Let’s Talk, Vivian and PIPPA!

Maybe you know her from her Perfect Picture Book Friday reviews or her delicious ‘Will Write for Cookies’ author interviews. Maybe you’ve noticed what an active member she is in the Facebook groups that we all call home, or you’ve tried your hand at the deceivingly difficulty #50PreciousWords contest. Even better, maybe after you helped your 7-year-old submit a #50PreciousWordsForKids entry, the two of you bonded over the fact that your daughters are named Caroline. 😊 Regardless of how you’ve come to know her, I have no doubt you’re glad that you do. I’m thrilled to be here today, asking questions to the ever generous and energetic Vivian Kirkfield. She has not one, not two but three upcoming picture books to talk about! So, grab something warm, pull up a chair and snuggle in while we talk about the first of her debut triplets, PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE, scheduled for release on February 5!!

Vivian, I’m so excited that you’re finally here, before we get started, can I get you something to drink? For sure, Jennifer! I’ll have to decide whether to be good and have tea or be bad and have hot chocolate. I do love tea, but if you’ve got any hot chocolate, I guess I’ll have to be bad and ask for that. 😊 I always laugh whenever I’m out and order hot chocolate and the server asks me if I would like whipped cream. Whipped cream? Is there hot chocolate without it? I don’t think so. 😉 Thank you so much for the hot chocolate…and a million thanks for inviting me to visit.

I’m of the opinion that anything warm and served in a mug can NEVER be bad, hot chocolate included! Though I’m a coffee girl myself… you know, I think I’ll have a mocha… part coffee, part chocolate, all goodness! There are so many places we could start, but, I think we should go back to the beginning. What started the story of PIPPA in motion for you? In 2013, I participated in Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo story idea challenge (it’s now called Storystorm). One of the guest posters, Kar Ben editor Joni Sussman, put out a call for Jewish holiday books. Even though I was fairly new to the kidlit world and writing picture books, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to submit a story to an editor. A picture of a little mouse came into my mind and I sat down and wrote Pippa’s story of how she couldn’t find her special Seder dish and had to pluck up her courage and ask Cat, Snake, and Owl if they had seen it.

Storystorm is almost finished! (See the latest posts here.)  How delightful to think of all the future picture books that are just ideas on someone’s list right now. So, you are releasing three books in the next few months and they’re three very different stories.  Was your approach different with each manuscript? Do you have a writing routine that you stick to (when you aren’t traveling the world, of course) or do you use a more laid-back approach? They are very different stories, you are right, Jennifer. But I guess the rules of picture book writing apply. Lyrical language, alliteration, simile/metaphor, and the element of three; all the techniques that are in the picture book writing toolbox. And, whether I’m writing a fiction rhyme about a mouse looking for her Passover dish or an African American woman who is an inventor or a bunch of animals at a pristine mountain stream, I’m researching first and writing after.

When I start writing, I look for the way into the story…what is the theme, the heartbeat that will be the thread that is woven into every spread. I often write my pitch first and then I try to get my opening lines. For me, the opening lines are the key that unlocks the story. I know that a lot of people recommend we write the entire rough draft and not worry about the opening lines. But, the wonderful thing about writing, is that everyone has their own process…the steps that work for them. Since opening lines set the tone for the entire story, I like to refine them first. Which doesn’t mean that I never change them. I do, but many of my stories are being published with the opening lines pretty much the way I originally penned them.

And speaking about pen…I almost always use pen and paper for the first part of the story, sometimes the entire story. But sometimes, I just start in longhand and then go to the computer. I do a lot of note-taking in longhand when I am researching…which is not a good idea because then I can’t read what I’ve written and this is especially troublesome when I am working on nonfiction. Maybe I will find a better process in the future. 😊 If anyone out there has something that works for them, I am always open to suggestion and I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener. 😉

I’ve never considered starting with the pitch! I think it’s fascinating to figure out how other people do things. Can you tell us about PIPPA’S journey to publication… you know, from 2013-2019 in a nutshell? PIPPA was a joy from start to finish! With the wonderful collaboration between illustrator Jill Weber (one of my local critique buddies), it was a fabulous publishing experience. The palate sings with joy! I love every page and the message of coming together in friendship, no matter what our differences may be.

The most different (writing) thing was, it is a rhyming story. I had to be careful that I wasn’t using frivolous rhyme…you know, ‘I wore a hat and that is that’…just making verses that rhyme without making sense. But my critique buddies were such a help and Rhymezone.com was my constant companion.

Another question, as a “new” picture book author, you’ve been working with three different publishing houses (thankfully with the help and guidance of your agent, I’m sure.) What has that experience been like? At this point, I’ve actually been working with five because the two books that are launching in 2020 are with two other publishers. Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books, Spring, 2020), illustrated by Alleanna Harris and From Here to There: Inventions that Changed the Way the World Moves (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fall 2020), illustrated by the award-winning Gilbert Ford. So far, these have been amazingly wonderful experiences. Even though I don’t know those illustrators personally, the editors have been wonderful about making sure that I was happy with the illustrator they chose and sending me early sketches for my comments.

The experience overall has been amazingly wonderful, although definitely a challenge, especially because the book with HMH called for nine full-length picture book manuscripts. But fortunately, I am pretty good at multitasking and I’m able to stay up late and keep on going. My husband used to call me the Energizer Bunny. 😉 Maybe it’s because I’m doing exactly what I feel I was meant to do. I know that the support and encouragement I get from my agent, my critique partners, and the kid lit community makes all the difference.

Five books in two years? How tremendous! Two more questions to wrap things up and I’ll keep them short and sweet… I heard your podcast with Katie Davis where you talked about taking leaps of faith (quite literally… out of airplanes) and starting your writing career late in life. What’s the next thing you want to check off your bucket list? I’ll try to keep my answers short and sweet. The next thing to check off on my bucket list is this round the world trip. It’s always been my dream to see these places I’ve only read about and the best part is that I will get to hug kid-lit friends I’ve never met.

Finally, I’ll bring it back to the book we’re talking about today… and your other two upcoming releases if you could describe each of these books in one word, what would it be?
– PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE- Joyful
– FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN: AN ANIMAL COUNTING BOOK – Playful
– SWEET DREAMS SARAH – Powerful
Oh, my goodness, I know I took more time with you than I should have but I just couldn’t help myself!

No apologies! Thanks for being here and sharing that enthusiasm with us today. What else do you have coming down the pipe? Where can my readers find/follow you on social media?  As I mentioned earlier, I have two other books coming out in 2020. And several manuscripts in the hands of editors, so fingers crossed for them to fall in love with those stories. Your readers can find me almost anyplace on social media where picture books are found. 😊 Here are my links: My website, Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram, also Pinterest and Linkedin.  And if anyone is going to be at the SCBWI conference in Sydney, Australia, the Bologna Book Fair in Italy, the NESCBWI conference in Springfield MA or the annual ALA in Washington DC, please reach out and maybe we can connect in person!

Au revior my dear friend! Enjoy your travels and your book birthdays!
Join Vivian and I here again on March 28 (FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN) & April 28 (SWEET DREAMS SARAH) to learn more about the other ‘triplets’ along with a guest post about #50PreciousWords on March 1!
SO MUCH VIVIAN GOODNESS… and this is just the beginning!

As always…
Thanks for being here, come back anytime!
-JP