Aha Moments!
Insights that helped us level up as kidlit creators.
I was recently listening to the 3 Point Perspective illustration podcast and they were talking about their aha moments as illustrators, which I enjoyed listening to and prompted me to think about my own! So I thought Christine and I could share some of our aha moments—insights, epiphanies, and breakthroughs that helps us level up as kidlit creators. So, here goes!
Vicky: I remember one of my biggest breakthroughs was when I did a paid critique with editor Clarissa Wong through WriteOnCon (which I believe is now defunct). I had been studiously following the “Show, Don’t Tell” rule. Clarissa marked up my manuscript with areas that I should just tell! She helped me understand that the rule applies to key emotional moments in your story, not every little thing that happens. Sometimes, you want to just “tell” and move the story along. This was a big aha moment for me in actually understanding the rule for its intention and learning to think about the overall pacing of my story.
Christine: I love that lesson. It’s so easy to get hung up on the “rules” we hear in this industry and not look at what is best for your story.
The first breakthrough for me was when I realized that writing books for children was something I could actually do! Growing up, I was a voracious reader but I saw authors as mythical beings who were probably long dead and I had no idea that “real” people made books. It wasn’t until my own children were little and I was reading (and loving) picture books to them all the time that I realized that writing books was something I could do. Plus, when I was a kid in primary (elementary) school a teacher wrote in a school report that I wasn’t creative. I think that stayed with me a long time. Clearly, that wasn’t true, but it definitely steered me on a different path for a while until creativity became a big part of my life again.
Vicky: Another breakthrough moment for me was actually before I became a kidlit creator. Years ago, as a designer, I visited the Disney studios in Burbank and saw the old machines they used to photograph the animation cels. Seeing the tedious manual process of these beautiful hand-painted cels, animated frame by frame, made me realize the tremendous work and commitment that goes into creating something truly special. I’ve thought this many time since then too—a process might make you balk at how intense it is, who would possibly do it? And yet, to accomplish something great, that’s the level of intensity and commitment it takes.
Christine: This aha moment is also about reading picture books aloud to my kids. That process not only made me fall in love with the form and make me want to write, but it also taught me about page turns and what makes a book read-aloudable. The advice is always to read 100 books (or more) the category you want to write in and I think that’s so true. It helps you understand not only the way they’re written, but also the audience. I also had mini aha moments every time I typed up the text from a picture book. That helped immerse me in the cadence and rhythm of picture books. I should probably do it again now that I’m working in a new category (middle grade).
Vicky: Oh, I think that was a breakthrough moment for me too! I think it was Arree’s Storyteller Academy (no longer active, but transforming into something else) where I first tried that exercise, and it seems meaningless until you do it.
The last breakthrough I thought about was more of a sudden realization of the slow but sure progress I had made over time. When I wrote the first draft of Ava Lin, it was the first time I felt like I was able to simultaneously think about plot and character and humor all at the same time while I was writing. I had never been able to do this before, because each piece required more concerted effort as I struggled to puzzle them out. When I was able to think on the fly more quickly and hold more pieces in my head at the same time, I realized that I was getter better at the craft! Which is just to say that sometimes, all the little breakthroughs add up over time, without you even realizing.
Christine: Honestly, thinking of another aha moment is hard! I think maybe there have been lots of little moments, like Vicky said. This is less of a breakthrough and more of a, wow-I’m-really-doing-this moment. That happened when my first book was published and I stood in front of a packed-bookstore (which I am so thankful for) and read Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist aloud for the first time. It was the culmination of a lot of work but also of a lifetime of loving books (and a “see I am creative” moment to that teacher who made me doubt myself all those years ago).
Vicky: Ah, I loved your launch event for that book so much! It was definitely inspiring and aspirational for me to see your launch!
Okay, readers, over to you—what are some of your aha moments?