Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. A regular contributor for Writer2Writer, her articles focus on increasing productivity through time management and organization. A founding member of Musing Our Children, Ms. Malandrinos is also Editor in Chief of the group's quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens.
Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book, a book reviewer, and blogger. Little Shepherd is her first children's book. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two young daughters. She also has a son who is married.
What inspired you to write?
I've always loved writing. I was one of those odd kids who even enjoyed writing reports or outlining chapters. Mysteries and historical novels have always been some of my favorites. When I was younger, I wrote Scooby Doo type mysteries and a bit of poetry. My first completed manuscript was mainstream women's fiction and based loosely upon the lives of my two sisters and me. Right now, I am focusing on writing for children. I want to write books my kids will want to read.
Do you consider yourself a born writer?
A born writer like Stephen King, Mark Twain, or William Shakespeare? No. I write because I have to; I wouldn't feel complete without my writing. I still struggle with certain aspects of the craft, so I am constantly working to improve those areas.
Have you ever suffered from writer's block? If yes, how did you 'cure' it?
I don't, but I think that's because my time is so limited I can't afford to waste it. The other reason is that my ideas brew for quite a long time before they make their way onto my PC.
The few times the words didn't come as easily as I would like, I critiqued another writer's work or went for a walk.
Have you had any training to become a writer?
When I decided to embark upon a career in writing, I enrolled in the Breaking into Print program offered by Long Ridge Writers Group. I graduated in December 2005 and soon began working for online magazines to create time management and organization articles.
For fiction writing, the majority is self-taught, using tons of practice, writing workshops, and reading books on the craft.
What type of books do you mostly write?
Right now, my focus is on the children's market. My first book, Little Shepherd, is a picture book. I am getting ready to submit my next picture book idea to a publisher that expressed interest in it. I also have a middle grade historical in the works.
Do your children inspire any of books, characters, or plots?
My children inspire much of what I do. There's a series of picture book ideas I came up with based upon the antics of one of my daughters. I shaped some of those ideas in November during Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo). I hope to work on them in 2011.
Can you share with us a little about your current book?
Little Shepherd is the story of Obed, a young shepherd in the hills outside Bethlehem on the night of Christ's birth. He witnesses the angel's announcement, but is hesitant to follow the others to see the newborn King and leave his flock unattended. Obed soon realizes that it is a night of miracles.
What type of book promotion works for you? Any special strategies you'd like to share?
Since I work as an online book publicist, most of my efforts to promote Little Shepherd have focused on online sales. I held a book signing and was interviewed by the local paper, but the majority of my sales came from online retailers.
I blogged almost every day during my two-and-a-half month virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book! That certainly made a difference. While websites are great-and necessary-blogs allow you to have ongoing conversations with your readers.
What is the most difficult part of writing?
Other than finding ideas for children's books, I've always struggled with showing versus telling. It takes me many tries to get it right. Luckily, I love editing. Feedback from my critique groups is very helpful too.
Do you find it hard to balance your personal writing time with your other job(s)?
Even as organized as I am, I find I over commit sometimes and feel overwhelmed. My job with Pump Up Your Book! doesn't leave a lot of writing time, so I have to take advantage of whatever time I can find during the week.
My schedule is such that I work from 8 AM to 3 PM most days of the week, and then a tiny bit on the weekends. I am most productive after the girls go to bed, so I put in a few hours then too.
Do you have any other works in progress? Can you share a little about them?
I am currently working on a middle grade historical. I would like to finish the first draft by the end of March. It is the story of a girl named Amelia, who is sent to live with her spinster aunt after the death of her parents. Amelia's impulsive behavior is at odds with her aunt's desire to bring her up as a girl in proper society. In addition, Amelia's friendship with the Negro stable hand who works on her aunt's estate is not liked or understood by many.
Tell us about your writing space?
Once our son moved out, I gained an office. It's our old nursery, so there are still cloud decals stuck to the walls; but I love the Outer Banks, so I worked the clouds into a nautical theme. I have a writing desk, two filing cabinets, a bookshelf, and a credenza. My husband was kind enough to buy me a large flat screen monitor for Christmas, which allowed me to move my laptop off my desk to create more space.
The world of children's book publishing is extremely competitive, with many authors hesitating between trying their luck with a traditional publisher or self publishing. What advice would you offer writers who are oscillating between these two publishing venues?
This is tough. I've considered both, but wanted to try getting traditionally published first. The major challenge I see with self-publishing is that it still comes with a stigma that your book isn't "good enough" to get picked up by a traditional publisher. That's not always true. I've read many phenomenal self-published books.
I think you need to consider if you have the time, money, and talents needed to bring a book through the self-publishing process.
Do you do first drafts on a computer or by hand?
Back in the old days, when I wasn't trying to write for publication, I wrote by hand. Sometimes I still do. For the most part, however, I've trained myself to write on my laptop. I've also learned to do all my editing on the PC instead of printing the book out and using a red pen.
How do you see the future of book publishing, both traditional, electronic, and print on demand?
I hope I'm wrong, but I see eBooks becoming more the norm for Generation X and beyond. Some school districts are already using eReaders instead of having kids carry around backpacks filled with heavy textbooks. I'm afraid that might mean the end to some smaller independent book stores, which would be a shame. I've found many wonderful books at those places.
What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write?
It takes me a long time to get ready to write. Ideas usually stew with me for a year or more. Not a way to be very productive, but as a character driven reader, I feel I need to get to know my characters and their motivations well before sitting down to tell their stories. I interview them, brainstorm with other writers, and perform my research before I type the first word.
What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?
I actually enjoy first person, but find it very hard to do. Usually my stories are told from the point of view of my main character in a third person voice. The more books I read that use first person, however, the more I know I will give it a shot at some point.
What well-known writers do you admire most?
I admire Stephen King, Jerry Jenkins, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Lucy Maud Montgomery. King probably sounds out of place in that list, but The Stand remains my favorite book of all time. While I'm not a huge fan of the horror genre, the way King gets inside his characters' heads makes me want to read his work.
Do you participate in competitions? Have you received any awards?
Not very often. I did a couple of times, and what I found discouraging is that you don't receive feedback. I realize it would be impossible for judges to provide feedback, but how can I know what to work on without some idea of why the piece didn't win?
What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?
I set quarterly goals and I write a to-do list every week. Without my to-do list, I feel that I lack focus, even when I know what needs to be done.
What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate?
Not much. I need perfect silence in order to work, so usually it's just me, my writing desk, and the computer. Too much clutter can be distracting, so I try to keep my office clean and only have on my desk things that relate to my current project.
What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone?
Read them and see if now is the time to polish them and send them out. I have a folder of stories I wrote when I was a teenager. Some of them are very dark, as I wrote them after the death of my mother. That doesn't mean there isn't something in there worth using. There's even one Scooby-Doo type mystery that I bet I could turn into a neat middle grade story.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Writing isn't the easiest gig, but it is very rewarding. During my virtual book tour for Little Shepherd, one of the reviewers said her child loved the book so much she carried it to church with her. What could be better than hearing something like that?
I thank you for taking the time to share with me and my readers about being an author.
Thanks again for having me. You asked some great questions.
Live interview with Cheryl Malandrinos on RRRadio-Stories for Children with hosts: VS Grenier, D.M. Cunningham and Tiffany Strelitz Haber. Listen on demand at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2011/01/03/rfk-stories-for-children
VS Grenier, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of SFC, is an award-winning editor and author, who was voted one of the Top Ten Editors in the Preditors and Editors Poll in 2007 & 2008. She loves writing books, articles, and short stories for children and teens, finding that it keeps her young. Grenier even dresses up for Halloween and still believes in Santa Claus. Grenier is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature and is a member of the League of Utah Writers, SCBWI and Musing Our Children. Her works include Babysitting SugarPaw, the Best of Stories for Children Magazine Volume 1 anthology and over 30 short stories, articles, and crafts for children along with newsletter articles for writers.
Company Site http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/
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