08 Aug Francie Dekker and a Giveaway!

EL: Happy Monday! I am thrilled to welcome author Francie Dekker to Writing Outside the Lines. When you read her debut picture book, OUR WORLD OF DUMPLINGS, you will be happy and hungry at the same time. I definitely recommend it! Welcome, Francie!

Let’s dig right in. Can you tell us about your road to publication? Straight, winding, easy?

FD: Everyone says publishing your first book takes a long time, and that’s the truth! I started researching and writing OUR WORLD OF DUMPLINGS back in 2017. Researching dumplings and deciding which ones to include in the book took the most time! Once I finished the original manuscript in 2018, I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators to figure out how to find a publisher. SCBWI has so many resources, including The Book – The Essential Guide to Publishing for Children. From there, I determined that I wanted to go the traditional publishing route and started reaching out to literary agents. I eventually signed with Ariana Philips at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. Ariana sent out the manuscript to publishers, and little Bee books purchased OUR WORLD OF DUMPLINGSs in December 2020. The book will be published on September 6th, 2022, so from start to finish, it took about 5 years to publish!

EL: Yep, it takes a while, that’s for sure! I love books that treat kids to information about different cultures but do it in a fun way. Thanks for writing this! Also,the illustrations are beautiful. I can smell the dumplings in this spread by the talented Sarah Jung!

In general, how do you get ideas, and specifically, how did you get the idea for Our World of Dumplings? Do you have personal experience, etc.?

FD: I love exploring, cooking and eating cuisines from around the world. In doing so, I realized how many cultures have their own variation on a dumpling. As a child, I never appreciated my family’s Polish food traditions. I was inspired to write OUR WORLD OF DUMPLINGS as a way to connect young readers to their food heritage, as well as to expose youth to similar dishes from around the world. While we may come from different places and speak many languages, I believe the best way to get to know someone is over a plate of something delicious.

EL: Yum! I agree!

FD: As for other ideas, they tend to pop out of thin air! I’ll usually be daydreaming about something and suddenly realize there is a picture book story idea in there. My background is in garden education and food writing, so many of my ideas are connected to food & family, but I’ve recently been exploring other topics too.

EL: Did you have a favorite book or author when you were a kid?

FD: I’ve always loved following my favorite characters on their various adventures and book series. As kids, my sister and I also loved looking at the little pictures on the back cover of all the books in series. We’d spend a lot of time noting which ones we already read and which ones we needed to look for at the library 🙂 Two of my favorite picture book series that I remember vividly are The Berenstain Bears and Arthur. 

EL: What do you think is the hardest part of writing a PB? How do you deal with it?

FD: For me, the hardest thing is having patience. I want to crank it out and send it off to my agent, haha. I’ve learned/am still learning the joy and value of taking my time. I now like to write a draft and then come back to it a week or month later with a fresh set of eyes. I try to let wonderful feedback from my critique group marinate before making changes. I’ll read a manuscript out loud to several people to hear how it sounds. It really is pleasurable to make little tweaks here and there and shape the story over time.

EL: Oh, that patience thing! SO hard! And then, of course, the waiting to hear. What was the most exciting part of this process? What do you enjoy the most?

FD: In tandem with the previous answer, I love the initial idea and getting all my thoughts down on quickly and then slowly refining the story.

EL: You mentioned that this is your first time writing for kids. Have you always loved writing?  What brought you into writing for children?

FD: I’ve always loved writing and telling stories, but for the longest time, I considered it one of my weaknesses. Mainly because as a child I was (and still am!) a horrible speller and have no patience for grammar. In school, I always received very low grades on my writing due to my atrocious spelling. Once I learned to separate my words and ideas from my spelling and grammar, I realized how I love to write! I now have my husband, who has excellent grammar skills, check everything I write 🙂

EL: Good idea! Do you have a writing routine? If so, please explain.

FD: I have two toddlers, so my writing is not as routine as I’d like it to be, but there will be a time in life for that! Right now, I do most of my writing at 5 AM from our dining room while the rest of the house is quiet. I’m also a very seasonal writer. Living in Wisconsin, I love cozying up on winter days to write, while in the summer, I want to spend every moment outside!

EL: I could never join the 5 AM writing club. I give you SO much credit! What three words do you have for aspiring Kidlit writers?

FD: Don’t Give Up!

Thanks so much for visiting us and sharing your adorable book! Readers, here are some places you can get Francie’s book. 

Signed copies with Boswell Books:

Amazon

Target

Barnes & Noble

Follow Francie here and get to know her a little more. 

Here’s a link to my website

Instagram

AND NOW… Little Bee Books will send OUR WORLD OF DUMPLINGS to one lucky winner! Just comment on this post, and let me know if you follow this blog (and I hope you do!) to get double the chance to win. 

Francie’s

Bio: Francie Dekker is a children’s book author based in Southeastern Wisconsin. As contributing writer for Edible Milwaukee magazine, she wrote a quarterly “Kids Table” column that explored how gardening, food, culture, and youth intersect. In 2016, she received a Food Writing Fellowship from the Culinary Trust. Our World of Dumplings is her debut picture book. Franciedekkerbooks.com

Until next time,

Ellen

Please check out my website at https://ellenleventhal.com/ to learn more about me, my books, and my school visits. Thanks!