Please give Sara a warm
welcome!
Cherie: Sara, thanks for stopping by. Can you tell
us about your picture book, Heading to
the Wedding?
Sara: When
Patrick, his sister Evie, and his parents are invited to a wedding, his worried
mom suggests they all practice for the big day. To do so, the family raids
Patrick's collection of stuffed animals and action figures. Evie and Dracula
tie the knot while T-rex officiates.
Thanks to Patrick and Evie’s newfound skills, the
actual event is a smashing success!
While writing Heading
to the Wedding, my goal was to deliver a humorous, warm tale that also
happened to educate kids (in a non-didactic fashion) regarding this particular
aspect of the adult world. It's
nondenominational, so it has a wide audience, and it isn't just for the flower
girl or ring bearer. It's for ANY child
who will be at a wedding.
Cherie: Heading
to the Wedding is a wonderful and fun book. How did you come up with the
idea for it?
Sara: Years
ago, I was at a business dinner with my husband. While chatting with folks, I mentioned I was
a children's book writer. A woman asked
me if I knew of any books that explained wedding guest etiquette to kids. Her family had been invited to a wedding and she was at a loss. I spotted a potential
hole in the marketplace!
Cherie: I’m glad you did and I
love being able to tell parents about your book. What is your favorite thing
about writing picture books?
Sara: I love
the challenge of packing a great story, compelling characters, goofy humor, and
artfully crafted sentences into a package that consists of as few words as
possible.
Cherie: I admire picture book writers and I know it’s not easy
to keep the word count low and write
a great story. Do you have any advice for aspiring picture book authors?
Sara:
- Read your
work aloud.
- Make each
word count.
- Remember the
illustrator -- s/he needs space to insert his/her vision; your story will be
stronger as a result.
Cherie: Great advice! Can you share with us what you’re working
on now?
Sara: I'm
starting the first book of what I hope will one day be a series of middle-grade
novels!
Cherie: Oh! I can’t wait to hear more
about it! Now for some fun questions…
M&M or Skittles? M&Ms for sure -- I routinely raid my kids'
stash.
Are you a morning person or an evening person? Evening. Even when I know I'm exhausted, I can find
something to do/read into the wee hours!
Favorite author? Sooooooo
many....hard to choose....but I do so very much love Barbara Park. Junie B. Jones is one of my favorite
characters ever.
Do you have any guilty pleasures that get you
through the writing/revising process? Gum. I'm a chain-chewer.
Do you have a favorite place to write? In my
kitchen. It's filled with light.
Are there any types of books you don’t read? I'm mostly a
fiction gal. Very little
nonfiction. And nothing relentlessly
dark. I need a spark of hope!
Sara, thanks so much for being with us today!
Find Sara: Purchase Heading to the Wedding
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