Authors Spotlight

How did you get started? Did you always want to be a children's author?

I didn’t always necessarily know I wanted to be a children’s author per se, but I did always want to be a writer! I wrote a fable about a narcissistic flower in third grade that my homeroom teacher read to the entire class. It felt so great to have that kind of encouragement and positive feedback from an audience of my peers. Needless to say, I got the writing bug.

In middle school and high school, I was the editor of our schools’ creative writing journals. At the time, I had a wonderful teacher who inspired me to write a lot of poetry, in particular. It wasn’t until 20 year later, when I had children of my own (and was therefore reading lots of picture books and MG!) and worked as the managing editor for a children’s magazine, that I realized I wanted to pursue writing for kids as a career.

What training do you have? For instance, are you self-trained, do you have a degree, etc.?

My “training” started with that fantastic creative writing teacher I had in high school. In college, I was an English Literature major, and went on to law school in Chicago. I spent a of writing time in libraries while getting my law degree, but we’re mostly talking legal briefs…not exactly exciting stuff. But after a short stint with a legal publishing firm, I took a job with a daily newspaper. Being a journalist is a great background for an author, and that’s where things really began to click. I sometimes had to write three articles a day on deadline, with all kinds of chaos and noise around me in the newsroom!

Although journalistic writing is fact-based, I worked on some super interesting stories. I learned to be an astute interviewer and observer, since there was always that human element I needed to include. When I moved on to a job working for a children’s magazine, I got more insight into the kinds of creative elements that writing for kids requires. I absolutely loved the new challenge. Kids are actually more fickle readers, especially at the MG and YA levels, than adults are.

What kinds of books do you write for children (such as PBs, CBs, MG, YA; fiction or nonfiction; poetry or prose) and who would you say influenced(s) you?

I have several PB manuscripts that I’ve shelved for now. I write mainly middle grade novels, but I’m currently working on a YA novel. There’s a learning curve, so it’s taking me longer than my other projects to revise (and revise, and revise). I’m committed to my WIP because I think it’s got something special – but this one’s a real marathon.

Who would you say influenced you in the past in influences you now?

My daughter Josie, who’s currently a fiction fellow at Emory University, has really influenced my book tastes. She’s helped expand them by also introducing me to short story collections, and authors I might not otherwise have known about. My sister Allison is a poet, and being able to chat with her about words and minutiae has really helped elevate my craft—same with a critique partner in my town. I had a couple of teachers who’ve been big influences—one was Mickey Madden, the creative writing teacher I mentioned, and the other is Alvin Rosenfeld, an English professor at Indiana University. I credit both for stoking my love of all things literary.

What does your creative or workspace look like?

My kitchen table, my car, and occasionally the booth at a coffee shop!

Are there any past, current, or upcoming projects you'd like to talk about? Anything else upcoming you'd like us to know about?

I’ve received a couple of author incentive awards from PJ Library/PJ Our Way. That’s been really special and has helped spur me on. Apart from the YA project I mentioned, I’m also working on a “younger” middle grade (my writing usually scales upper MG). It has magical elements, which is something really different for me. Again, I’m always up for a good challenge! I like to feel like I’m learning something new about my writing—and writing in general—every single day.

How/where can people reach out to you?

Please visit my website at http://www.rosannetolin.com. I’m also on X and Insta as @RosanneGTolin and you can email me at [email protected].

How did you get started? Did you always want to be a children's author?

I had the most amazing teacher for 3rd & 4th grade. Miss C. opened up my whole world. She taught us calligraphy, introduced us to yoga, read us books like Harriet the Spy and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. She gave us time to write and be creative. She was the first person to call me a writer and from then on, I was! I kept journals and wrote stories and poems, and even sat in the back of my mom's Dial-a-Ride bus for hours building characters based on the riders. Somehow life knocked me off that path and I did not major in writing while in college. I began writing with an eye toward publication once I graduated, though. I joined the National Writing Project and spent the Summer Institute drafting a middle grade novel.

What training do you have? For instance, are you self-trained, do you have a degree, etc.?

My formal education consisted primarily of teacher training. I have a master's from Indiana University South Bend and a doctorate in Education from Northeastern University. My day job is at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, where I teach future educators how to teach reading and writing. As far as my training in writing, most of that has come from my involvement in The National Writing Project, SCBWI, and Highlights, and deep examination of many, many books, articles, and webinars about writing.

What kinds of books do you write for children (such as PBs, CBs, MG, YA; fiction or nonfiction; poetry or prose)?

In learning to write, I drafted many stories that will never see the light of day. At the time I was working on each one, I thought it would be THE ONE--the book that would finally lift me from writer to AUTHOR. But looking back I know they were necessary steps along the path to becoming the writer I am today. They were the best I could do at that moment, but they were not yet advanced enough to gain the attention of a publisher.

I write stories with complex family dynamics. So far I have two published books: Hanging with My Peeps, a contemporary middle grade novel about a preteen whose dad loses his job during the RV manufacturing crisis. Dad brings home 43 chickens in the back of his pickup as part of a get-rich-quick scheme that quickly goes astray. My second published book is Junkyard Dogs, which recently made the shortlist for the Indiana Author Awards. Junkyard Dogs is about a high school basketball player who is hiding his poverty from everyone. When his dad suddenly goes missing, Johs must choose between keeping his secret or taking to the streets to find his dad and keep his little brother out of the system.

My current project features two ghosts caught in a perpetual game of hide and seek as the surviving members of their family attempt to understand the skeletons in their familial closet.

Who would you say influenced you in the past and influences you now?

There are so many people who influence me that it is hard to name just a few. I think I am most influenced by the creatives I know in real life. The ones who work every day to shine light into dark spaces--whether it is by making us think about complex problems or by freeing us from those problems for just a moment so we can laugh, dance, and sing--those creatives doing the work every day provide a model for me to keep on doing this work. 

What does your creative or workspace look like?

I used to think that I had to have a dedicated space and uninterrupted time to create anything worthwhile. Then I had four children and learned that if I wanted to write, I better figure out how to do it in the many lines that now defined my life--carpool lines, sidelines for kids' sporting events, I even got good at brainstorming in the checkout line at the grocery store. Now that my kids are (mostly) grown, my favorite spots to write are outdoors. 

Is there anything else you'd like to mention or highlight?

My favorite part of being an author is writing with kids and teens. I spend as many days as possible out in schools, libraries, and bookstores writing with kids and families. In 2013, I founded the Get Inked Teen Writing Conference, which takes place every winter on the campus of Saint Mary's College. Teens come from all over the country to participate in our in-person or virtual events, which feature opportunities to write alongside the authors they admire. (Find info on this on my website www.writewithkat.com)

How/where can people reach out to you?

I love to interact with readers, writers, and educators. You can find more information about school visits and book club engagements on my website: www.writewithkat.com or find me on socials Instagram: kathiggscoulthard or Facebook: kathiggs