but I must say, it’s really cute. I love the color scheme and the way it’s set up. I understand it’s been newly designed?
Yes. I got a generous grant through the Loft Literary Center to have a site professionally designed, and I worked with the good folks at Winding Oak. Next step is to take a class so I can learn to update it myself, without messing everything up!
Lynne, thank you so much for joining us. It’s been wonderful to learn more about you and your work. Best of luck with all future projects and I hope you’ll check back in with us later!
You can learn more about Lynne Jonell and all her books at her website.
Related Blogs:
Picture Books by Lynne Jonell and Petra Mathers
The Complete Adventures of Curious George