09 Sep Charlotte Offsay: HOW TO RETURN A MONSTER and a GIVEAWAY!

Welcome back, Charlotte! I’m thrilled to have my friend and fellow Picture Book Scribbler, Charlotte Offsay back on “Writing Outside the Lines.” This time she is going to talk to us about her latest book, HOW TO RETURN A MONSTER. I’ve read the book, and chuckled the whole time.  I also tested it out on some kids, and the result was a resounding thumbs up!

Charlotte, will you tell us a little about How to Return a Monster?  What’s it about? And how did you get the idea?

How to Return a Monster is a humorous how-to story about a young girl who grows tired of her attention-stealing younger sibling. She hatches a plan to send him back to where he came from, with hilarious results . . . and along the way, she learns that maybe baby siblings aren’t so bad after all.

I got the idea for this story when my daughter was transitioning to pre-school and struggling to separate from me for the very first time. I worried that she felt replaced since I was leaving her to go home and care for her younger brother. My worries found their way onto the page and I began writing a story about just that, a young girl feeling replaced by a younger sibling.

How to Return a Monster is illustrated by Rea Zhai and was released from Beaming Books on September 7^th, 2021!

Can you tell us a little about the illustrator? The illustrations are a perfect complement to your text. Did you see any of the spreads beforehand? What was your working relationship with the illustrator if you had any?

Rea Zhai did a fabulous job of creating expressive and adorable characters. I didn’t work with Rea directly, but Beaming Books was kind enough to show me some of the spreads before it went to print. I was delighted with the way Rea managed to capture the characters’ emotions and the narrator’s change of heart toward the baby.

Agree! Here are some sneak peeks at the adorable art.

As we know, picture books are a collaboration of words and pictures. Paired with Charlotte’s wonderful words, the below illustration gives the reader just a peek into what may be a change of heart. 

This is such a fun book that kids will be able to relate to. I have to ask. Did YOU ever want to return a sibling? Or perhaps a sibling wanted to return you!

HA! I am sure my siblings have wanted to return me at some point in the past, but no, it wasn’t based on a true story. I initially wrote the manuscript as a humorous projection of how I was worried my daughter was feeling toward her younger brother, but honestly, my daughter has never been anything other than loving and patient toward him – she has a heart of gold. It is funny though how many people have told me stories of either themselves or their siblings wanting to return one another in the mail since the book got announced.

Charlotte, how much do your own children play a role in your writing? I know they were the inspiration for THE BIG BEACH CLEANUP, but how about this and other projects?

My children play a huge role in my writing. I think one of the greatest joys of being a parent is reliving the world and seeing its magic anew through my children’s eyes. Getting to be Eliana and Thomas’ mom has changed me and my world lens, so I would say they absolutely have a heavy influence on my writing.

Do you feel like you are only a PB writer, or are you working on other genres? Explain.

For a number of years now, I have lived and breathed all things picture book. From my kids’ very first days in the hospital, I have read them every picture book I could get my hands on. Once my son was sleeping through the night, my picture book obsession expanded to include studying picture books, learning how to write them, and reviewing them on my Instagram page. More recently though, things have begun to shift as my kids have gotten a bit older (5 & 7) They have stepped into the chapter book and early middle-grade world and I have found myself falling in love with those stories alongside them. I have toyed with the idea of entering the chapter book space but would like to take some chapter book craft classes first.

When you’re writing, do you feel like you put a little of yourself or your experience into it?

Oh yes, I think there is a reason that writers tend to call our books our book babies! I pour my heart into my writing and believe that my stories are a reflection of me and my view of the world. For example, family is important to me above all else, I firmly believe children can change the world, and I like to think I am at least somewhat funny – hopefully you will all agree that these themes run through my books.

I agree! Do you consider yourself a planner or a panster? Why?

I would LOVE to be a planner, but I am definitely a panster. I usually get an idea that crawls under my skin in the middle of the night and won’t let me rest until I have written it down and rewritten it and rewritten it until I have a draft I am somewhat happy with. I tend to have fully formed characters and voice in my head, and although that is what ends up on the page initially, it is often far from where my stories end up once polished many many many drafts later! I think I would be much more efficient if I did sit down and plan more purposefully though!

I’m with you there! I wish I was more of a planner. 

What do you feel is the most difficult part of writing a PB?

The waiting. I am not a naturally patient person and the publishing process is slow and involves quite a bit of waiting at every step of the process. It takes at least a couple of years for most traditional publishers to acquire a picture book text and have it illustrated and printed. It is absolutely worth it though to hold my beautiful book in my hands!

Do you have anything else in the pipeline that you can tell us about?

Yes, I do! Thank you for asking. My next picture book A Grandma’s Magic, illustrated by Asa Gilland, publishes next March from Doubleday Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House. It is a picture book celebrating grandmas and all that makes them “magic.”

Description from my publisher:

“When a child is born, a grandma is born too. Grandmas aren’t like regular grown-ups. Grandmas are filled with magic.”

In this charming picture book tribute to grandmas, a grandma’s magic bursts through the door as soon as she comes to visit and can be seen in every wonderful thing she does: playing, exploring, baking, gardening, and in all the many ways a grandma and grandchild connect.

Filled with adorable scenes featuring a diversity of grandmas and their grandkids, this is a book that all families can enjoy together. Grandmas will love snuggling with their grandchildren as they share their love and “magic” through cuddles, kisses, and many repeat readings.

I definitely will be buying that book! It sounds wonderful. I will definitely be sharing it with my grandkids! 

Any advice for aspiring or even published kid lit writers who are also juggling being a parent or perhaps have a day job?

Juggling writing and being a parent is hard, even more so these days with the state of the world. My advice is to be patient/kind to yourself and embrace however much or little you are able to give to your writing. I would also say that writing scraps in the school pickup line or noodling story ideas with your children on the drive home counts! I fully believe that all the time we spend processing our stories is equally valuable to the time spent typing them out!

 Can you tell us how your agent helps to shepherd your books to publication?

Yes, I am lucky to get to partner with Nicole Geiger of Full Circle Literary. Nicole is a fabulous teammate and advocate. She helps me push myself beyond where even I think I can go and is extremely knowledgeable about the industry, having been an editor herself for a number of years before becoming an agent.

Where can we get your book?

Thank you for asking! How to Return a Monster is available wherever books are sold. You can request it at your local independent bookstore at online retailers like Bookshop, Amazon or B&N or if you would like a signed copy you can place an order with my local indie, Children’s Book World LA!

You can learn more about Charlotte at www.charlotteoffsay.com.

And now…

Charlotte will be giving away a copy of How to Return a Monster to one lucky winner.  To get in the running, please comment on this blog post. Let me know if you are a subscriber (including if you just signed up after you read this) to get an extra chance at winning. 

Thank you so much, Charlotte! I love learning more about you and your projects, and I’m sure our readers do too.

Thank you for reading “Writing Outside the Lines.” To learn more about me, my books, and my virtual (for now)  school visits, please visit my website at www.EllenLeventhal.com

Until next time,

Ellen