WriWOPi: Deborah Underwood

Blogging straight to you from Frankenstorm today in NYC!  It takes more than an epic storm to hold us kidlit writers back.To everyone in the storm's path, please be safe.  Stay home.  Read.  Write.  Just think of the influx of storm stories that will flood editors desk in about 6 months.  :)

 

But, the show must go on at The Write Routine.  And today I have a very special guest. 

 

I fell in love with THE QUIET BOOK the second I picked it up.  Deborah Underwood's simple, yet endearing words matched with the amazing illustrations of Renata Liwska is pure picture book magic!  Along with THE LOUD BOOK and THE CHRISTMAS QUIET BOOK, I think we are witnessing the creation of some classics.

 

Please welcome Deborah Underwood....

 

Leaving room for the illustrator is one of the most important lessons for picture book writers. And I’m sorry to say it took me about six years to learn it. SIX YEARS. I think that was because I didn’t really understand why we need to leave room, why we shouldn’t write a lot of description. Now--finally!--I do.

Here’s an exercise I like to do in my writing workshops. Please get out your crayons and play along:

First, draw a house. It can be any kind of house--a person house, a dog house, a bird house, a Martian house. It can be any shape, any size, any color.

Done? Good. Now draw a white, two-story house with a red roof, green shutters, and a pink plastic flamingo in the front yard.

I suspect if I collected and displayed all your virtual papers, your first drawings would be wonderfully diverse and imaginative. The second ones? Less diverse. Less imaginative.

Because with every descriptor I gave, I took a choice away from you. You wanted it to be a purple house? Too bad; I said white. You thought it would have been great to make the house seven rickety stories tall? It might have been great, but you couldn’t do it, because I said two stories. You wanted a burlwood ogre in the garden? Nope; it had to be a flamingo.

So there it is. Every descriptive word in a picture book limits your illustrator.

This lesson was powerfully brought home to me when we were working on THE QUIET BOOK. In my manuscript, “Coloring in the lines quiet,” was followed by “Thinking of a good reason you were drawing on the wall with a green crayon quiet.”

My wonderful editor, Kate O’Sullivan, suggested deleting “with a green crayon.”

I resisted. I whined. I said I liked the specificity of the green crayon. Kate didn’t think we needed it. I reluctantly acquiesced.

Thank goodness! Because this is how the brilliant Renata Liwska chose to illustrate those lines:

The moose’s self-portrait on the wall is one of my favorite parts of the book. If Renata had been limited to showing a green crayon, she might not have come up with that idea--what self-respecting moose draws himself in green? The green crayon business was completely gratuitous. It would have tied Renata’s hands. And the book would have been diminished.

 When I finally had the pleasure of meeting Renata in person, she said that the spareness of The Quiet Book text had appealed to her, that it had allowed her to immediately begin seeing pictures in her head. She said that if there’s too much description, she feels as if she’s tracing a line that’s already been drawn. If you were an illustrator, would you rather trace or create?

So I learned my lesson. In The Christmas Quiet Book, I wrote text like:

 

 

Did Renata need me to tell her what to draw? Clearly not.

But what if you see pictures in your head while you write? What if you know the way your words are supposed to look?

I feel your pain! But think of it this way: what if every time you sat down to write, you had an illustrator hanging over your shoulder saying things like, “Can’t we set the story in Mexico instead of Philadelphia? And can’t the main character be a macaw, instead of a fox? I really like drawing macaws.”

Ridiculous, right? Because it’s not the illustrator’s job to tell you what to write--just as it’s not your job to tell her what to draw.

I, personally, am a total control freak (another reason this lesson has been so difficult for me). But it’s only in letting go that we make space for synergy, that phenomenon in which, because of the contributions of two creative people, the whole truly does become greater than the sum of its parts.

Does that synergy alway materialize? Nope. But it’s worth taking the risk. Because when it does, it’s picture book magic.

WriWOPi: Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a workshop or seminar or class taught by the lovely Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen do it! 

At the New Jersey SCBWI Conference in June I was able to attend Sudipta's session on Picture Book Pacing and I have to say, this "chick" knows her stuff!  She's a natural teacher. 

The Science World does not know what they are missing, but we are lucky to have her in the PB World with her gift of humor, her sense of style and her amazing stilletos!

I am honored to have Sudipta on the blog today as part of the WriWOPi series.

It’s my picture book. I don’t care what the names on the spine say. I don’t care that after my name, there’s another name, and that name gets a special designation (illustrated by) while mine is left out in the cold alone. It’s MY picture book.

Right?

After all, it was my late night inspiration. It was my careful chosen imagery. It was my inventive plot and hilarious details.

It’s MY picture book. Right?

W-R-O-N-G. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

When I started writing picture books, I truly believed it was MY book that I generously allowed an illustrator to work on. But the longer I do this, I realize that Hillary Clinton was right – it takes a village. Not just to raise a child, as most people remember about her 1996 book. Hillary was also right about this: “It takes a village to bring a book into the world.”

Not just one author. A whole village. Author, illustrator, editor, art director, assistants, copy editor, sales/marketing folks, publisher, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

And while there are some in that village who contribute less and some who contribute more, there is no way for a sole author to claim to be the principal architect of a picture book project. When there is both an author and an illustrator involved, the resulting book is a true collaboration.

Which means it’s not MY picture book. It’s OUR picture book.

If you’re an author who writes without pictures, that realization might make you uneasy, or even sad. How can someone so easily give up creative control of a project she has brought to life? How can she agree to be relegated to co-creator instead of sole creator?

The answer has two parts:

(1)    If you cannot draw (as I cannot do), you have no choice. No drawings = no picture book. Therefore, get over it.

(2)    In the words of Aristotle, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

In truly great picture books, the illustrations do not echo the text, nor do the words describe the pictures. In truly great picture books, the combination of text and art creates something so much better than either of the individual pieces. They support each other and enhance each other. They go together like peanuts and Paydays, like Marley and reggae.

Every time I write a picture book, I have a clear idea in my head about what the art should look like. And not once has the art actually looked like it did in my head. I won’t lie to you and say that that never leads to disappointment – at least initially. But I’ve been very, very lucky, and as soon as I can let go of my preconceived notions and view the art with an open mind, I’ve always been pleasantly surprised. Not because the illustrations show what I’ve written in the story, but because the addition of the art has added dimensions that I couldn’t have done with text alone.  Here are some examples…

In PIRATE PRINCESS, Princess Bea fails at a number of pirate ship chores, including serving as the galley cook. JillMcElmurry takes this passing reference of a failed stew and does this with it:

I wish “stinky fish” and “even more salt” had been my idea.

Look at the terror on the animals’ faces in HAMPIRE:

 All the words say is that “the critters braced for Hampire’s fangs,” but what Howard Fine has done is crystallize that moment of terror – and then heighten in with subliminal details. Look at all those sharp, painful farm implements in the background, each one capable of ripping a body to shreds – just like the Hampire can? Maybe?

I like to joke that CHICKS RUN WILD is my autobiography – the story of little chicks at bedtime who, every time Mama kisses them good night, proceed to run wild. But Ward Jenkins took this to a new level – he put our kids in the book. See the chicken drawings above the chicks’ beds? Each of those chickens was drawn by one of our kids, because each of those chicks is one of our kids.

Each of my picture books, well, it’s not MY picture book, no matter what I may have thought.

It’s OUR picture book, and it’s better for it. (And I’m so glad I can’t draw.)

You can read more about Sudipta and her upcoming projects on her website (www.sudipta.com), her FB page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sudipta-Bardhan-Quallen-Childrens-Book-Author/67021696384?fref=ts) and/or her blog (http://nerdychicksrule.com/).

WriWOPi: Amy Dixon

It is with great excitement that I start the week introducing Amy Dixon.

I first met Amy through the PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) community.  Although she lives across the country I felt a certain kinship based on a few of our passions:  writing and running.  I was especially excited to learn that her debut picture book (releasing tomorrow!) was about a little determined mouse named Preston who sets out to run the NYC Marathon!  Needless to say, Preston has been a source of inspiration for me these last few months as I set out to complete the same goal.

So, run...don't walk to purchase MARATHON MOUSE written by Amy Dixon, illustrated by Sam Denlinger and published by Sky Pony Press.

Please welcome a new member of the PUBLISHED Picture Book author community, Amy Dixon!  And a huge congratulations to you, my friend!

In the picture book writing community, I've often been a part of conversations that include some form of this comment:

"Wouldn't it be soooo much easier if we were just writers AND illustrators? Then we could make our manuscripts look exactly the way we want!"

And in theory, it feels like it could be easier.

No stressing over whether or not to include an art note.

Word count worries would disappear.

And snagging an agent would be a snap, right?

Would it actually be easier for us? I suppose, if you don't include that pesky learning to be an illustrator stuff.

But what if we are actually asking the wrong question? What if the question isn't, "What would be easier?" but instead, "What would make my picture book better?"

Because here's the thing. From the moment you hear your illustrator’s name, to the moment you see the art for the first time, you will be filled with gray-hair-and-deep-wrinkle-line-producing worry. It’s true, being a picture book writer might well mean embracing Golden Girls status well before your time. It is NOT easy.

BUT.

When we bring two artistic minds together, we've just DOUBLED our creative possibilities. There are ideas brought to the page by our illustrators that we likely would have never come up with on our own. We all have backgrounds and perspectives and worldviews that, even for creative thinkers, are limited. But now, because we've allowed our work to be expanded upon by another creative force, we've increased the depth and even the reach of our story.

One example from Marathon Mouse has to do with a secondary character in the story. It is a book primarily about a mouse family, but near the end, a little girl makes an appearance.

Now, I have three little girls myself, who (in my totally unbiased opinion) are the cutest things ever, so of course I had pictured someone who looked a little like them. Chubby cheeks, fair skin, big blue eyes...sort of a Gerber-esque quality. So when I saw the art for the first time, I registered a delighted surprise when I got to this image:

Isn't she pretty much the cutest thing ever? I am seriously, madly in love with her.

Is she something that I would have come up with myself? Probably not.

Is she the perfect representation of the little girl I wrote in the story? Absolutely.

So, while handing our words over and releasing creative control of our “babies,” might send us running to stock up on Clairol, it can and most often does, make our picture books BETTER. And hopefully, as we travel down the road (and back again) of picture book writing, we will have collaborated to create books whose depth and reach we could have never imagined.

Amy Dixon grew up as one of seven siblings, so the only peace and quiet she ever got was inside a book. Once she had her own kids, she rediscovered her love for picture books at the public library. It was the one place she knew all four of her kids would be happy . . . and quiet. She writes from her home, where she lives with her four little inspirations and her marathon-running husband, Rob.

WriWOPi: Ame Dyckman (and a Bot-astic Give Away!)

I am beyond honored to have Ame Dyckman on The Write Routine as part of the October WriWOPi series. 

If you haven't read BOY + BOT yet, you really should.  Its a perfect example of simplicity in language, weighing in at around 240 words.  It is a true testament to the need for a flawless marriage between words and art.

Ame is also one of the funniest, wackiest and most generous people I know.  She quickly agreed to come share her journey with us...as well as provide a fabulous Give-Away! 

For a chance to win a Bot-astic Prize Package which includes a signed copy of BOY + BOT, as well as other fabulous swag...please become a Follower of this blog and leave a comment below.  A winner will be chosen on Tuesday at 12noon EST.

Ame, take it away!

You know when the team captains go back-and-forth choosing players, until there’s just one smallish person left that nobody wants?  

 

I’m always that person.

I don’t mean dodge ball.  (I’m halfway decent at dodge ball, unless I get a story idea in the middle of a game.)

I’m talking about Pictionary. 

I’m The Worst Pictionary Player on the Planet.  (Title pending.  The Guinness folks are coming tomorrow.)

 Why am I so bad at this game?

 I can’t draw.

I like to draw.  But it’s nigh impossible for me to draw something that resembles what I actually set out to draw.

THE KID (peering over my shoulder):  “Is that a bumblebee?”

 ME:  “Close.  T-Rex.”

 THE KID (pats my head):  “Good try, Mom.”

I’ll give you another example—with a picture I drew.  (Please don your safety goggles now.)

In the early stages of BOY + BOT, my lovely Knopf editor, Michele Burke, approached me with a possible idea for the endpapers of our book. 

Michele asked me to compose a list of robotic terms for Bot that could also (humorously) apply to Boy. 

            “Sure!” I said.  “Words?  No problem!”

            Then she added, “And draw a little diagram.”

            (Record scratch.)

But I did.  And I thought I’d be extra-cool by drawing it on the computer. 

Remember:  you’ve been warned.

           

 

(Laughing with you.) It’s beyond awful, right? It’s awfully awful!

However, my imperfect illustration perfectly illustrates one of my favorite writing mottos:

            “THANK GOODNESS FOR ILLUSTRATORS!”

(I’m going to get this as a stitched sampler for my house.  Or possibly, a tattoo.) 

So if you’re Illustrating Challenged like me, how can we show our appreciation for the folks—THANK YOU, DAN!—who’re responsible for bringing our characters to loveable (and recognizable) life?

(Yells from mountaintop.)  “Write text that will be FUN TO ILLUSTRATE-ATE-ate…!”

Here are some of my favorite tricks:

·         Create emotional characters. 

·         Add action. 

·         Use scene changes.

 And the Really, REALLY Important One:

·         Write short.

Wow.  I could hear you groan from here.

I know writing short is tough!  But wait!  I have a Secret Tip for Cutting Your Word Count!  Ready?

Wear clothes with pockets.

It’s true!  Pockets!  Print out the latest draft of your picture book manuscript, fold it up, and put it in your pocket.  Carry it around with you as you go about your day.  (Try this, novelists!  Ha ha ha!  PB Power!)

Sorry.  Genre pride.  Back to the Secret Tip.

Then whenever you get a minute, take your manuscript out and cross out three words—just three little unneeded descriptive words!—before you put it away again.          

Repeat as needed. 

I don’t know why this method works, but it does!  (Just don’t forget to remove your manuscript from your pocket before you do the wash.  Speaking from experience here.  See picture of recently washed and dried manuscript.)

Writing short goes for your art notes, too.  They should contain only what is necessary to get your non-text idea across. 

Think this:

            There was the monster!  (Tiny, cute.)

 Not this:

            There was the monster!  (Tiny and cute, with big eyelashes, purple polka-dotted fur, itty bitty horns, and a piece of pink dryer lint stuck in his bellybutton.)

(Don’t know what this thing is, but I caught it eating manuscript remnants in my washing machine last week.)

Struggling with what goes in text and what goes in art notes?  In addition to studying your weekly Mountain of Picture Books, here’s a little extra homework that always helps me:

Watch cartoons.

Seriously!  Watch cartoons, paying particular attention to what the narrator says, what the characters say, and what doesn’t need to be said because it’s shown.  (And try not to rub it in to your kids.  “Oh, you have math for your homework?  I have cartoons!”)

I’m right there with you that it’s SO tempting to write long, descriptive text and art notes, because you can SEE the picture in your mind…

But so can your future illustrator.  And that’s their job.  Make it their fun, too, and the two of you will make a great book!

Gotta run, PB writers!  (Must clean up the house for the Guinness people.)

Thanks for reading, and happy writing!  —Ame

*****

            Ame Dyckman LOVES picture books.  Sometimes she’ll even put them down long enough to write one of her own:

·         BOY + BOT, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino (Knopf; 2012)

·         TEA PARTY RULES, illustrated by K.G. Campbell (Viking; 2013)

·         WOLFIE AND DOT (working title), illustrator TBD (Little, Brown; TBD)

            Ame lives in New Jersey with her family, pets (including a demanding-but-adorable squirrel), and a picture book collection that’s taking over the house.  Please say “Hi!” if you see Ame at a SCBWI event, book signing, or around town (usually, at the library or bookstore).  Depending on the time and place, she’d love to chat, grab a coffee, even play a game—anything but Pictionary.

WriWOPi: Tammi Sauer

I am so excited to once again run the ever popular series Writing Without Pictures (or WriWOPi, as I now call it) in which published Picture Book authors share their experiences of NOT being the illustrator of their work. 

I am excited to bring WriWoPi to you every Monday in the month of October.  I have scheduled some extremely talented nationally-recognized authors and its sure to be a good time. 

Today we re-launch the series with the ever-amazing Tammi Sauer! 

The first time I picked up a book by Tammi Sauer I believe it was Me Want Pet (illustrated by Bob Shea).  I was immediately struck by the simplicity of language, the engaging wacky humor, the perfect read-aloud pacing and the brilliant marriage of words and pictures.   Therefore, I was thrilled when Tammi agreed to stop by The Write Routine and contribute to WriWOPi.  Thank you, Tammi!

Take it away...

I love so much about being a children’s book author, but one of my FAVORITE parts is seeing the art for the very first time.

Usually, this event begins with an out of the blue email from an editor that lets me know the art for the book is attached. At this point, I am filled with excitement/hope/panic. I take a breath, try very hard not to have a heart attack, then open the file.

And Every Single Time, I have been blown away. As a writer, I try to build a lot of heart and humor into my manuscripts, but that’s just my layer. The illustrators that I have been paired with have always taken my words to a new and much more impressive level.

 Dan Santat, for instance, made Elvis Poultry a bit of a diva in Bawk & Roll. Who knew that the King of Bawk and Roll had a stylist, a masseuse, and a beverage-toting pig at his disposal? I certainly didn’t.

My favorite page in Mostly Monsterly came almost entirely from Scott Magoon. He offered this brilliant diagram of Bernadette:

On top of all that talent, those guys are a lot of fun.  Evidence:

Dan and Tammi
photo credit: Rita Crayon Huang, Copyright ©2010, SCBWI



Scott and Tammi
photo credit: Dana Sullivan, Copyright ©2012, SCBWI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh Nuts! was recently released, and Dan Krall did a phenomenal job with the art. This book takes place in a zoo. Dan even made a lot of the zoo-goers resemble the animals they were visiting. I would have never thought of that! You can see evidence of Dan’s genius in the book’s trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KBPZfPH8tM&feature=youtu.be

Dan also created wildly funny photos of the chipmunks as they prepared for their September 18 debut.

Click here for Cutesy, Blinky, and Bob’s publicity shots:  http://tamarak.livejournal.com/336597.html

My latest book is Princess in Training. It stars an unconventional princess named Viola Louise Hassenfeffer who is more into skateboarding and diving into the moat than being prim and proper.

Joe completely captured the spirit of Viola Louise Hassenfeffer.

And he gave me quite a surprise. In the story I have these lines:

Madame Gertrude parted the curtains. 

Behold!” she said. “It’s time for the Royal Bash!”

In my head, the Royal Bash was a fancy ball. But Joe came up with something way more inventive and hilarious.

That’s the wonderful part about having others illustrate your work. New thoughts, experiences, and imaginations come into play, not just mine. As a writer, I feel I offer a solid starting place. But it’s the illustrators I’ve had the good fortune to work with who have made good things great.

Tammi Sauer has sold more than a dozen picture books. In addition to winning awards, her books have gone on to do some wonderful things. Cowboy Camp was developed into a musical in Katy, Texas. Mostly Monsterly was selected for the 2012 Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program. And Chicken Dance was released in French which makes her feel extra fancy. www.tammisauer.com

Writing Without Pictures: Guest Author, Jodi Moore

Today marks the final installment in the new series, Writing Without Pictures, about Picture Book writers who DO NOT illustrate...and I have to say, we are going out with a BANG! with the amazingly fabulous Jodi Moore, author of WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN (Flashlight Press).  There is no doubt that DRAGON is one of my favorite picture books...AND Jodi Moore is one of my favorite people.  Best of all, on May 1st DRAGON celebrates his first birthday.  How honored I am that she is here to celebrate with us.

So Happy Birthday, Dragon and welcome Jodi!

“Leave room for the illustrator.”

If you’re writing a picture book, you’ve undoubtedly heard that.  It’s grilled into us at conferences. Spelled out in books. Scribbled in red all over our manuscripts by trusted editors and critique partners.

 

I’m certainly not going to argue the point. In fact, I’m going to expound upon it.

In my humble opinion, leaving room for something (or someone) assumes boundaries. For example:

Leave room in the suitcase for an extra pair of shoes; or

Leave room in the closet for your sister’s clothes; or (my personal favorite)

Leave room in your stomach for dessert.

All of these imply certain constraints. Limits. Walls.

In my mind, illustrators take an author’s words to places outside of those perimeters. Where limits no longer exist. To a level you never dreamed possible.

Perhaps this is best “illustrated” by sharing my own story.

WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN, my first published picture book, was written when my husband Larry and I were in the throes of empty nest syndrome (admittedly, this is a chronic condition for me).

That Labor Day was our first time visiting the beach without our two sons, who had left for college a week earlier. Despite (or perhaps because of) the fact we were missing our boys, my hubby brought his satchel of sand toys, determined to carry on the family tradition of crafting a sandcastle.  Of course, it didn’t take long for him to attract a little army of helpers, as children gravitated toward the “construction site” in droves.

(Note: I spent my time that afternoon flitting around to the ever-growing gaggle of anxious moms, explaining why a mature man would be building a sandcastle, seemingly alone, resulting in luring their precious babies toward him. Apprehension was replaced by relief and understanding smiles when I explained the whole Empty Nest thing.)

At one point, one of the toddlers stuck a piece of seaweed into the mouth of the castle. Always positive, Larry took one look and said, “Look! A dragon’s tail! Our castle is so cool, a dragon moved in!”

And the heavens opened and the angels sang…a story was conceived.

WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN is indeed based on the premise that if you build the perfect sandcastle, a dragon will move in. And that’s exactly what happens to one very lucky little boy at the beach. Things are going quite splendidly, in fact, until his family refuses to believe the dragon is real. Then the mischief ensues.

Is there a real dragon in the castle? Or is this just a figment of the boy’s imagination?

That’s what I want the reader to decide for him/herself.

And that’s where the problem surfaced.

I brought my original manuscript to the Intensives at my first SCBWI NY conference, where I signed up for 2 peer critiques, each moderated by an editor. In my morning session, the editor told me that she enjoyed the story, but that I had to make sure the readers knew the dragon was imaginary.

* sigh *

In the afternoon session, a different editor told me he thought the story was well-written, but that I had to make sure readers knew the dragon was real.

* heavy sigh *

Needless to say, I was confused and admittedly, discouraged. I remember saying to my husband, “Well, as soon as I get my rejection from Flashlight Press, I guess I have some decisions to make.”

A couple of months later, I got an email from the amazing Shari Dash Greenspan, the editor for Flashlight. She, too, said she thought the story was really cute…but was the dragon real or imaginary?

* gah *

Before I could talk myself out of it, I typed, “I want the reader to decide” and hit send. I expected the rejection to come lightening quick.

Only it didn’t. Instead, I got an email asking the question: How do we illustrate a creature that may or may not be there?

It was then I realized what a challenge my manuscript posed. Together, Shari and I researched and brainstormed. We read and discussed.

I agonized and ate chocolate.

Thankfully, I am blessed with an editor who thinks like an artist. Shari took my vision and molded, developed and expanded upon it. Then, she placed it in the skilled and loving hands of my brilliant illustrator, Howard McWilliam.

I like to say that Howard crawled inside my head and drew what was in my heart, but in actuality, he created something my heart had yet to even realize.

Howard produced spreads where both options were not only possible, they were visible. They were plausible. They were adorable! We saw – we smelled – the smoke from the dragon’s nostrils…or was it from the dad’s barbecue?

Howard infused color into my concepts, sprinkled seasonings into my settings and breathed life into my characters. He made my dream come true, by transforming my simple words into something simply magical.

Leave room for the illustrator? Why impose such limits? Instead, gift your manuscript to the artist as if it were a beautiful kite. Cut that string and let it soar in your illustrator’s capable hands, free, untethered and uninhibited.

You may just reach heights previously unimagined.

Jodi Moore is the author of WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN (Flashlight Press) and is totally in awe of her brilliant talent of illustrator Howard McWilliam. Her next book GOOD NEWS NELSON (Story Pie Press) is due for release December 2012 and is presently in the gifted hands of fabulous artist Brendan Flannelly-King.

Jodi considers books, along with chocolate, to be one of the main food groups.  She writes both picture books and young adult novels, hoping to challenge, nourish and inspire her readers by opening up brand new worlds and encouraging unique ways of thinking.  Jodi is the proud and (admittedly) neurotic mother of two incredibly talented young adults and never ceases to be amazed at how far the umbilical cord really will stretch. She lives in central PA with her always-supportive best friend/husband, Larry, two laughing doves and an ever-changing bunch of characters in her head. In addition to reading, writing and chocolate, Jodi enjoys music, theatre, dancing, the beach and precious time spent with her family.  Finally, Jodi thinks it would be really cool if one of her stories eventually became a Disney or Universal movie or theme park ride. Or a Broadway musical. Just puttin’ it out there.

Read more about Jodi at www.writerjodimoore.com.