We recently connected with Christina Dankert and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Christina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

For years, I knew I wanted to write a children’s book. One day the idea of “The Kindness Machine” popped into my head and I knew that would be the title of my first book. As so many authors have already suggested, get a little notebook and write any idea that pops into your head. That weekend, I went out and bought my first, of many, little notebooks. I wrote the title, characters, setting, concepts, etc. For years, those ideas lived quietly in the little notebook.

During the pandemic, I stepped away from my 2nd grade classroom for a year to focus on my family. The silver lining was having the opportunity to pursue writing a children’s book. I was given excellent advice from a local children’s librarian to help move the book from an idea to a published product. He suggested reading as many books similar to my topic which as I narrowed the search down from children’s picture books to books on character strengths, to kindness specifically. Through that process, I was able to see what was already out there and what was missing. There are plenty of books on kindness with the idea of being kind to others, however, the idea of kindness to ourselves was missing. This turned into the piece that I am most proud of including in my book: be kind to yourself. Love yourself. The librarian also suggested researching publishers to see if they were allowing submissions, what types of books they published and if “The Kindness Machine” would be a good fit. The final piece of advice was to connect with other authors. It was 2020 and I was fortunate enough to find a virtual conference where I not only learned about the publishing process and the writing craft, but it is where I met my writing group. The writing group helps with accountability and the women in the writing group provide an empathic ear during difficult writing times and are the biggest cheerleaders when celebrating success.

The cherry on top of this journey was collaborating with my husband, Chad. Chad is the illustrator of “The Kindness Machine” and it was so much fun to work together and watch him bring my words to life. The pride that I have with our names on the front cover and the dedication page with our kids names, remains a true highlight of this process.

Christina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Christina Dankert and I am a wife, mother of two, second grade teacher and children’s book author. I truly believe that picture books make a difference and are a beautiful springboard for a variety of conversations. Picture books allow children to explore concepts in a safe space, whether at home or in a classroom. They bridge the gap between their own world and others around them. Picture books help celebrate our differences and build kindness, empathy and compassion for others.

On social media I share book suggestions for both children and adults. I share the books that I have read as well as books I enjoyed sharing with my own children and students. There are so many books out there and my goal is that by sharing my favorites, others are able to purchase them or request from local librarians to enjoy or share with the little readers and listeners in their lives.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Tough skin, willingness to listen and continue to learn and patience are very important on an author journey. As a writer, you want your story out into the world as soon as possible. However, you have to be willing to share early drafts of your work with others who will give honest feedback. If you find the right readers, they will give you honest feedback because they want you to succeed. Waiting to hear back from publishers can be one of the most frustrating parts on an author journey. I was given the advice to always be working on the next project. Do not simply wait until you hear on one manuscript, get busy doing research for the next book, jot your ideas down, share it with others and keep tweaking it to make it better. When you are ready, submit it to a publisher and then start the process all over again.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As a children’s book author, my goal is that the books I write make a difference. As a teacher I have the opportunity to share amazing picture books with my students for nine months. As an author, my book is able to be in more classrooms around the country and even around the world. I am proud that my first book is centered around kindness because it is something we need more of. I hope that all future books focus on positive character traits to help gently remind children, and adults, of the importance of these traits.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://christinadankert.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christina.dankert/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaDankertAuthor
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvGFI3WNUXU
• Other: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21985659.Christina_Dankert

Image Credits
Chad Dankert