Sup? The Fabulous Iza Trapani's Sup. That's what!

Please welcome my BBF and the fabulous multi award-winning author/illustrator Iza Trapani. Iza’s first book ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ has sold over a million copies. Her illustrations whoosh me straight into the storybook world before I even have a chance to read a single word. (I wanna be an illustrator! If only I could master the straight line.) Seriously folks, if you’ve never experienced one of her adaptations of well-known nursery rhymes you have missed a lot. She brings her readers along on a completely new journey of these classics. She has written/illustrated over twenty books and illustrated books for other authors.

She’s here today to talk about her newest book Little Miss Muffet. I was so happy to review it for her and if you didn’t read it you can find it here.
Also, don't forget to comment for a chance to win a copy of Little Miss Muffet. I'll announce the winner Monday, Sept. 23rd.  I think I'll mention to the kids that whoever washes the most dishes over the weekend can draw the winner out of a hat. BWA HA HA HA! I'm so EVIL!!!!! ;-)

Iza, it is so good to have you over today. You know how much I love your work. Please tell us about your work day.

Thanks so much for this interview, BBF! (bestest best friend.) Typically, my work day begins with breakfast in bed (which my husband brings up each day- lucky me:-)  I use this time to do social networking- and there are days when I become so engrossed in reading the wonderful blogs I subscribe to, leaving comments, sharing, etc.,  that I’ll realize my husband is long gone and it’s 8:30 and I’ve been at it for close to two hours! Then I’ll hop out of bed, take my dog for a good, brisk walk then head to my studio. I’ll spend the rest of the day writing or illustrating, and whichever it is, again I will become totally immersed, breaking only to respond to emails or a  few quick games of FB scrabble, maybe a stretch or two on my yoga mat or a change of the laundry, or a wrestle with my dog, then a quick (usually standing) lunch and I’ll finally stop at around 6:30, head to the kitchen and cook dinner. It’s only fair!

How long does it take to write and illustrate your books?

The writing varies. Sometimes I can conceive a story in a few hours.  I wrote a rough draft of The Itsy Bitsy Spider on an hour and a half bus ride. Other  times it may take months or even years for an idea to germinate. But generally, once I have  a plot, I can write a story in a few days. Of course, most of my stories are under 500 words. And then there are many days or weeks of revising, fine-tuning. Getting the meter right is one of the biggest challenges. Rhyming verse has so many constraints, but ultimately, there is always a way to make it work. I have learned to easily dispose of lines that I was fond of. Nothing is precious. There is always a way of saying something differently. I use a thesaurus and sometimes a rhyming dictionary if I am at a loss for words. Walks help me when I get really stumped.

The illustrations take me about six weeks for the storyboard and dummy sketches and four to six months for the final watercolor paintings. When I am working on a book, I work every chance I have, including weekends.  The early stages of illustrating are the hardest: Creating a storyboard, developing the characters, working and reworking the dummy sketches. I go through a lot of tracing paper at this stage. When all the sketches are revised and approved, I start my watercolor paintings. This is my favorite part. I love color!

Which comes first the text or the drawings?

The text comes first, but I envision the illustrations as I write and will often change the text tif it doesn’t suggest good imagery. I will do a rough storyboard as I write to know how many verses  (so far all of my books have been written in rhyme) I will need and what lines will be on each page.

What writers/illustrators have inspired you?

Oh my, where to begin? Ok, I’ll start with the one and only Dr. Seuss whose preposterous humor and playful rhymes have delighted me since I was a child and continue to do so. I love Margaret Wise Brown’s heartwarming stories and Beatrix Potters gentle stories and art. Other author/illustrators high on my list are Marc Simont, Trina Schart Hyman, Leo Lionni, Holly Hobbie, Janet Stevens, and Judy Schachner. Some of my favorite children’s poets are Douglas Florian, Judy Sierra, Mary Ann Hoberman, Margaret Mahy, Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Kate Coombs..The list goes on and on and on and keeps growing...So much talent out there!

After you wrote your first story titled ‘What Am I’, did you receive rejections before you finally had a “YES!” (I’m guessing you did.) :-)

YES! Of course! It happens to all of us- even Dr. Seuss (29 times for his first book.) So, aspiring authors- please do not give up!!!

Describe your writing style in five words. (Hard isn’t it?) I ask you this question because someone asked me one time. 

Ridiculously hard! Do you know how long I’ve been at it? I could have written a whole book in less time! :-)

And I am not sure if you mean the style of my work or my process, so I’m doing both:

Style (as I hope others perceive it): Sweet, funny, playful, gleeful, hopeful

Process (as I know it): Ardent, focused, elated, frustrated, dogged

And I wonder if you wanted a complete sentence instead of just adjectives, so here’s this: I’m a baffled rhyming fool! :-)

I love the complete sentence addition. :-)

What would your eight-year-old self say to you now? 

Dobrze sobie poradziłaś...(I emigrated to the US from Poland when I was 3 months shy of my eight birthday, so I was still thinking in Polish then.) Loosely translated it means, “You done good.” :-) 

Iza, do you have any advice for all us aspiring writers about this road we’re on?

The best advice I can give is to keep writing and honing your craft. Do it because you love it, because it brings you joy and fulfillment, because the creative pull is so intense you have no other choice but to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and get those words down. Yes, dream of publication, but realize that most published authors worked hard for many years before selling a book. Writing for children is much harder than most people think. Exult in your writing, but keep a critical eye. Do not get too attached to your words. This is especially true of rhyming verse, where rhythm and meter are critical. A clever or beautiful line is worthless if the meter is off. Read your stories aloud, or have someone else read them to you. The rough spots will jump out. Take time away from your work and come back to it with a fresh eye. When we are too close to our work, we can not hear the flaws. Time away really helps. Or have a critique buddy or a group read your story or poem and give you objective and constructive feedback. Or, if you can, hire a professional to review and/or edit your manuscript.

Above all, do not get discouraged by rejection- especially in these difficult and competitive times. Rejection is not a reflection on you, personally. Keep in mind that it is just one (or a few) person’s opinion, or that the book may truly not be right for the publisher’s list. Or, worse case scenario, your story may need  a bit more work. So accept the challenge! Go back and make it as good as you can. And if you can’t make that story work, write another. Do you have any idea how many unpublished manuscripts published authors have filed away? A lot!

Read lots of book in your genre. Join SCBWI, if you haven’t already. There are so many great blogs out there that offer information and inspiration. Keep writing. Keep improving. Tell your stories in a fresh, new way. Find your voice. We all want to hear it!

Oh wow, BBF! That was awesome. I sit here reading your answers and I just marvel at your talent, focus, and determination. (Having a hubby who brings breakfast in bed is such a blessing! SCHWEET!) 
Oh hubby dear…

To be continued y’all. *wink*

You can visit Iza over at her place.  She welcomes you to come and print out coloring pages, bookmarks, word searches, mazes, and so much more. (She just might have some cookies too.)

Or here at her other place.

Or here. Dang, she's everywhere! (Goodreads) :-)

Linkage to buy Iza’s books:

 Amazon

Sky Pony Press

Barnes&Noble