Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melissa Trempe. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Melissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My mission is to make the world a better place one children’s book at a time. I especially love writing stories that highlight untold stories of girls and women leading the way. My next book is The Girl Who Dreamed of Space, illustrated by Daniel Egnéus, about NASA’s first female pilot and mission commander, Eileen Collins. I hope to create books that inspire kids to be anything they dream of and to see the world in interesting new ways. I also love books that make me laugh, so creating stories that simply bring joy is also important to me.

This past year, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit thirty schools to share my experience of being an author and tell the story behind my first book Ladybug Launch: Inspired by a True Story of Chinitas in Space, co-authored by Natalia Ojeda and illustrated by Manuela Montoya. This book tells the story of how a group of ambitious Chilean girls convinced NASA to take their ladybug experiment to space. When I visit schools, my message to children is to never give up, find joy in what they do, and embrace their creativity.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up in rural Pennsylvania with an incredibly supportive mom and two older sisters. Life wasn’t necessarily easy. We were pretty poor, and my dad struggled with many forms of addiction. He could be cruel and created such tension in the house, it felt unbearable at times. The struggles I experienced growing up are a reminder that we all have challenges, though they may look very different. No one’s life is easy, and it’s important to remember that when we’re working with kids (and writing for them)!

I always loved books and storytelling, but I was first drawn to writing picture books during a children’s literature class my senior year at Penn State. My final project was to create a children’s book, and I wrote the story of when my mom was sick with cancer when I was six. I loved being creative and felt such joy while I was working on the project. My mom of course loved her book, and she encouraged me to keep writing.

As an elementary teacher, I was surrounded by children’s books and loved teaching writing to my fifth graders. For years I pursued writing and tried to get published. I quickly learned it isn’t easy! I’m just glad I stuck with it. I continued writing because it brings me joy, and with time, I found a story that caught the eye of an agent and editor!

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

Becoming a published author is all about resilience! There is so much rejection in the writing world. There’s rejection from agents and rejection from editors. Of the thousands of stories a publishing house receives, only a handful will become books, so NO is always the expected answer. To get a YES takes lots of time developing your craft, taking classes, and lots (and lots) of writing different stories. Tara Lazar, a well-known children’s book author, has shared that for every ten stories she writes, only one will get a book deal. For that reason, you have to keep creating, submitting, and improving in hopes that one day, one of your stories will get a contract.

I wrote for over ten years before getting a book deal, and I’ve also had multiple agents. It’s a slow process and you’ve got to have thick skin!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a writer is going into schools to talk to readers. I love meeting students and sharing my writing journey with them. Some of them act like being an author has celebrity status, which makes me smile. Meeting a kid who also wants to be an author is really exciting, and I tell them to go for it and to never give up on a dream.

I also have a critique service that I provide for fellow writers. I really love connecting with other creatives and providing critiques to help them with their craft.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.melissatrempe.com/
• Instagram: @melissatrempe.author
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissa.luerytrempe
• Twitter: @melissa_trempe

Image Credits

Headshot by Dayley Photography