KidLitNation Mentorship - Writers Helping Writers

KidLitNation is a non-profit organization working to assist authors and illustrators of color break into publishing. (http://facebook.com/kidlitnation) Last year, they announced a mentorship program and selected three childrens's book writers to work with published authors for a six month period.

The individuals chosen to be mentored in the KidLitNation 2019-2020 mentoring program agreed to share their experiences during the six month mentorship.

Gabriele Davis comes from a racially and culturlly mixed family: African American, Native American, and Swiss/Caucasian. She grew up loving to read, and realizing as she grew older that something was missing in books. There were no families like hers. She applied for the mentorship to write books with humor and heart that allow all childrn to feel embraced. She picked Russ Busse as her picture book mentor to work with her on her Picture Book, Mary Had a Little Slam.
Suzannah Sebayan is a Filipina-American mother and writer. Since the birth of her daughter, the lack of Filipina voices in children's literaturemade her determined to writechilren's stories featuring Filipino characters. She wants to give her daughter the kind of stories she wished she had while growing up. She selected Barbara Binns as her mentor for her Middle Grade story, Mari and Her Amazing Super Cape.
Catherine Velasco is a Latinx who grew up in a multicultural family. She hoped to craft a story that would help children feel less lonely and make them laugh a little too. Her Middle Grade novel is Hammerin' Hector vs. Godzilla Gomez.

Here are their thoughts about their 2019-2020 KIDLIT NATION MENTORSHIP ~

How did you find out about the mentorship program?
Gabrielle: I discovered the mentorship program through KLN’s webinar with Russ Busse in May 2019, which I found either on Twitter or FB. The session included an announcement about the program, so I hightailed it over to the KidLitNation website to locate the details.

Suzannah: I found out about the program from the SCBWI [Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators] Illinois listserv.

Catherine: I found information on social media, from Urania Smith [One of the KidLitNation founders].


Why did you want a mentor? What did you hope to gain?
Gabriele: I had been querying agents for a couple of years with bits of encouragement but no success, so I wanted to better understand my strengths and weaknesses as a picture book writer. I also hoped to improve my craft. I saw this mentorship as an opportunity to move closer to my ultimate goal of bringing my stories into the world.

Suzannah: I hoped a mentor would provide support as I continued working on my middle grade manuscript. I wanted feedback on this work in progress, and information on the publishing industry, which is new to me.

Catherine: I have been a mentor for 30 years on and off. First with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and then as a journalist, helping high school reporters. So I thought it would be nice to be a mentee and see what happens. I had hope to gain the insight of a veteran author and get guidance with my middle grade contemporary story. An editor asked me for 50 pages and I was hoping to get some help and confidence before I submitted it


What was the mentoring experience like?
Gabriele: I feel really fortunate to have mentored with Russ Busse. Russ was generous with his time and feedback despite his very busy schedule. He has a keen editorial eye and a supportive, encouraging manner and was open to answering any questions I had. I really valued his honest feedback. For each manuscript, we began with a “big-picture” conversation. Then I got to work (unsure if I could accomplish what Russ had suggested) and always surprised myself with how quickly the revisions came together once I calmed down and let his feedback simmer. In our followup conversation, we focused on pickier, more line-level suggestions, and the revision process began again. In each case, Russ helped me tighten and fine-tune my story so that it felt submission-ready.

Suzannah: The experience was positivce and productive. Barbara Binns and I spoke about once a month from August through March. I restructured and refined my manuscript, particularly the opening chapters. I also learned about agents and editors, finding a writing partner and/or group, dealing with critiques and building an online presence.

Catherine: It was a true gift. My mentor, Matthew J. Kirby, is a talented author and teacher. He shared his experiences in the publishing world – the good and the frustrating. We also talked about craft – especially setting which is my weakness. He generously read my entire novel and pinpointed areas that took him out of the book as a reader. That alone was priceless. I wrote diligent notes and now I’m enjoying the revision process, something I used to dread.
 
 What is the most important thing you learned?
Gabriele: I gained a better understanding of how to pace my stories, especially how to effectively develop pivotal scenes (my tendency had been to rush through them). I learned to clarify my characters’ motivations and to trust my instincts regarding beginnings, endings and overall plot. Finally, I learned be patient during the revision process and to trust that the necessary ideas and words would come.

Suzannah: The importance of the opening chapters. I received support and encouragement, motivation to continue writing, feedback on my work and help in navigating the new-to-me children's literature world.

Catherine: Not to compare my book to the great author Judy Blume! That puts too much pressure on my character. Matt said that was unfair to Hector! That was one of my excuses for never submitting it – that it wasn’t good enough.

Is there anything you wanted or expected that you did not get?
Gabriele: The mentorship exceeded my expectations. I had hoped that Russ and I might work together on two to three manuscripts. We worked on four. And Russ helped me fine-tune the story closest to my heart, which earned me a spot in the 2020 PB Party showcase. My entry caught the eye of numerous agents and ultimately led to my signing with the fabulous Joyce Sweeney of The Seymour Agency.

Suzannah: My mentor was generous with her time, feedback and knowledge. I am grateful.

Catherine: No!

Would you recommend the experience to others?
Gabriele: Absolutely. Honest editorial feedback is invaluable to one’s growth as a writer. And a mentorship offers the opportunity to learn not only about craft but about the industry in general. I will always be grateful to Kidlit Nation for helping me leap forward on my writing journey.

Suzannah: Yes, I would recommend it. I enjoyed working one-on-one with a mentor, and my manuscript is now stronger.

Catherine: Yes, I would recommend the program to others because it’s nice to have someone rooting for your book from the publishing world. Matt picked me as his mentee because he loved Hector’s voice and said I made baseball sound interesting even though he was not a big sports fan. That was encouraging to hear that the book appealed to non-sports fans!

Is there anything else you would like to say to others?
Gabriele:  Know what you want from your mentorship. Then, work with your mentor to create a schedule that works for both of you, so that you can achieve it. Everyone’s busy. Having set times (and/or deadlines) will help both of you stay on track. Remember, you have an insider at your disposal. Don’t be shy. Ask ALL your questions! And be prepared to work hard. Working with a mentor can move your career forward if you take full advantage of the opportunity. Most important: have fun! Take joy in the process of creation.

Suzannah: For writers of color, please keep working on diverse children's stories. They are needed.

Catherine: I don’t want people to think all mentors will read an entire novel. I was in an unique situation where an editor wanted 50 pages and my book was selected in SCBWI’s 2019 Work-in-Progress Grant. Matt thought he could be the most help by giving me insight on what needs improvement since the book was getting interest in the publishing world. I truly appreciated his time and guidance, and KidLit Nation’s program. I feel more confident about releasing my book into the world.

You've heard ftrom the mentees. As one of the people selected to mentor an aspiring author, let me say I enjoyed the process. Suzannah and I spent long hours on the phone, and I feel that I came to know her well. Mostly, I enjoyed sharing publishing expoeriences with her, both pitfalls and highlights, and providing feedback that helped her story grow stonger over the months.