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Craft Chat Chronicles
Craft Chat Chronicles
Episode 7: Empowering Voices: Connie Schofield Morrison's Journey Through Children's Literature
What if your storytelling dreams could transform into an award-winning career? Join us on Craft Chat Chronicles as we sit down with the remarkable Connie Schofield Morrison, who shares her journey from managing her illustrator husband Frank Morrison to carving out her own path as a celebrated author. Connie's candid conversation covers everything from the importance of setting professional boundaries to finding the right literary agent and ensuring your work meets industry standards. Get ready for an eye-opening discussion about the hurdles and triumphs aspiring writers face in the publishing world.
This episode takes a heartfelt look into Connie's passion for children's literature and her dedication to giving young readers a voice. Discover the essential elements that make a compelling children's picture book, including relatable characters and meaningful narratives. Connie also discusses her motivation to address contemporary cultural issues. Gain insight into her creative process for her current and upcoming books, like the "Spooky Spirit" series and "Big Boy Joy," designed to be inclusive of all nationalities. Learn why it's crucial to respect criticism and develop resilience to succeed in the literary industry.
Connie offers practical advice to overcome fear and procrastination, emphasizing the importance of active writing and learning from feedback. Get tips on finding writing conferences, networking effectively, and building support for new projects through local libraries and bookstores. Connie also sheds light on the collaborative process between authors and illustrators and the significant role of creative control. Don't miss her valuable insight and words of encouragement. Subscribe, comment, and share to stay inspired!
Keywords:
podcast, Bestselling Author Tips, Picture books, publishing, Crafting Bestsellers, Publishing Industry Insights, Writing Strategies, Author Success Stories, Writing Career, Writing Craft, Narrative Development, Networking Strategies, Creative Writing Techniques, Author Interviews, Book Promotion, Literary Agents, Real Life Experiences, Writing Tips, Award Winning Author, Connie Schofield Morrison
Commercial before HG release.
Welcome to Craft Chat Chronicles, the go-to podcast for tips on crafting best-selling fiction. Here at Craft Chat Chronicles, we bring you expert interviews, insights and tips on writing, publishing and marketing. Join the conversation and embark on a new chapter in your writing journey. For workshops, show notes and more information, visit jdmyhongcom. That's.
J.D. Myall:JD acclaimed author Connie Schofield Morrison. Welcome everybody Tonight at our chat. We will be honored to have Connie Morrison, an award-winning author celebrated for her vibrant storytelling and novels like I Got School Spirit. She's a mother, she's an entrepreneur. She's a celebrity life coach. She's done script writing and stuff too. She's a woman of many talents. Her books have gotten global recognition from people like Michelle Obama. She's been featured in the New York Times. Her books are known for their joy and their rhythm and they've been recognized by the Library of Michigan and the Library of Congress National Book Festival, where they posted her several times. So, connie, welcome. She's also sweet and graceful and wonderful and a good spirit, so it'll be fun learning from her tonight. How are you doing tonight, connie? Can you tell everybody about your publishing journey?
Connie Schofield Morrison:Oh yes, so I'm married to an illustrator. Actually, he's illustrated a few of my books Prior to my journey. I managed, marketed, branded, made him a world brand and so, prior to me finding an agent, I was the person that acted as his agent and his manager. So I got the door slammed in my face so many times, watched the door slam in his face, trying to secure a deal, because I didn't go to school to be a writer. Writing is what I've done from the second grade. Actually, I wrote to have a voice and so, walking alongside Frank on his journey, by the time it got to me, I realized what I set boundaries for myself that I didn't have for him because I didn't know to have them for him, have for him because I didn't know to have them for him. So by the time I came around to my journey, I did not want to go the route of creating all of this work to be told no, or it wasn't good enough or it was just they were looking for something else or someone else. So what I did was I hired an agent and my agent journey.
Connie Schofield Morrison:Most people think like, oh, it's a friend thing or oh, you know, I was married to an already established artist. I got the easy way and I didn't. I literally went online and I at first I thought about places I would would, what would like to live other than, um. At the time it was New Jersey, um, so I chose LA, I chose New York, because that's where I'm from, I chose Chicago and I actually chose, um Paris. And so I went and I put up on at the time it was AOL, if y'all remember that, I pulled up on AOL literary agents, award-winning literary agents, and I had a list of 100 and I narrowed it down and at the time my husband was with a company, shannon Associates, that's, who he signed with after, I'll say, his third or fourth book that he illustrated.
Connie Schofield Morrison:And so I didn't want to be with the same company that he was with.
Connie Schofield Morrison:And so I narrowed it down, I would call these different agents, and until I finally got like six that I felt I gelled with, because agents are like shoes you have to find the agent that fits, because this person is making deals for you when you're not there. They're handling money decisions for you when you're not present in the room. So you need somebody that you feel you could trust to make decisions for you when you're not there and to make the best decisions for you. And so I wind up signing with a company Painted Words because I loved Lori's tenacity one and then her attitude like she was not a game player and with me I don't need to be told what I want to hear all the time. I need told what's the truth and what makes sense. And so she was just that, that type of person, um for me. So, um, finding an agent. I then knew what I wanted and I didn't want to go the route of going to a hundred different agencies. I trusted that connections in the industry already, because she was an established agent and like I thought she did, and so I asked her to find out what her friends in the industry were looking for.
Connie Schofield Morrison:Prior to shopping my book, I had one manuscript, I got the rhythm and I knew I didn't want to sit and be waiting for another deal because, again, I was still married to an illustrator artist and he was still going through some things. And so I'm like, okay, I don't want to go through it triple dose. I'm already going through it as a wife. I'm already with business partners, I'm already still going through it on that aspect. I don't want to go through it with mine. So I made sure with mine, I set boundaries and I had goals. This is what I would like to do. Do it make sense to you? And so, with Lori told me no, I kind of trusted her decision. And when I got the rhythm and I'm being honest, I wanted this to be my baby outside of Frank. I really did not want him to illustrate my books, can I?
J.D. Myall:interrupt real quick. Yeah, I know Frank and you know Frank, but we don't know that all them know. Frank, can you tell them who your husband is? For those who might not know my husband is.
Connie Schofield Morrison:His name is Frank Morrison. He's a world renowned artist and illustrator. We've been married going on 34 years and we have an art gallery. It's online, morrison Graphics LLC, and it's really dedicated to Frank. I'm not an artist, so he has his artistry and I let him have that. Um, and outside of being married to Frank, I have a lot of other things that I'll talk to y'all about a little bit later, um, but so back to with Lori. I really had my goals, so I was using my mating name, which is Connie, so that's why it's Connie Schofield Morrison on my book, and I'm not sure if you all know how far you are in your journey. Authors and illustrators do not work together in self-publishing, and it's a reason why the publishing houses do that.
Speaker 4:And so they didn't know.
Connie Schofield Morrison:Frank was my husband at first. Frank wound up leaving his company his agent company and he signed with my agent company, and so it takes a couple of months to a couple of years to negotiate a deal, and so my particular deal took about a year. By the time the deal was closing they had selected an illustrator, which was my husband. My agent is who told them we were married, but they never knew. A lot of people think, oh, they worked on a book together. We didn't work on any of the books together. He worked on his end from his studio and I worked on my end from my studio. So that's how it came together, and because my goals were set and my boundaries were set, I didn't have to keep writing manuscripts like that. I didn't have to keep writing manuscripts like that. When it came around to the second book, the publishing house actually came to my agent and said, wow, we was thinking about a book series. And how about, if you have? Suggest that she write? I Got the Christmas Spirit and let's see what she thinks about it. And so that's how it went. So if you set boundaries, if you choose the right agent and you set the right boundaries, everything else works out Everything. They start suggesting books to you or once they pick up on your style if you tell them okay, this is what I want to write.
Connie Schofield Morrison:I told my agent I didn't like history books, even though I wound up writing a history book and I'll tell y'all about that too. I didn't like history growing up. I didn't like dark stories and I did not like dark pictures, images and most of the children's books in my days in the seventies growing up were dark. They were always dark browns and burgundies and the stories were even darker. So I didn't like it. So I told her on my journey I want to write books that were bright and beautiful and happy, and it wasn't for a particular child, but I definitely wanted, when kids saw the cover, to smile, have a reason to smile, whether it was they seen themselves on the pictures of the cover or just the words, the colors of the words, and so if you set your goals, if you know the genres you want to work, definitely let your agent know. It helps when it comes time.
J.D. Myall:How did you decide to write picture books as opposed to like any other genre? What was it about picture books that called out to you?
Connie Schofield Morrison:One, my oldest daughter she's six now growing up, um, she didn't like to read. The only book that, um, she was interested in was DW Arthur little sister, and I didn't mind her looking at a cartoon character and getting oh, when I grow up, this is who I want to be. Like the DW, I'm DW. It's cute, but then when you think about your child growing up, it's like okay, you can't be DW forever.
Connie Schofield Morrison:So, um, I helped her understand like it's not the actual character that you're wanting to be, it's what she's depicting and how she's depicting it and what the stories that she's telling you could identify with them. And so it was that. That was one of the things that drove me to writing for children. And then my childhood experience is not being allowed to have a voice and the old saying what goes in in this house, what goes on in this house, stays in this house. I felt, if I'm seeing certain things and I'm hearing certain things, why can't I say it? And so, just my mom, shenan her background. I knew I wanted to be a different parent. I knew I wanted children to realize and understand that they are people too and that they do have voices and that their voices matter, their opinions matter. And, um, that's what drove me to write for children.
J.D. Myall:I love that.
Connie Schofield Morrison:I do have adult books.
J.D. Myall:I just haven't put them out yet okay, what do you think are the essential elements to make a good children's picture book like, what are the things that we need in our stories to help them do well?
Connie Schofield Morrison:one, the character, the attitude of the characters, stories that make sense, that children can identify with. Um, we as adults tend to think Certain topics are not for children. When it comes to emotion, and lately, with everything that's going on in the world publishing houses, a lot of them are giving the okay to write about certain emotions and just certain things that I'll say for the gay community, it's been challenging. It's been a lot of situations where publishing houses wouldn't pick up books about children in a gay community. They were against it.
Connie Schofield Morrison:And so I know I have five kids, four in which are grown, and now I have a grandbaby and that's, it's in their culture now and it's like, ok, how can we not write about this and how can we not write about the emotions that people go through? What makes a child become what they call it non-binary? Now, non-binary, what is? Are they born that way? This is like that's a topic that publishing houses didn't want to pick up with and elaborate on. Right now there's a need for it and there's actually groups and publishing houses that publish those kinds of things.
J.D. Myall:I think, if I had to be specific, everything that's going on in culture now, in all cultures, in all genres, all languages, would be something to write about. When it comes to kids, I love that. We got a comment in the chat that I'm going to read to you. Cheryl said I agree 100%. My youngest identifies as non-binary and needs books that speak to their experience too. They're 20. Yes, okay, Cheryl, we appreciate that.
Connie Schofield Morrison:Yes, thank you.
J.D. Myall:What's the story behind the story? How did you come up with the idea for your current novel?
Connie Schofield Morrison:is that one for me? Yes, okay. So which book is coming out next? Okay, so I can show y'all this is. I got the spooky spirit that's so cute. Thank this is the final book for the series that me and Frank had together. Actually, I didn't come up with. I came up with the title and the story I wrote. But they asked me Connie, we love the Christmas book. I got the Christmas spirit. What about another holiday?
Connie Schofield Morrison:They were thinking Easter and I was thinking Halloween, because I love all the festivities that go on at Halloween time the masquerade balls and the costumes and I thought if Frank was illustrating it he can depict kids very well. I knew he would nail the costumes on the kids, so that's how the one came up.
Connie Schofield Morrison:I have coming out after this. It's with a new um illustrator, shamar night um king, and that series. They wanted it to be black boy joy, but I I have, I'm just going to say it I have a white grandson. He's half white, half black, but he looks white because my family heritage my maiden name is Jewish, because my grandmother was Jewish, so he's definitely Caucasian or white, and so I didn't want the book to be called Black Boy Joy, so I chose Big Boy Joy, because there's a lot of things little big boys do that's exciting. So and I didn't want to color codeoded because I have all nationalities in my family. So that particular one I did my first book and now I'm currently writing two at the same time because I get writers blocked very easy. But this particular book series that I'm working on, my friend, he's not the character character, however, his moods and his different emotions and different things that he do.
Connie Schofield Morrison:Um, I actually go to the playground, not even with him all the time, but I'll go to the playground, um, in church. I'll go to the nursery and I look at the different movements of the kids and the different things that they say. In a supermarket, when I hear little kids screaming or crying, I'll kind of go in and pick up the attitudes behind the children. And I have my iPhone, I'll type little notes in my notes section Um, and I'll come home sometimes, or office, and just sit there and think about all the different attitudes in a week and kind of put it together and I'll write tons of titles, tons of titles, until I find one that I feel is you know what's going on. Now I'll look at the news and I'll um, I'll say a couple of months back, the whole situation with Ukraine.
Connie Schofield Morrison:I was sitting up thinking like what would the little boys want if they could pick up a book right now and read it? What would make them happy right now? And so that's how I wrote down a whole list of titles based off of that one thought so that's usually what I come up with um. Well, now, with this series, this is how I'm coming up with the different um titles in a different scenarios that's going to take place in the story what advice?
J.D. Myall:what was the best advice you ever got on writing respect the criticism.
Connie Schofield Morrison:You really have to have tough skin in this industry, especially with writing, I know with me I used to think everything I wrote was was good enough. And when I was told you know kind of you have to respect the criticism. At first I didn't take that lightly, um, and I really didn't understand it. Like, why do I have to respect what somebody else thinks one of my manuscripts? It's not for them, you know. And then I had to realize what I was thinking and what I was saying and respect it. It's not for me.
Connie Schofield Morrison:What I'm writing is for the masses, it's for people of different, um that come from different backgrounds, different cultures, they speak different languages.
Connie Schofield Morrison:So I had to realize, wow, the talent is from the creator and I'm just the vessel that he's using to create. And what I'm creating is not for me, it's for the minds of the children that's reading it. And I came up with this saying if I could change the mind of a child, it could potentially change a generation, which will ultimately change the world. And so, back to what you asked. That was one of the most important things that was ever, or advice that was given to me that I took and I applied, and if you apply it to yourself, to your mindset, then you're able to handle anything, because everybody that reads your books is not just coming from the agent perspective or the publishing house, their criticism. You will have fans that will totally act like they hate what you create and those are actually the ones that love it the most. So if you can handle what the media is going to say about your work, you'll be able to write anything.
J.D. Myall:I love that. I love that. First time I met you, we did a panel on diversity and fiction together and you were a sweetheart then and you're still a sweetheart. Do you have any advice for new writers on doing panels and author events and things like that?
Connie Schofield Morrison:Yes, I would encourage it. One and I still do this now. I actually pull up all the book conferences that's going on in the United States. I pull it up in January every single year and I kind of go through the list and some of the conferences are huge and it's like oh, this is going on my dream bigger list. And then the ones that they're cause they'll tell you they're looking for authors of genre that genre, self-published, not published yet, published yet, uh, published. And I go down that list and write down okay, I'm going to do this one, this one, that one, and then on my dream bigger list, I actually have a board on my wall right there.
Speaker 4:And.
Connie Schofield Morrison:I just did a whole vision board of the conferences I want to do and who I want to be at these conferences, beforehand and after. So that's one thing. Another thing I would encourage as new writers don't be afraid. Don't be afraid, don't waste time, don't procrastinate. Just do it and learn from the feedback you get, even if it's not your best work. Just do it, because when you do it and you put your work out there, you get the criticism back After a while, like you feel free, like I did it. So the second time it gets even easier. Just do it, just write and know that you're writing and the thought of even writing is coming from a higher source. It's coming from a higher source I love that.
J.D. Myall:Marybeth wants to know what source do you use to find the list of the conferences?
Connie Schofield Morrison:Google. I put it in Google and, believe it or not. Some of the conferences list other conferences. Some of them are on pages that have multiple conferences and in bookstores. Barnes and Nobles they have a Barnes and Nobles and Books a Million. They have a board and most of them and you can go and look in their cards. People put like their advertisement on it Starbucks, people advertise. I look for that kind of stuff.
Speaker 5:OK.
Connie Schofield Morrison:Oh, and the library, your local library, which is my hangout spot. Oh, and the library, your local library, which is my hangout spot, your local libraries.
J.D. Myall:Get to know your librarians. Libraries are attached to conferences as well.
Connie Schofield Morrison:I love that, any best practices, anything that you do to help you network better and, you know, put your best foot forward on a panel, and stuff like that. Yes, so I? I mentioned libraries. Um, I go to all. Listen, I go to libraries everywhere and even when I go to other states I go to libraries. I know the librarians in georgia. I go to quite a few different counties and just volunteer, volunteer to read story times.
Connie Schofield Morrison:Barnes and nobles as well, go to your local barnes and nobles, your local bookstores, and volunteer to read, and that way when your new projects come out they're there to support you 150 percent that's great advice yeah never thought of that.
J.D. Myall:That's brilliant. What was your biggest surprise in the publishing journey? Like what was different than the way you thought it would be well.
Connie Schofield Morrison:so my biggest surprise was, when you're published, it's just like writing a record. Um, you get these contracts, they give you an upfront bonus which goes to royalty, right. And so I was thinking, okay, I don't want to do it because, frankly, he wasn't getting any royalty. I don't want to owe any, don't like bills. So, like me, I'm not a big credit person, I don't like bills. So I didn. I'm not a big credit person, I don't like bills, so I didn't want to do it that route. But that's the standard way to go. And so the book came out and when it came time to the first royalties I got, I received royalties.
Connie Schofield Morrison:So I was like hold up, like who does this? So that was the biggest surprise for me, and if I could give another, my second surprise is now. The life of a children's book is one year.
Connie Schofield Morrison:My first book came out in 2014 and it's still on bookshelves worldwide, and it's been printed in multiple different languages, languages I've never even heard of. So that was the second um big surprise for me. Let me tell you when you dream big and you believe in your dreams, doors begin to open that you could never imagine. But it takes. It requires walking by faith and believe in dreaming in your dream, because the dreams are not in your mind for no reason. I tell my kids you know what I think.
Connie Schofield Morrison:This is my grandmother, some ancestor or somebody telling me that I can't dream anymore, because how am I dreaming? And it's happening. So'm I'm learning. I'm still learning to just dream bigger, dream bigger you've been doing some script writing too.
J.D. Myall:How is that different than your novel writing?
Connie Schofield Morrison:I actually like the script writing. Um, um, I did some stuff for the show the Resident with Malcolm Jamal Warner and also Honey 1, 2, and 3. It's different in a sense. You actually see the characters that you write out in real life. You actually see what you're writing alive Within the books. You have to imagine the characters and what they're doing and place yourself in these little worlds where, when you write a script, you actually see someone living it out. So I love it. My, I have a book, stitch by Stitch, that was published with Holiday House Publishing and that was actually a slave that came to me in a dream that I didn't have enough.
Connie Schofield Morrison:So her book, she asked me in a dream, ultimately, if I would rewrite. Once I realized what she said was true, would I rewrite her story the way I would have wanted it to be written as a child and to add the colors that I would have wanted to see. And so, when I realized she was real, I hope I did Some justice on what she asked. But I'm hoping to get a movie deal off of the Stitch by Stitch. I'm in negotiations with Nickelodeon Paramount for I Got the School Spirit.
Speaker 4:Mm-hmm.
Connie Schofield Morrison:And hopefully this year I could write some adult books that or finish adult books that I would want to see on the shelves and in a movie form love that, love that.
J.D. Myall:Tell us a little bit about your icon makeup and all your other wonderful endeavors so I have a brand um icon by connie morrison.
Connie Schofield Morrison:The cosmetic brand is the same manufacturers as kylie, jenna and rihanna and um. I've kind of put it. I'm going to I have my website still up, but I'm going to do a, a big launch, hopefully in um this year and have it in some major um story. And I'm trying to think what else do I have going on my life coaching, celebrity life coaching. So last year I got bored a little bit and um was given a gift. I was in Harvard I'm still in Harvard I took a little break, um uh break in Harvard, trying to think of something new to do. I'm always thinking of something new and I was offered to go to school for free to become a life coach and when I graduated, my professors told me you know, you have a knack for celebrities, so I think you should do some coaching. And so that's what I'm doing now as well, coaching some of my celebrity friends.
J.D. Myall:That's pretty fun and exciting. What are you writing currently?
Connie Schofield Morrison:Just the big boy joy, and I did. I complete 365 days of inspiration for women.
J.D. Myall:Love that so with.
Connie Schofield Morrison:With that concept I'm going to do journals and pillows, and pens and um wall appliques and different things.
J.D. Myall:Just a whole inspirational kit for women now, when you do your picture books, do you write the whole thing or do you guys sell them on proposal usually? How does that process work with picture books?
Connie Schofield Morrison:just um, just a book, like a summary one synopsis of nothing more than a paragraph and I usually right now I'm seeking a new agent. Um, I really it's of interest for me and frank, to be with the same agent, so, and I need an agent where, with my movie, um, stuff, everything is under one belt. With my former agent it was just the children's book and so, um, I forgot what I was getting ready to say. Um, I just threw myself off of the um the topic, talking about my agent, just that way.
J.D. Myall:Have you tried New Leaf? I know they have film and TV.
Connie Schofield Morrison:No, I haven't heard of New Leaf. I went with Writer's House that was the company that I just submitted my inquiry to and one of my friends in the industry kind of sent me some agents, um, and I've been taking my time a little bit with it okay because I'm not one for it, like it's just the friend thing. Don't work with me, not with money, with agents. Anyway that's going to be made.
J.D. Myall:So okay, do you guys have any questions for us? So far I have a question.
Speaker 4:Um, could you speak a little more on the relationship between the illustrator and the author? So maybe not with your husband, but you mentioned you were working with a new illustrator who was part of your um uh, where you're wrapped and so are you writing the story first and then that's sent to the illustrator? Is it done in tandem? What is that relationship like?
Connie Schofield Morrison:Okay. So I wrote the manuscript and the publishers have different authors that they work with and different illustrators, so they actually paired me up with Shamar. I didn't know him prior to writing a book and, believe it or not, at first, I didn't understand it. When I found out with my husband, like, oh, they picked the illustrator. But now five books in, I totally get it. They know exactly who to pair you up with. They know what the industry wants, what will sell. They know don't ask me how it's like magic they know how to take your words and put it with an illustrator that's going to depict the book just the way you wrote it, without you even working with him or her. And it's part of your contract. It's not something you pay extra for. Take the money out of your royalties for it. With your contract, they actually have it. This, whoever she, you know we pick, choose. This is what's going to be budgeted for the illustrator, this is what's going to be budgeted for the author.
Connie Schofield Morrison:And I know a lot of writers who write the book and they're like, oh, I have to get or I have to find an illustrator. I get a lot of inquiries through email, through social media. Do you know any illustrators? Do you think your husband will be interested in working on my book? And I can honestly say, knowing a lot of illustrators, that's the last thing they want to see is an email from an author asking them to illustrate a book. Trust me, you'll be very appreciated with the publishing house for them handling that part of your journey. Like if you're writing, you need your mind space to write. You need it to think about what's next, not who's going to depict the book for you in illustration.
J.D. Myall:Now with your earlier books, did you have to write the whole book, or was it still um able to sell this?
Connie Schofield Morrison:on the paragraph One manuscript and that was the first. When I um started, you know, seeking an agent, I already had the manuscript done. I got the was the only manuscript that wrote that I wanted to present to anybody.
Speaker 4:Everything else.
Connie Schofield Morrison:Just I have tons of books from when I was a little girl, like just books of writing but it was nothing that I wanted to present. So after yes, I've written hundreds of manuscripts now, but everything you see in book form or that has been submitted. It was because they asked me to do it. It was based off of a paragraph.
J.D. Myall:Love that that whole manuscript.
Connie Schofield Morrison:And if I could say something else, especially if you're writing chapter books, you might want to secure an agent first, because the agent will tell you I call it suggestions they will suggest well, maybe, perhaps you could write about this, because they know what the industry is looking for. Sometimes, when you write these books, and especially chapter books I have friends that have written chapter books just to have to change the book from chapter to chapter. They write down, they cut 10 to 20 chapters out of the book and it frustrates the writer.
Connie Schofield Morrison:So I tell everybody, do a synopsis of one page, synopsis of maybe five to 10 books that you plan to write and get their opinions first, before you do all of the work for them to change your book around or tell you what they feel should be added to the book or taken away.
J.D. Myall:That's good advice. Anybody else have any questions? Yeah, I do.
Speaker 5:I'm curious about like. When I'm writing a book or story, I usually have something in my head. You know how I imagine that character to look. Or does that happen for you when you're writing a children's book, and how much input do you have, Like if't, if the, if the illustrations come back and you're like no, no, that's not what I had in my head at all like does that happen?
Connie Schofield Morrison:yes, so you have control over how the character looks like. If they have the, they choose the illustrator and illustrator come up with dummy sketches of the book. So they come back and the first dummy sketches they come back and they ask you how do you feel? And it's called author notes. So you could go and you could say, well, based off of page one, I let's say it's a ball-headed character I think he should have here, or she should have a ponytail, or she should have braids. I don't think she should be in a park. When I was writing the story I thought she was in her bedroom. So now you give author notes on what you wrote about because it's your story. And so now the illustrator then goes and they'll go and change their dummy sketches. Sometimes, like with Shamar, shamar wanted to have a meeting with me before he even did any dummy sketches. So sometimes the illustrator will contact you once they find out you're the author of the book.
Connie Schofield Morrison:After reading your manuscript, they'll contact you and set up a Zoom call and get your input first, but that's between you and the illustrator, but and then after it goes to the publishing house, the publishing house is going to contact you as well and ask your input. So you have you still have full control over how the characters are going to look, the setting. You're still involved with that, even after you write the book.
Speaker 5:OK, thanks you are.
J.D. Myall:Any other questions.
Speaker 4:Go ahead. Sorry, I'm really curious to hear you talk about the structure of a children's book. I could be wrong, but I feel like there's 32 pages or there's a certain number of pages that you might need to write to, and I'm wholly unfamiliar with the structure of a picture book, coming from writing mostly short stories and chapter books. Are there, um, certain things you have in mind is like, okay, by page five I need to have a hook, or each page turn um, or if there's a double spread, like that has to be the climax of the book. Are there certain things like that that you're just thinking about organically as you're writing?
Connie Schofield Morrison:Yes. So there has to be a beginning, a middle and an end. It has to be with me. I say a problem and a solution Because realistically, with children and with the books that I'm writing with children is always, if you put, let's say, three little kids in one room, there is definitely going to be some type of issue which is the problem and it has to be some type of solution before happiness or cheers are in the room, because if there's no solution to the problem, you're going to have the room full of the three kids screaming and crying. So I always say, with children's books especially, there has to be a beginning, middle and end. There has to be a problem and a solution.
J.D. Myall:About length, though. About how long do they have to be usually?
Connie Schofield Morrison:To say 32 pages. 32 pages and I will say this because I didn't find this out with the first book all 32 pictures do not have to be words, but 32 pictures because children get bored after a while. Children, I'll say from, let's say, the ages of birth till about eight. Past 32 pages, you're going to lose their interest.
J.D. Myall:And do you do any hooks in children's books over lower grades that's not as important, like um, like I mean like um, like something at the end of the page that makes them want to turn to the next, or like ending on something that makes them curious to see how it resolves. Or do you just let it flow naturally with children's books?
Connie Schofield Morrison:I leave that to the illustrator to depict them. However, with me, I love rhythm and dance, and I don't know how many of you have children or deal with children With me. As a child, I needed to use all of my senses at one time. Like I watch my grandson now and he could be watching TV and on the iPad and still talking to his mom, dad and me. It's like, how is he doing it? I always learn easier singing and dancing, so now in my books I love to write rhythmic books where if you pick one of them, except for the stitch by stitch.
Connie Schofield Morrison:but I kind of sort of try to do it with the history book too. But I love to add some type of word, whether it's boom, boom, boom, bang, bang, beat, bop, like. I love to add words that children can identify with and I love to show them exaggerated on the page. So when the kids they're looking at the book, it's not just the actual pictures that they're intrigued by, it's the actual big, colorful words that they see. So that's my thing and I've never told that secret before.
Connie Schofield Morrison:That's my thing to keep the kids intrigued, because I'm not an artist, I'm not an illustrator, I'm a writer. So my thing is words. I see words how people see pictures, so that you know. I want it to be able to capture the words in the book.
J.D. Myall:Love that. Any more questions you guys? Yeah, I have a question you had mentioned writing scripts for TV and a couple of movies.
Connie Schofield Morrison:I was wondering as a children's book writer, how you got into that as well. I had a studio with a partner in Conyers, georgia. It was called Real Girls Films, and so I acquired the studio with her. She was actually an art collector of mine, so I sold art to her for so many years and she got into film and would ask my advice all the time and, being african-american and a female in the industry, just got turned away so many times. And so we decided to build um a brand and an all girls production.
Connie Schofield Morrison:Um, and it was like a task for us, like we didn't think, you know, we didn't believe at first that we would do it and succeed at it, and so that's what got me into that. And then um trying to find different things for my husband to do in the 90s it was called tear sheets. At the time I would create these tear sheets for magazines like Essence Magazine and Ebony Magazine and submit his work through that. And then I started submitting his work for TV shows and being invited to some of the events and sitting behind the scenes and see, you know, watching how everything came about. I was influenced to want to do it myself, but I didn't want to go back to college for production, so the only way to get into it is if I had my own, so that's what I did.
J.D. Myall:I love that. Was it hard to make the transition to writing screenplays and scripts from books, or was it relatively easy for you?
Connie Schofield Morrison:It was relatively easy. You know it's harder to write for children than it is for adults.
J.D. Myall:I think so.
Connie Schofield Morrison:You have to go back. It's like you're going back into your old self, but trying to stay current with what's going on today, and even with the children's slang. They have their own little world inside of our world. So it's actually harder to write for children than it is for adults. And then you have to be politically correct. You have to be um like correct in all aspects of what you're writing, because they're children. So certain things you'll say as an adult you can't say to children and children. So it's. It was relatively easy for me to write for adults and it was for me to write for children love that.
J.D. Myall:any more questions you got? No, I'm Go ahead.
Connie Schofield Morrison:So I did an episodic series, for I Got the School Spirit and I think I wrote 14 shows so far, and just trying to keep up with what goes on in a school every day and then have it change from day to day Wasn't easy.
Speaker 5:Another question. I'm just so, I'm just so curious about all this because I read to my kids for years and I just, I, just, I just think it's such an interesting thing to do and I'm so in awe of the fact that you do it. Do you ever feel a sense of well, two things actually when you write for kids, because they're so young and vulnerable? Do you feel this sense of responsibility to about what you're writing and because they're so impressionable? And do you have sensitivity readers that will look at what you like? We like adult novels. You know we'll have sensitivity readers. Do you have the same or similar thing for children's books?
Connie Schofield Morrison:Yes, so you? I mean I don't know what the publishing house. They have editors. However, for me, I go to the library most of the time on a Tuesday or Thursday and I'll ask I'll do like maybe two or three pages of a new manuscript. I'll ask if I could read it to the kids to get the kids' opinions. And let me warn you, they're the toughest. They will sit there and play with their fingers. They'll get up and run away. They'll get up and run away. They'll you. You know, when you have a good manuscript, if you read the three pages and they'll sit in there interested in hearing more, then you know you got a winner, but for the most part I had quite a few manuscripts.
Connie Schofield Morrison:That's just had to. I had to shelve them for a minute because the kids would look like what is? What is she talking about? It's almost like you're speaking a different language. Wow, well, I'm telling you, the libraries is the best place, even before the bookstore store, to go and, and you know, you can ask um, each library have a children's department and a children's librarian who is not like the whole the library's main librarian. The children's librarian is for the children. You can pass your manuscript off or certain pages off and let them read it and they'll tell you now, the kids are not going to be interested in this.
Speaker 5:So they're your beta readers.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 5:Wow, that's interesting.
Connie Schofield Morrison:Okay, and another suggestion career day. You can go to your local schools they have career days and ask them when they're. Tell them I'm an author and I'm coming out with a new manuscript and I would like to see what the kids think. I would like to speak to the young entrepreneurs that are looking to become an authors and read to them and they'll tell you they're honest. Children are honest.
Speaker 5:Okay, thank you, you're welcome.
J.D. Myall:Anybody else have any questions? Have any questions? Yeah, alrighty, well, I appreciate you so much, connie, and I appreciate everybody who came. We learned a lot, got a lot of good information from you and I thank you so much for coming and talking craft with us tonight you're welcome.
Connie Schofield Morrison:And I have one other thing. I'm on Instagram and Facebook I love to share. It wasn't easy for me, so I do share information. You can always contact me if I don't respond right away. Know that I will respond within a week and answer whatever questions I can answer awesome thank you guys, thank you so much, thank you. You're welcome. Keep writing. Thanks All right, see you later.
Speaker 6:That wraps up today's Craft Chat Chronicles with JD Mayer. Thanks for joining us. If you liked the episode, please comment, subscribe and share. For show notes, writing workshops and tips, head to jdmeyercom. That's jdmeyercom.