Michelle Markel

Today's author interview is with L.A.'s own Michelle Markel.


When and why did you start writing for children?

Although I was a huge Madeline fan in my day, it wasn't till I had little kids, in the mid 90's, that I got turned on to children's books. The field had widened since my childhood, with many possibilities for not only classy art but also wit, lyricism, exploration of social issues. (Maybe I'm a sap, but some picture books are so elegant in their simplicity, and so deep, they bring tears to my eyes).

My background in journalism gave me some notion about writing, but still I spent many, many hours dissecting picture books and studying their pieces before attempting my first manuscript.

What is the most valuable advice you can give to a newly published writer?

Have the guts to promote yourself wherever possible, but the humility to realize that you still need to keep reading and writing and improving your craft.

Also, a word about "branding". I think establishing yourself as an author of certain kinds of books is valuable--but  I also believe in getting published. My first book dealt with social issues, and I subsequently wrote a few manuscripts in that vein, with no success. So I moved on to something completely different, a multicultural alphabet book. I've also gone with small presses for regional or niche stories. If I hadn't sold Dream Town to Heyday, I might not have published Tyrannosaurus Math with Tricycle (my editor moved from the former house to the latter.)  My advice is be flexible. Write the stories that turn you on.

What is one of your favorite children’s books that you'd like to recommend?

Nightgown of the Sullen Moon by Nancy Willlard. Poetic, whimsical, outrageous. One of my favorite lines: "But the moon's promises, what are they worth?"  If I'd written that book, I could die happy.

That said, I own more books by William Steig than any other author. I love the rich vocabulary and how he uses it in humorous, musical sentences. And hey, how many picture books (Shrek) inspire major motion pictures? He should be an inspiration to us all.

What are you working on now?

I'm revising a non-fiction manuscript, and also one that uses magical realism. Both are picture books. My dad taught me not to talk about projects, only to work on them. So I can't say too much.

What is your favorite dessert and why?

Homemade strawberry shortcake. Act 1: Bake the cakes. Act 2: Slice and sugar the ruby red strawberries. Act 3: The grand finale --spritz spritz spritz fluffy trails of whipped cream. Call me crazy, but I can't get over the magic of aerosol cans.

Bio:

My life keeps circling back to UCLA. I just finished teaching a writing class for Extension in Haines Hall,  where I used to take French lit classes in the master’s  program. Through the years I had several part-time jobs on campus – one of them led me to my future husband (who later went after a PhD from the Anthropology department.) My two children were born at the UCLA medical center (the whole family was once featured and photographed for one of their in-house publications). A few years ago I attended my older daughter’s graduation at Pauley Pavilion. Do I even have to mention the book signings in the quads at the L.A. Times Book Festival? If there was a Bruin cemetery, I’d probably be buried there. 

In between the MA and the kids, I got a second bachelor’s degree in Journalism from CSUN (full disclosure: my first was from USC). While interning at the L.A. Times, my first articles were published.

I worked as a free-lance writer before selling my first children’s book. I’m inspired by a variety of themes and I've written all over the genre, including fiction, (GRACIAS ROSA), non-fiction (CORNHUSK, SILK & WISHBONES: A Book of Dolls from Around the World); biography (DREAMER FROM THE VILLAGE: The Story of Marc Chagall), DREAM TOWN (a creative non-fiction book about my hometown of Los Angeles); THE SHARK THAT TAUGHT ME ENGLISH (bilingual) and my new release, TYRANNOSAURUS MATH (humorous math). I’m grateful to have sold two picture books during this economic downturn: BRAVE GIRL: Clara Lemlich and the Shirtwaist Makers Strike of 1909, to Balzer & Bray/Harper Collins, and THE AMAZING JUNGLES OF HENRI ROUSSEAU, to Eerdman’s.

I share my West Hills home with my husband, my daughters (intermittently), my two sweet cats, and our six year old goldfish, won at a Purim carnival.

Comments

[April Halprin Waylland]

I could list 101 ways to use this book...and more importantly, I could read it 101 times and not get tired of reading it--truly--it's that well-written.

April Halprin Wayland

[ann whitford paul]

three cheers for Tina and Michelle. Great interview and I can only echo what the others have said about writing what turns you on and forgetting about branding. If you want to bore yourself in your work, keep repeating the same kind of stories. If you want to come to your work with enthusiam challenge yourself. Try new things.

[Caroline Hatton]

Ditto, Alexis! Michelle always has great advice. I've been spending hours studying the back matter (Author's Note, etc.) in her books, to learn how to make my own manuscripts stronger. See you all at the Ventura/Santa Barbara SCBWI Writer's Day.

[Alexis]

I love that MIchelle said,"Write the stories that turn you on." This is such great advice! I'm looking forward to hearing Michelle speak at the Ventura/Santa Barbara SCBWI Writers' Day in October! Keep writing all over the map, Michelle.

[Patricia Cruzan]

Thank you for your wealth of information, Michelle and Tina. I find it interesting that Michelle spent so much time dissecting picture books and studying them before being successful at them. The fact that Michelle succeeded in a different genre than she anticipated is of interest, too.

[Pat/Tricia O'Brien]

Thanks to both Tina and Michelle for an interesting, inspiring interview. I like that Michelle writes what she loves, across genre. I'm most comfortable doing that and have been sorry to see so much emphasis on branding. I'll be on the lookout for these books, as well.