Linda Ashman

Linda Ashman took the long road to a career in children’s books, with stops along the way as a real estate analyst, and in various jobs with social and environmental organizations. It was the job she didn’t get that suddenly made her realize what she wanted to do with her life –write children’s books. And write them she has! She is the critically acclaimed author of more than 15 picture books, with more on the way. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, Jack Hicks, their son, Jackson, and their dog, Nicky. If you haven’t visited her website (www.lindaashman.com), you’re in for a treat!

*Tell us a little about your process to initial publication. Have you always been a writer? (Feel free to throw in the story of “the call” to let you know you’d be published.)

Blame it on vocational unhappiness.  I was a real estate analyst in New York and Los Angeles, but my heart wasn’t in it.  So I got a master’s degree in Urban Planning, and wound up working for an environmental program at UCLA.  My heart still wasn’t in it.  When I got turned down for a job I’d really, really wanted, I broke into sobs and said to my husband, “All I ever wanted to do was write children’s books!” This came as a complete surprise to both of us, but my incredibly supportive (some might say foolish) husband said, “Then do it.”  So I quit my job and started writing.  

Two years (and many rejections) later, I sold my first book.  That book—BABIES ON THE GO—started out as a collection of poems about nocturnal creatures.  As I was doing the research, I noticed that many animals have interesting ways of carrying their young (I was pregnant at the time, so it’s no coincidence that I felt a certain kinship to them).  It occurred to me that perhaps I could write one poem—a picture book—instead of a poetry collection, which I did.  I sent the story to Allyn Johnston at Harcourt, who had reviewed one of my manuscripts at an SCBWI conference and offered to look at other work.  Her assistant called, said she liked it, but wondered if I’d be willing to make a few tweaks.  I tweaked, sent it back, and some weeks later they bought it.  I was elated, of course, and even more so when they signed up Jane Dyer to illustrate it (once I got over the shock that the book wouldn’t come out until 2003, six years after I’d sold it!).

 *How do you approach each book? Does it start with an idea, a phrase, an image? Are you a veritable fount of ideas or do you search for them like needles in a haystack?  

I do have lots of ideas, actually, not that they help much. I keep an enormous “idea file” -- a big folder filled with scribbled notes I’ve accumulated over the years.  Whenever I’m starting something new (always the hardest part for me), I go sifting through the file, hoping something will leap out at me.  I can think of exactly one time this strategy actually worked (for RUB-A-DUB SUB), but still I keep returning—hope springs eternal, as they say.  When I think about how each of my books has started, it seems more serendipitous than strategic—I’ll get an idea, or hear a line in my head over and over again. Since I typically write in verse, rhythm is a huge part of it; I can’t make any real progress on a story until I get the rhythm right.
 
 *Do you focus more on your readers or on the story itself as you are writing?

I don’t tend to think of potential readers when I’m writing, unless it’s going badly.  Then “the reader” becomes a judgmental, schoolmarm-ish figure who hovers over my shoulder, snipping “Who would want to read this?”  Never a good sign when she shows up.

*So many of your books are in rhyming verse. Do you consider yourself a poet, first and foremost?  

I love writing poetry, and all but two of my books are poetry collections or written in rhyme.  And certainly it’s the form that comes most naturally to me.  But first and foremost?  I don’t know.  I also write a mean economic report and a pretty good market study, skills I might have to fall back on some day.  

*Do you write to try to fit the market or do you follow your heart?

I’m not sure it’s possible to write for the market since there’s such a huge lag time between what’s popular now and what will be popular by the time your story gets published—who can predict?  The things I write about seem to come from things I love (my son, my dogs, nature), and things that fascinate or amuse me.  So I write and just hope the stories will find a market.  Still, I can’t say I completely follow my heart all the time, either.  If that were the case, I’d write more stories about things that are important to me—caring for the planet, working out conflicts peacefully, living more simply with less “stuff” -- things like that.  In fact, I have written books like this, but — not too surprisingly— they never sold.  The message has to be wrapped in a good story, something I haven’t quite managed to pull off.    

*Tell us a little about your most recent book release (or the next one).

I have a book coming out with Sterling next spring called STELLA UNLEASHED: NOTES FROM THE DOGHOUSE, illustrated by Paul Meisel.  It’s a collection of poems told from the point of view of a dog named Stella, a thinly disguised version of my own dog, Nicky, a 15-year-old Lab/Australian Shepherd mix.  Nicky is usually in my office when I work (she’s a few feet away as I write this), and one day I looked over at this soulful, funny, devoted friend and started writing a poem from her point of view.  I was surprised and pleased (though maybe I should be alarmed) at how easy it was to speak for her — probably the most fluid writing experience I’ve ever had.  My editor for the book, Meredith Mundy Wasinger, is a fellow dog-lover and has been a joy to work with.  

I have another book due out in spring 2008 as well.  ALPHABRATS is an A-Z collection of poems about naughty children, published by Dutton and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.  I wrote the book when my son Jackson was two years old (he’ll be nine when it comes out; talk about delayed gratification!).  At the time, we were reading lots of Mother Goose rhymes together, which happen to be full of naughty behavior.  Jackson—like most kids, I suspect—found the naughtiness fascinating and often hilarious, which gave me the idea for the collection.   
 
*You seem to break some of the “rules”, writing in rhyme when we hear editors don’t want rhyme or writing tender, quiet books when all the rage is supposedly “raucous”. And you break the rules so well! How do you get away with it? J  

Well, I don’t always get away with it, actually; I get plenty of rejections.  Still, I think it’s a misconception that editors don’t want books written in rhyme. Yes, there are some who don’t like rhyme, but what editors really don’t want is BAD rhyme—jarringly inconsistent rhythm, sentences mangled to make rhymes, too many “easy” rhymes which make for dull reading (e.g., you see/for me; it’s true/I do).  But for those who feel compelled to write in rhyme, I’d suggest reading POEM-MAKING by Myra Cohn Livingston for the fundamentals, and then read lots and lots of books by those who do it well (which makes for a good segue to your next question).
 
*Whose work do you admire? Poetry? Picture books? Novels?  

So many!!!  Here are just a few:

Poetry and rhyming picture books: Mary Ann Hoberman, Jeanne Steig (ALPHA BETA CHOWDER doesn’t have a dull rhyme in it), Lisa Wheeler, Linda Smith, Doug Florian, Jane Yolen and Dr. Seuss (my first book report was on HORTON HEARS A WHO in first grade).

Picture Books:  When Jackson was small, there were certain authors and books we’d read over and over again (and almost never get sick of).  This list includes mostly books from that period, as well as a few others I’ve discovered more recently:  Phyllis Root (Jackson loved CONTRARY BEAR, and I wish I’d written BIG MOMMA MAKES THE WORLD), William Steig, Sarah Stewart, Ross MacDonald, Wong Herbert Yee, Peggy Rathmann’s OFFICER BUCKLE AND GLORIA, Susan Meddaugh’s MARTHA books, Amy Hest’s BABY DUCK books, John S. Goodall’s hilarious wordless books (NAUGHTY NANCY is a particular favorite), Else Holmelund Minarik’s LITTLE BEAR books, James Marshall’s GEORGE & MARTHA series,  and pretty much any books illustrated by Mark Teague, David Small or Marla Frazee.

Novels: We’ve been reading lots of middle grade novels as a family for several years.  Favorite authors include Roald Dahl, Sharon Creech, Karen Cushman, Beverly Cleary, C.S. Lewis, E.B. White, Louis Sachar, Richard Peck, Kate DiCamillo, J.K. Rowling, Carl Hiaasen, Andrew Clements, Dan Gutman, and Wendelin Van Draanen’s SAMMY KEYES books.

 *What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing award-winning picture books?  

When not working, I like to spend time with my husband and son, read, think, walk, garden, visit the Denver Botanic Gardens, do yoga, kvetch with my dear friend Sally, explore bookstores and libraries, and hang out at Peet’s Coffee, alone or with a friend.
 
*Any plans for a venture into writing other genres? Perhaps a novel?  

At the urging of my son and husband, I recently attempted a chapter book of sorts.  I got off to a decent start then petered out.  Jackson, in particular, wants me to finish it, but I’m struggling.  I do hope to write other sorts of stuff eventually, but no immediate plans.
 
*A list of your favorite things:

I suspect you were looking for short answers here, but I tend to over-think things.
 
Food: I happen to love vegetables, which is good since I don’t eat meat.  Lest I sound too healthy, I also love chocolate chip cookies and coffee, and chips, guacamole and margaritas (on the rocks with salt, thank you).
Music:  Oh, lots of stuff, but the CDs that always seem to be in the car include Guster, Lyle Lovett, Richard Shindell and Emmylou Harris.  
Film:  I rarely see films these days, except for child-appropriate rentals (most of which I sleep through).  We did manage to see Little Miss Sunshine this year, which was hilarious in a grit-your-teeth sort of way.  All time favorite might be To Kill a Mockingbird; Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch became my model of the ideal man when I saw it as a kid.
Place:  So many come to mind, but here are just a few:  the moors where the Bronte sisters walked in Haworth, England (something I dreamed of seeing since reading their books as a girl and loved when I finally visited); a sheep farm where we once stayed on the South Island in New Zealand; Victoria, BC; Santa Fe, NM
Holiday/Event:  Jackson’s birthday (February 15th) and the vernal equinox (spring is my favorite season)
Sport: Ha! Until 4 years ago when Jackson discovered sports, they didn’t register on my radar screen.  Now, I know teams’ and players’ names in football, baseball and basketball, and have even learned to throw and catch flying spheres of various dimensions.  And I actually enjoy going to baseball games, especially evening games at Coors Field.