Writing Without Pictures: Guest Author, Debbie Bernstein LaCroix

I am thrilled to introduce a new series on my blog about Picture Book writers who DO NOT illustrate.

Recently, while struggling with a manuscript, I went to my own bookshelf for inspiration and discovered that almost all of my books were from Author/Illustrators.  I didn't have any books that were written by one person and illustrated by another.  I realized that I needed to seek out Picture Book writers who did not illustrate their own work as a way of discovering my own process and place in the Picture Book World.  I needed to find my peeps! 

On Mondays for the month of April, I will be spotlighting a Picture Book writer who will share their experiences with "writing without pictures".

Today I welcome Debbie Bernstein LaCroix!  Debbie is Success Coach and a "go-getter" who's list of accomplishments is incredibly extensive ~ everything from being named to the "Top 40 Under 40 in Siuoxland" by her local paper to starting a Children's Museum in her hometown! 

Debbie lists one of her passions as "Helping People" and I am so honored that she has stopped by to share her experience with us and help me better understand the journey of the non-illustrating writing. 

Her book, "It's Almost Time" was published by Kane Miller Publishing and released in the Fall of 2011. 

Please welcome Debbie!

“Why is there a horse in my book?”

When I sold my first picture book, I was so excited! I had heard from other authors that I wouldn’t get to help pick out the illustrator, but I didn’t think I would be out of the process all together.

My editor, Kira, was great.  Kira told me who the illustrator was. The first thing I did was Google Sarah Chalek. Sarah had a great portfolio on her blog, and I automatically made a mental connection to her. So when I asked if they needed illustration ideas, I was a little sad to hear back, “No thank you, we got it covered.” At that point I knew I could not contact Sarah. This was hard for me, as I am a hands in everything type of person.

Instead, I worked on my own edits, and kept checking Sarah’s blog. Every so often I’d see a sketch, and get excited. Then there would be nothing.

When I met with Kira a few months later, she showed me the thumbnails. It was really cute, but there was a new element to my book, something I wasn’t expecting. See, my book “It’s Almost Time” is all about clocks. But, in the pictures, there was a horse! Yes, a horse! It was a cute horse. And he was fun, but it wasn’t my image.

Kira tried to keep me involved when she could, showing me the book and illustrations at different stages. But otherwise, I didn’t really have any say. I was well behaved, and I waited until the book had gone to press. Then I contacted Sarah to tell her how excited I was to have had the opportunity to work with her.  We became fast Facebook friends. But it was a school visit that finally made me ask her the question:

Why is there a horse in my book?

Here was her response:

Kira asked me to draw animals interacting with the clocks and I really like horses. When I was a kid there was a horse farm a few blocks from my house. It was really out of place in the suburbs. The woman who owned the horses let all the neighborhood kids walk through the stables and feed them carrots. I think they're beautiful animals, even though the one I drew is really goofy.
When I did samples for Kira, I drew all different types of animals and we both liked the horse the best. I wanted to add a bird as a sidekick because it was small, yet could fly at the horse's eye level. I thought about an owl or goose and chose a blue jay because I liked the color.

So there you have it! The horse is creating a story within my story.

I was really lucky. I know not all authors fall in love with their illustrators. I do hope that someday I will have the opportunity to work with her again.

Debbie Bernstein LaCroix lives in Sioux City, Iowa.  Her book "It's About Time" was published by Kane Miller Publishing.  You can read more about Debbie at www.debbielacroix.com and at her blog http://littledebbiewrites.blogspot.com/.