Hi Wendy, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career.

Shortly after I began teaching in 1986 (I know, back in the dark ages), public education shifted from truly educating children to preparing them for standardized tests. It’s been downhill ever since, in my opinion. And as hopelessly old-fashioned as it sounds, I think the only way to fix it is to get back to the basics. Seriously.
First, our kids need to know how to read. Really read. They need to be exposed to classic literature so they can understand how it influences the things we say and do even today. They need to be able to read well enough to discern fact from opinion or outright fiction. Reading really is fundamental. It’s a basic building block to becoming a successful adult.
Second, we need to teach kids how to “math.” This goes beyond basic computation. Our kids need to know how to balance a checkbook, understand some basic principles of saving and investing, and how to live on a budget. Failure to learn these things has caused many people to miss out on their American dream because they just weren’t adequately prepared to handle money or “count the cost.”
Third, our history classes have all but disappeared. And even before they did, they were often taught by people who were more focused on other aspects of their job (cough, cough, coaches) than making sure their students understood the major events of American and world history. As the old saying goes, those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I believe we’re seeing that now. We have people who throw around words they don’t fully understand because they don’t know the historical perspective behind them. We are dangerously close, as a society, to repeating some very bad stuff because we are failing to learn from our past.
And, finally, even though the discipline of science is ever expanding, it behooves us to at least try to give students a good background in the sciences. Four years of science at the high school level should be required for all students, whether they plan to attend college or not. At the elementary level, teachers shouldn’t be able to put science aside in favor of subjects they consider more fun or that they understand better. (Yes, I’ve seen that happen.) If we want our students to lead the world in scientific discoveries, we’re going to have to do some groundwork.
Of course, all of this would require some accountability on the part of students and their parents, too. Education can, and should be, a team effort. But today’s educational system seems fixated on taking on responsibilities that should belong to parents while they ignore the basic skills students are going to need to survive in the real world. As a former teacher myself, and someone who will always be a teacher at heart, I just want our kids to learn real skills and have some fun doing it. I want them to leave our school systems fully equipped to do whatever they choose to do in life, enabling them to become responsible, productive citizens.

Wendy, 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?

I write for children. I’ve pretty much always wanted to do that. I want kids to enjoy reading my books (hopefully again and again), but I always want them to learn something, too. As a former teacher, I like to make learning memorable and fun. Although I write both humorous and serious picture books and chapter books, I always try to include an educational element. Hopefully, it’s so subtle, the kids don’t even notice.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Although I’ve been writing since I was in the third grade and got my first rejection slip at about age twelve, I didn’t seriously start pursuing publication until 2001. Around that time a childhood friend reminded me of my early writing dreams and encouraged me to chase them.
What I didn’t know at the time was that the entire writing industry was changing. Publishing houses were downsizing, editors no longer had assistants to help them with their slush piles, and, thanks to the digital age, the way editors and publishers took in submissions was changing, too. It wasn’t the best time to be a newbie in the field. Added to all this was that I was already a middle-aged grandma skidding into old lady territory, and the odds seemed stacked against me.
In spite of the challenges, I began attending writers’ workshops and conferences to learn all I could about the craft of writing and publishing. At one of my first conferences an editor took a shine to one of my manuscripts, and, although it was a ten month process, it eventually got a unanimous yes from the publication board. The next month the editor had to call and tell me that the finance office had pulled the plug on it. It had been close, but no cigar.
Next, I learned about “work-for-hire” writing and decided this might be a good way to get my foot in the publishing door. I sent out queries and eventually began landing assignments. The first of these book assignments was published in 2006. Over the next decade I wrote over 40 such projects.
While writing work-for-hire did give me some sense of fulfillment, it wasn’t what I really wanted to do. Then, in 2018, a friend and writing colleague pitched one of my manuscript ideas to an editor. The result was an offer to publish my first picture book. I signed the contract in the fall of 2018. The book was published in the spring of 2022.
While that first picture book has done reasonably well and has garnered several awards, it didn’t make the next sale any easier. And, since the publishing industry tends to move at glacial speed (note the time between contract and publication), this whole publishing process has been frustrating at times. I’m getting older. Editors and agents are getting younger. And there are a lot of really good writers out there providing some stiff competition for those traditional publishing spots. A lot of writers I know have given up and resorted to self-publishing. I can certainly understand why. It’s a tempting option.
Now, after over fifty books, I’m still writing and submitting. I’m still swinging for the fences. I refuse to give up (at least for today). Even though I may be firmly in old lady territory these days, I still have things to say. I will continue to write books for kids that teach and entertain. And I will continue the writing journey I began in third grade. It’s been quite a ride so far. I look forward to seeing where it takes me.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I taught school for nearly 20 years. The schedule was rigid–dictated by the school district for whom I taught. Although I’m not a morning person, I was forced to be up early and ready to “perform” by eight o’clock each day. The whole thing wore me out.
As a writer, my schedule is completely flexible. Instead of a clock, I have a list. The list shows what I need to do and indicates a priority for each item. I check off each task as it is completed. My day may start at ten a.m. or ten p.m. It’s entirely up to me. It is not at all unusual for me to wander into my office around eight in the evening and work until well after midnight. Or, I may spend the morning hard at work, knock off for lunch, and then get back to it after the ten o’clock news. Or not. Again, it’s entirely up to me.
Being a writer means I have complete control of my schedule most of the time. It’s an aspect of writing I really like. Night owls who have to adhere to early morning schedules don’t always function at their best. I love being the master of my own schedule.
Of course, there are days when I just can’t seem to get myself in gear to work. Those times are mildly frustrating, but I always remind myself that if I’m not happy with my productivity, there’s no one to blame but me.

Contact Info:

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