18 May Charotte Offsay and THE BIG BEACH CLEANUP Plus a Giveaway!

Summer is around the corner, and I am excited to highlight The Big Beach Cleanup by my friend, Charlotte Offsay. I met Charlotte online several years ago, and we exchanged manuscripts. But then, a year or so later, completely unplanned, I met her in real life at the LA SCBWI Summer Conference. I knew right away that we’d become friends. Charlotte is the fabulous leader of our marketing group, “The Picture Book Scribblers,” and she is like the Energizer Bunny! I am thrilled that she agreed to pop into my little blog. Thank you, Charlotte! 

The Big Beach Cleanup is your debut picture book, correct? Can you briefly share a little bit about your journey to publication?

Hi Ellen! Thank you so much for having me on your blog today and for featuring The Big Beach Cleanup! You are correct that The Big Beach Cleanup is my debut picture book. I wrote my first picture book manuscript in January 2016. I became inspired after an afternoon of baking challah with my two young children. The manuscript rhymed (sort-of), was a how-to centered around my two young children baking, and was complete with pictures of them as the illustrations. I enjoyed the process so much that I took my first picture book class through UCLA extension that summer. It was in this class that I really fell in love with writing picture books and began to understand how little I knew about what went into writing one. I spent the next couple of years taking classes, reading every picture book I could get my hands on and finding my invaluable critique partners. I connected with my agent, Nicole Geiger, in 2019, and we sold The Big Beach Cleanup later that same year to Albert Whitman!,

Is there a story behind the story? If so, will you share?

When I sat down to write what would eventually become The Big Beach Cleanup, I was consumed with the desire to show my children that they don’t have to be superheroes to make the changes they want to see in the world. I wanted them to know that extraordinary change starts with small steps and ordinary hands joining together with those around them.

While the core idea of small hands joining together was clear in my mind, the way into the story was not. I tried numerous structures, characters, and voices, but nothing felt quite right. It wasn’t until a series of environmental conversations with my two young children about the trash left out in the streets of our neighborhood that the story finally clicked. They wanted to know where the trash had come from, why was it important to pick it up and what did it mean to take care of our planet. Out of those conversations, the story I had been looking to write finally came together and The Big Beach Cleanup was born!

I love this interior picture. Without giving too much away, it gives a hint of what’s going to happen.

What (or who) are some of your inspirations when you write?

My story ideas tend to come from the things that take up the most room in my heart which typically means my family. For example, I am close with my Grandmother who lives in England (where I was born) and who I don’t get to see as often as I would like. I wrote my upcoming book A Grandma’s Magic after one particularly memorable visit as a way to celebrate her and the magic of Grandmothers.

Being a grandmother myself, that makes me smile. 🙂 

How do you balance all the responsibilities of raising a family and your writing career?

Oh, goodness, I am constantly reassessing how to strike the right balance. I do my best to carve out focused writing time as much as possible (I work best when I have a solid three-hour block to write in) but when life happens and my family needs my attention, I write in the cracks and do my best to accept when I can’t write at all (although I tend to get a bit grumpy if I haven’t written anything in a while!).

Some people think that once you get a book published, your job is done. Can you fill us in a bit about what else your job entails besides writing the book?

I admit I used to be one of those people, however, I am enjoying finding different ways to share my book with the world. I get to do fun interviews and chat with friends like you, participate in author panels and conferences, and my favorite, school visits to share my book with children!

Are there certain parts to the writing process (actually the process of publication) that you like more than others? Will you explain? Where do you feel your strengths lie? Do you have any areas where you feel less confident?

I love the can’t-sit-still feeling I get when I have a new idea that I am excited about. My greatest strength is my ability to revise, I write some really crummy first drafts, but I love working to turn a seed into a flower. In terms of areas where I could grow, probably my patience could use some work! Publishing can be a slow industry!

As writers, we know it takes a village (as well as patience, as you said). Can you give a shout-out to a few people who helped you on the way with your debut?

I wouldn’t be where I am without my village. The 12×12 picture book community has been instrumental, my insanely talented critique partners who have become some of my closest and dearest friends (I won’t name names for fear of missing anyone!), my promotion group Picture Book Scribblers, my incredibly supportive and encouraging agent, Nicole Geiger of Full Circle Literary and my fabulous editor Christina Pulles, for taking a chance on me and believing in The Big Beach Cleanup!

Can you give us three words that you’d like to say to aspiring kidlit writers?

Perseverance. Patience. Practice your craft as much as possible, read everything you can get your hands on, attend as many lectures and classes as you can, and write, write, write and re-write! Keep going, try to focus on your own journey as much as possible, and most importantly don’t give up and let me know when you get your yes – I am rooting for you!

Any fun projects in the pipeline for you? 

Thank you so much for asking! I have two upcoming books, How to Return a Monster and A Grandma’s Magic. How to Return a Monster is a humorous how-to story about a child who tries to return their new baby sibling in the mail. It is being illustrated by Rea Zhai and releasing from Beaming Books this September. A Grandma’s Magic is a picture book celebration of grandmothers and all the ways in which they are “magical.” It is being illustrated by Asa Gilland and releasing from Doubleday Books for Young Readers in January 2022.

Now one of the most important parts! Where can we get your book? I have it, and I know others will enjoy it as much as I do. 

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/books/the-big-beach-cleanup/9780807508015
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-big-beach-cleanup-charlotte-offsay/1137286832?ean=9780807508015
Signed Copies available from Children’s Book World: https://www.childrensbookworld.com/big-beach-cleanup-signed-copy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Beach-Cleanup-Charlotte-Offsay/dp/0807508012/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+big+beach+cleanup&qid=1620335186&sr=8-1

Learn more about Charlotte’s work at charlotteoffsay.com and follow her on Twitter at @COffsay and on  Instagram at @picturebookrecommendations.

AND NOW A GIVEAWAY! Charlotte is generously offering a signed copy of The Big Beach Cleanup to one lucky winner. All you need to do is comment on this post to be entered. If you are a follower of this blog, let us know, and that will double your chances of winning. 

Thank you so much for stopping by, Charlotte. I know that everyone joins me in wishing you continued success!