Summer is a great time to play that classic childhood game known as “tag.” Now some children’s authors have given “tag” a new twist, and are calling it “Blog Hop.”
Here’s how it works: I was “tagged” by author Peggy Archer to answer questions about my writing on my blog, then I”tag” three other writers to do the same on their blogs next week.
You can learn more about Peggy by reading the answers she wrote on her blog, peggyarcher.com, after she was “tagged.” Feel free to leave a comment and tell her it’s from me.
I hope you’ll take this opportunity to learn about different writers — I know I’m having fun finding new authors to follow, as well as finding out new facts about some authors I already know. So, let’s get started, shall we?
Blog Hop Interview Questions for Jeanie Franz Ransom:
What are you working on right now?
I just did the final round of revisions for The Crown Affair, the sequel to my picture-book mystery, What Really Happened to Humpty?. Now I’m starting on a couple of new picture books, and finishing up my first middle-grade novel, What I Didn’t Do on My Summer Vacation. In and around that, I’m getting a mailing ready to send to school librarians next month about author visits.
What experiences have influenced you?
I feel like being a lifelong reader has influenced me. It’s true what they say: writers are readers. The experience of having my third-grade teacher read one of my poems to the entire third grade definitely affected my decision to become a writer. I still remember how proud and excited I felt when the teacher praised my writing in front of everyone. I wanted to feel that way again, and I’ve been fortunate enough to do so many times over the course of my writing career. The experiences of being a parent and of working as an elementary school counselor influenced me to switch creative gears from advertising and magazine writing to penning children’s picture books.
What’s the hardest part of being a writer?
I have two challenges, and they’re definitely related. The first is that I have an abundance of ideas, which is both a blessing and a curse. I have difficulty locking down an idea, and tend to flit from one to another like a human hummingbird. The second is what I refer to as “The Big D,” otherwise known as discipline. If you want to get published, you have to have the discipline to write even when you’re not in the mood. You can’t be a published author if you don’t finish your manuscript and send it out into the world for others to read.
Who are authors you most admire?
I really admire Kristin Nitz and Stephanie Bearce, members of our three-person critique group, the Rendezvous Writers. Kristin and Stephanie each write novels. As a picture-book author, I’m in awe of anyone who can write more than 1,500 words, let alone something that’s tens of thousands of words. These two ladies have written several middle-grade and YA novels, and I truly admire them for their ability to follow through on huge projects. Anyone who can start and finish a novel is definitely someone I admire.
That’s it for my turn, so I’m tagging the following authors to answer four questions about their writing next week. Hope you are enjoying your summer, and that you’ll enjoy “Blog Hopping” with us!
Valerie Battle Kienzle, July 15, www.sugarberryhome.blogspot.com
Charlotte Mielziner, July 17th, sidebysidek9.com
S.D. Keeling, July 18th, sdkeeling.com
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Fun information! I’m about to work on my answers now. Thank you for inviting me!