24 Aug David McMullin and THE NOSE! (From the Percy and Speck Ready to Read series) Plus a Giveaway!
EL: I’m so excited to have David McMullin back on the blog! All his books are different and all are fantastic. THE NOSE, part of the Percy and Speck Series, is SO much fun! When a bug gets caught up in a dog’s nose, and David McMullin writes about it, you know it’sgoing to be hilarious! This adorable early reader, illustrated by Lauren Stohler, is a book all emerging independent readers will love. The layout allows the reader to read from the point of view of Speck, who is caught in Percy’s nose, and from Percy’s point of view, who would love Speck to leave! With simple, sparse text and bright, vibrant illustrations, this is the perfect book for early readers.
Welcome back, David! You describe yourself as a full-time traveler and children’s book writer. Will you explain a bit about how you do that? And why you decided to do that?
DM: Can you be a full time traveler half the time? Well that is what I am. Many long years ago, my husband and I sat down and asked ourselves … if we had nothing to limit us, what would our ideal life be? Our answer was world travel. Unfortunately, there are limits: money, family, jobs, time, logistics, health, and on and on and on. So, we made a compromise … we would alternate. We spend a few years in life-one (work), so we can enjoy a few years of life-two (travel). Then more life-one, then more life-two, and on it goes. At the moment we are in Las Vegas, but the world is calling!
EL: That makes a lot of sense. What types of books did you enjoy when you were a child?
DM: I was a reluctant reader to the extreme. I think I gravitate towards writing picture books now because, as a kid, I needed the art to keep engaged.
EL: THE NOSE is unique in so many ways. Will you explain a bit about this?
DM: This is a book about perspectives. It’s about how two characters, Percy the dog and Speck the bug, can experience the same event, but have very different experiences. The book is designed to be read in three different ways. If you only read the left side of the book you see Percy’s story, and if you read the right side, you learn Speck’s story. Finally you can read both sides together to see how their actions affect each other. It was a bit of a puzzle to put together.
EL: Lucky for me, this is the third time I’ve gotten to interview you! I was so impressed with how different ROCK AND ROLL BABY was from FREE TO BE FABULOUS and thought how that takes a lot of talent. And now an early reader series!! How difficult was it to write a rhymer after a book in prose and then change to an early reader? Is there a common thread among all those books?
DM: I say, lucky for me to be asked back! I have always written whatever pops into my head, not worrying about format or age range or genre. I try to let the story discover what it wants to be. That said, I know that publishers like books that fit neatly into categories, so I do my best to make sure the final outcome has a clear place on the shelf. My goal is often to challenge myself to write something different. I never spend time on a project I don’t love, so I guess the common thread is a playfulness that I hope kids will be attracted to.
EL: I do see playfulness in all your work. How did you get the idea for the Percy and Speck series, and particularly for THE NOSE? Can you tell us a bit about the road to publication for this one?
DM: This comes from the unusual combination of fantasy novels and bird watching. I read the Game of Thrones books and loved that each chapter was from a different character’s point of view. I wondered if I could do a simplified version of that for a picture book. The bug up a nose part comes from being out in nature looking for birds. One particularly buggy morning, I began to empathize with the bugs. For as annoying as it was to have bugs fly into my mouth and eyes, I realized it was much worse for them. The combo was too fun to ignore.
While revising this manuscript, the language became simplified, and the character relationship became central. I realized that it felt more like an early reader than a picture book. But I immediately saw the obstacles ahead of me. Early readers, are usually a series, often by an author/illustrator, often in house, often a popular franchise, and they require very specific vocabulary and syntax—none of which I had. I created two more stories to form a series, and did my best to match the vocabulary I found in mentor texts. Luckily it was enough and the publisher bought all three books.
EL: Awesome! The illustrations are so much fun! Did you get to communicate with your talented illustrator?
DM: I absolutely love Lauren’s vision for these characters. She brought in so much humor. We did not communicate, but the publisher asked for my input at every step.
EL: Do you have a writing routine? If so, will you share it?
DM: I write all the time, but what is essential for me is a lengthy chunk of quiet time. I can not work with distractions.
EL: Do you have anything else in the pipeline you can talk about?
DM: If you thought my other books were different from each other, you will be truly surprised to learn that my next book is … non-fiction! It’s still unannounced, but it highlights my love of animals.
EL: WOW! I can’t wait! Do you have a writing group or groups? How important do you think they are?
DM: I have had many critique groups over the years, but the one I depend on the most is my original group from 12 years ago when I lived in Washington, DC. I have blind spots with my own writing and am always happy to have someone point them out. I have also learned that I love being a part of promotional groups for new books. I like the camaraderie, and I find I have more enthusiasm for promoting my own book when I am also sharing other people’s books.
EL: I think we all have blind spots, and I really appreciate our critique and marketing groups too. What do you do when the words won’t come?
DM: The hardest part for me is sitting down in the chair. Once I gift myself with the time, the words always follow. I don’t know why it is, but the thought of writing is always a chore, but the actual writing is always a joy. I would think that after all of these years, my mind would stop playing that silly game with me.
EL: Do you have any words of advice for aspiring kidlit writers?
DM: The only reason I was able to recognize that THE NOSE would make a better early reader than a picture book was that I had read a ton of early readers and was familiar with the form. Being familiar with all categories of kid lit will expand your manuscript’s possibilities.
EL: Great advice! And now time for a
David is happy to offer a picture book critique to one lucky winner. Just comment on this post to get in the running.
David, thank you so much for visiting us again! Good luck with this adorable book!
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Nose/David-McMullin/Percy-Speck/9798347106356
Until next time
Ellen
Sue Ellen is back! She has had a long, twisty road, but she’s never really gone away.
Linda Hofke
Posted at 07:07h, 24 AugustCongratulations on The Nose. This book sounds like a fun read and I think it’s cool you can read it in different ways.
David McMullin
Posted at 15:53h, 24 AugustThank you, it was fun putting it all together.
David McMullin
Posted at 09:10h, 24 AugustThank you for sharing my book, Ellen! I always love being a part of your blog.
Kim A. Larson
Posted at 09:57h, 24 AugustCongratulations, David! This looks like a fun read!
David McMullin
Posted at 15:54h, 24 AugustThanks, Kim. I hope the kids think so!