Will Write for Cookies: Iza Trapani In the Spotlight

Posted on October 18, 2013 by viviankirkfield

Can you hear my heart beating quickly?

I remember this feeling – kind of scared – very excited – a little anxious.

When I was in 7^th grade, we made an apron in home ec (short for home economics – the class all the GIRLS took so they would know how to cook and sew…BOYS took woodworking so they would know how to…build a log cabin?).

Each student received a piece of material and a pattern and instructions on how to proceed. It took a great deal of courage to make that first cut, knowing that if you did it incorrectly, your finished apron would look ridiculous.

I’m sure artists feel the same way when their hand hovers over a clean blank canvas.

As I hover over this new project and lay out the template for future posts in the ‘WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES’ series, I experience those same feelings. My vision is to provide insights and information from experienced authors and illustrators – my hope is that you will find these posts educational and entertaining.

Lucky for me, the award-winning, multi-talented children’s author and illustrator, Iza Trapani, graciously agreed to participate. I’ve gotten to know Iza through her wonderful picture books and her warm and generous comments on many kid lit blogs.

Kids have an innate curiosity that drives them to always be asking WHO? WHAT?, WHERE? WHEN/ and WHY? So here, without further ado to answer those questions AND to provide us with a recipe for a treat that is guaranteed to excite your taste-buds, is the lovely Iza!

WHO? Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

I immigrated to the U.S. from Poland when I was seven years old. One of my favorite books was a collection of poems called Sto Bajek (100 Tales) and I still have a copy! The author was Jan Brzechwa and his poems were full of Seuss-like humor and hyperbole. The wordplay, tongue-twisters playful language and clever concepts never ceased to delight and amaze me. One example is a poem about a group of animals pondering over the existence of holes in a hunk of Swiss cheese. As they theorized, they suddenly noticed that the cheese was gone. A crow had swooped down to eat it, telling them that they were more concerned with the holes in the cheese, than the cheese itself, so she ate the cheese and left them the holes! That just blew me away!

In the U.S., my first introduction to English books was a wonderful Mother Goose collection, and soon after that I fell in love with Dr. Seuss- the early readers we were studying in school (which were a welcome change from Dick and Jane!)

Though I did not experience many picture books as a child in America, I have certainly made up for it as an adult!

WHAT? What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started writing for children?

Great question! First of all, I wish I had known that children and early educators are not scary at all. I used to be painfully shy, but I soon discovered that once I was published, I was asked to do school visits and to present at conferences. It was really hard for me. I could barely get up there and say my name- never mind do a whole presentation. But over time, I learned that my audiences were always kind, receptive and supportive. They admired what I did and wanted to hear all about it. Twenty plus years later, I have turned into a complete ham 🙂 and am not the least bit worried about being the center of attention.

What else have I learned? Not to be attached to my words. I used to consider my early writings precious. I hated taking out parts that I was attached to. Now I have learned that there is always a way of saying something differently, and usually it’s an improvement. I adore the editorial process, of having another set of eyes and I have no problem of doing complete revamps of my manuscripts. When I look back at some of my early stories that I considered so dear, I find much fault with them. These days, I am my own worst critic. As soon as I finish a book, I think of all the ways I could have made it better. With each book I strive to perfect my craft- but I am rarely satisfied. But I guess that’s part of being an artist- that constant struggle to grow and improve. Not a bad thing, really.

WHERE? Where do you like to write/draw – inside, outside, a special area in your home, on the computer, in a notebook?

I have lots of writing spots at home: In my studio- at my husband-built desk (Rob is a furniture maker) or in a comfy chair, or in a wicker love seat on my studio terrace when the weather is nice. Or on the living room window seat, or the couch by the fire in winter. But ultimately, it doesn’t matter where I am. While working on a story, I am completely immersed and the surroundings are irrelevant. I used to have a romantic notion that if I sit in a special spot the muse will join me, but that is rarely the case. I can’t just sit down and shove a story out. Story ideas usually appear on their own time- usually when I am in the midst of struggling with a different draft. When I do have an idea, I do much of my brainstorming in the shower, in the car, on walks. Walks are great for problem solving. I always have a small pad or my iphone with me to jot down or record notes, and I often write my first rough drafts on paper, but then I do the bulk of the work on my laptop.

As for the art, I sketch in various spots as well, but mostly I work at my Rob-built drafting table in my studio.

WHEN? When during the day (or night) are you most productive? Do you set a schedule for working or do you write/draw when the muse speaks?

Typically, Rob brings up a tray of coffee and toast to bed early in the morning (I do count my blessings!) and we read for a while. I also use this time to do some social networking (and play a few games of FB scrabble- because I am addicted :-)) Then I will take the dog for a hike or jog on our farm, or go to a Pilates class, pick up some groceries while I am in town, and after that I will spend the rest of the day in my studio, either working on text or art, or both. Once I am in my studio, it’s hard for me to leave. I spend a good deal of time revising and fine tuning my stories. The illustrations are especially demanding and time consuming. Laying out the book, developing the characters, making sure they are consistent from page to page, working out the colors and design elements are all big challenges. But this is also my passion, and I am so grateful to be doing what I love!

WHY? Why did you choose the nursery rhyme ‘Little Miss Muffet’ as the basis for your picture book manuscript?

As often happens, I was struggling with another nursery rhyme adaptation, and decided to take a break from it. I looked through my Mother Goose books to see if something might spur an idea. I lingered on Little Miss Muffet. Next thing you know, I had a plot. Since Miss Muffet was afraid of the spider, she could also be afraid of other critters. And so, I introduced a mouse, frog, crow, and other progressively larger animals to startle her. I thought the juxtaposition of the prim and proper Victorian Miss growing disheveled as she escapes from these various creatures would be fun. The story is somewhat autobiographical, as I am a scaredy-cat myself. While I am a nature lover who spends a lot of time outdoors, I am also quite skittish and easily spooked 🙂

My editor noticed that I had quite a few positional and directional words (up, down, over, under, etc…) in my draft, and she suggested that I add even more. That was hard! I had to make some major revisions to incorporate those words while working within the restraints of rhyme and meter. But I love the word-tweaking, puzzle-solving process.

Iza, please feel free to share any tips that will help aspiring writers/illustrators.

Pursue your dream actively and don’t be discouraged by rejection. It’s part of the process. Read, write and/or draw a lot. Be critical of your work and strive to make it as good as it can be. Read your stories out loud to make sure they flow. Read and study the books in your genre. What makes them good? Or maybe not? How would you do it differently? Join SCBWI http://www.scbwi.org Read books and blogs on the craft of writing and illustrating. There is a wealth of information out there.

The Purple Crayon http://www.underdown.org is the very useful site of editor/author Harold Underdown, who wrote The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books. It’s a great resource.

In addition, I’ve compiled some of my blog posts that might be helpful:

http://izatrapani.com/wp/?p=1792 Read Picture Books if You Want to Write Them

http://izatrapani.com/wp/?p=469 So You want to write a Picture Book?

http://izatrapani.com/wp/?p=472 So You Want to Illustrate a Picture Book?

Rhythm and Pattern in a Picture Book http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/05/guest-author-iza-trapani-rhythm-and.html

http://izatrapani.com/wp/?p=865 Plotting a Picture Book

http://izatrapani.com/wp/?p=1460 Uneven Rhymes- You Gotta Get the Beat

http://izatrapani.com/wp/?p=1601 Picture book revisions

http://izatrapani.com/wp/?p=2023 Inspiration for Picture Book Illustrators

Photo courtesy http://www.thehungrymouse.com

Here is one of my favorite, easy and delicious cookie recipes:

Butter Balls (adapted from the Silver Palate cookbook)

In a mixer, cream 1 stick of softened butter.

Add 3 TBS honey.

Slowly add 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp salt.

Add 1 TBS vanilla extract.

Add 1 cup somewhat finely chopped pecans.

Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for one hour or more.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets (or use parchment paper)

Remove dough from refrigerator, scoop out and form balls by hand (I like to use a cookie scoop to ensure uniform sizes.)

Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, sift 3/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar onto a plate (or work surface).

When cookies are done baking, remove from the oven. While still warm, roll them in the confectioners’ sugar. Let them cool, and then roll again in the remaining sugar.

Thanks so much for this interview, Vivian!

Oh my goodness, Iza…thank YOU so much for sharing all of this! I know the resource links will be super helpful to everyone. Your answers to the questions were fascinating! And the butter balls…my grandmother used to make those…I’ll bet many of my readers will be trying them this weekend!

Dear readers…to learn more about Iza and her books, here is her contact information:

www.izatrapani.com

http://izatrapani.com/blog

Like her on Facebook

Follow her on twitter

I hope you enjoyed the first in the ‘Will Write for Cookies’ series. Please come back on Saturday, November 16^th, to meett our next distinguished guest, founder of the ultimate picture book resource, Perfect Picture Book Friday and author of Can’t Sleep Without Sheep and many other picture books, Susanna Leonard Hill.

Ann Jonas Has Died (wakingbraincells.com)

89 thoughts on “Will Write for Cookies: Iza Trapani In the Spotlight”

Marylin Warner on October 18, 2013 at 8:50 pm said:

Terrific post, Vivian. Excellent interview, and already I’ve decided to make a batch of the butter ball cookies for our neighborhood “Autumn Cookie Swap” next weekend.
Plus, you’ll be pleased to know that now the schools have co-ed auto-mechanics classes, woodworking and metals shops…and there are almost as many males as females in the Self-Sufficiency Foods Class! Now THAT’s progress!

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- viviankirkfield on October 18, 2013 at 9:14 pm said:
  
  Marylin…I loved your comment…I appreciate learning that the schools have made progress in this area. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the post…I loved what Iza wrote. 🙂
  
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- izatrapani1 on October 19, 2013 at 5:32 am said:
  
  Thanks, Marilyn! The cookies will be a hit!
  
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Stacy S. Jensen on October 18, 2013 at 8:57 pm said:

Love this new series. Thanks for the tips and inspiration Iza.

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- viviankirkfield on October 18, 2013 at 9:11 pm said:
  
  Thanks for stopping by…and for the tag and mention, Stacy! Iza was fantastic…I know everyone will find great value in what she shared. 🙂
  
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  - izatrapani1 on October 19, 2013 at 5:33 am said:
    
    Thanks so much, Stacy- and thanks for sharing all over the place!
    
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Beth Stilborn on October 18, 2013 at 9:16 pm said:

This is such a wonderful post — and a great start to what promises to be a fantastic series. Thank you, Vivian, for having the idea to do these posts, and for facilitating them. Thank you, Iza, for letting us into your world a bit, and for all those fabulous links. I will savor them all.

But how are we supposed to wait an entire month for the next “Will Write for Cookies” post?

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- SevenAcreSky on October 18, 2013 at 9:26 pm said:
  
  Beth, we could make a batch of those butter ball cookies every day for a month until the next post. Sounds loke a plan to me.
  
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  - Beth Stilborn on October 18, 2013 at 9:37 pm said:
    
    And then we’d ALL be butter balls!!! 😉
    
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    - SevenAcreSky on October 20, 2013 at 2:59 pm said:
      
      Again…sounds like a PLAN TO ME! Yummmmmmm.
      
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  - viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 11:03 am said:
    
    Oh yes!!! I’ll be first in line to eat them.:)
    
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- izatrapani1 on October 19, 2013 at 5:34 am said:
  
  Thanks, Beth! I am glad you enjoyed it. I can’t wait till next month either!
  
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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 11:01 am said:
  
  I really appreciate your kind comments, Beth! I was so fortunate that Iza was willing to give so much of her time.
  I originally wanted the series to be a weekly one…but I’m not sure I had the time to commit to that. It is definitely something I will work towards…and getting authors and illustrators to hop on board is the other piece of that puzzle. Thanks for being so supportive, Beth!
  
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  - Beth Stilborn on October 19, 2013 at 7:53 pm said:
    
    I think that weekly might be too much — monthly is just right (even though I do wonder how I’ll wait until the next one!) And monthly allows you to stretch it out over many years (by which time perhaps some of the rest of us will be published — we’ll aspire to be eventually included in Will Write for Cookies!)
    
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  - izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 5:10 am said:
    
    That’s the spirit, Beth! I look forward to reading your entry in the Will Write for Cookies series!
    
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SevenAcreSky on October 18, 2013 at 9:22 pm said:

Vivian! This is great…and what a treasure to have Iza Trapani for the lift off. Love the things you both shared in this interview and the cookies look scrumptious. I’m following this series for sure. THANKS! Damon
(Now if I can only manage my envy for that beautiful DESK Iza has!)

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- izatrapani1 on October 19, 2013 at 5:37 am said:
  
  Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed the post. As for the desk, my husband would gladly build you one!:-)
  
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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 9:42 pm said:
  
  The cookies do look amazing – and you are right on about Iza being a treasure for the series debut. Damon, I’m so very happy you enjoyed it and will be back for the next series installment. And with Susanna Leonard Hill as our guest, I know you won’t be disappointed.:)
  
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  - izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 5:11 am said:
    
    That’s for sure!!
    
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  - SevenAcreSky on October 20, 2013 at 2:58 pm said:
    
    That’s a bonus! Cool!
    
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Patricia Tilton on October 18, 2013 at 10:11 pm said:

I love how you have found a very cozy niche with your books. They are so wonderful for young children and I give them as gifts. It troubles me when I hear young children singing pop music, when they should be learning more age appropriate songs and stories. That’s why I like to introduce young moms to your books. Lovely interview. And, I love the desk too!

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- izatrapani1 on October 19, 2013 at 5:38 am said:
  
  Patricia, a million thanks!
  
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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 9:45 pm said:
  
  When we were in school, we had to learn so many poems and songs…this type of learning is so important. I agree with you, Pat…Iza’s books are wonderful for young children…they bring back those nursery and Mother Goose rhymes in a new and exciting way.
  
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tinamcho on October 18, 2013 at 10:54 pm said:

Fun series, Vivian. I enjoyed getting to know more about you, Iza! That spread of Little Miss Muffet is beautiful!

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- izatrapani1 on October 19, 2013 at 5:38 am said:
  
  Thanks so very much!
  
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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 9:47 pm said:
  
  Glad you enjoyed it, Tina! Thanks for stopping by. I need to get to reading and critiquing our group’s manuscripts…I’m especially excited to read your revision because I LOVE your story.:)
  
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izatrapani1Iza on October 19, 2013 at 4:47 am said:

Vivian, thank you so much for featuring me in your wonderful new series! And thanks everyone for your kind comments! The cookies are really easy, foolproof and delicious. But we certainly would be butterballs if we ate too many!

And I meant to type “immigrated to ” the U.S. (see, that’s why editors are needed!)

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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 10:19 pm said:
  
  Iza…you are an angel! This is a golden interview, thanks to your amazing answers. And you did write immigrated…I made the typo…but have fixed it. 🙂 Your advice about editors is so true…we tend to see what we expect or want to see. 🙂
  
  Thank you again for your generous gift of time and expertise!
  
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  - izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 5:13 am said:
    
    Thanks Vivian!
    
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Susanna Leonard Hill on October 19, 2013 at 4:51 am said:

Great interview, Iza and Vivian! What a way to kick off the series! I love all Iza’s wonderful tips, and that recipe looks like something I will have to try immediately 🙂 I’m so looking forward to reading future entries in this series!

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- izatrapani1 on October 19, 2013 at 5:31 am said:
  
  I am looking forward to reading yours next month, Susanna!
  
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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 10:22 pm said:
  
  Thank you for the kind words, Susanna! It’s easy to have a great interview when the person being interviewed shares so generously and writes so well.:) I’m looking forward to connecting with you here next month!
  
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thiskidreviewsbooks on October 19, 2013 at 6:27 am said:

My Mom makes the buttter balls, but we call them Russian Tea Cakes. 🙂 They’re my favorite cookie. 🙂 Great interview! I like Ms. Trapani’s desk! 😀

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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 10:25 pm said:
  
  I think we all like Ms. Trapani’s desk, Erik! And I’ve noticed that every culture has similar foods…they just call them by different names. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the interview…Ms. Trapani shared some great writing tips.
  
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- izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 4:17 am said:
  
  Thank you Erik! Yes, these are well known little cookies and have many names. I like this recipe because it calls for just a little honey instead of a larger amount of sugar as in many other recipes. They are not as sweet as some others, but absolutely buttery and delicious 🙂
  
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nrhatch on October 19, 2013 at 7:29 am said:

You unwittingly uncovered WHY the guys took woodworking in school . . . so they could build desks and drafting tables for the authors and illustrators in their lives. 😀

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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 10:38 pm said:
  
  Having a handy person in the family is definitely…handy.:) Thanks for stopping by, Nancy…Iza shared great resources for writers…and I do love her workspace!
  
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- izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 4:18 am said:
  
  Haha! I like that!
  
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julie rowan zoch on October 19, 2013 at 7:39 am said:

Wow! I just want to pop over and give Iza a squeeze! What a great post, so intimate, informative and inspirational. And I’d also like to see more of what Rob built! Gorgeous! Thanks for including all those links too, I’ll be studying them. And a toast to Vivian for bringing us this new series! Yay!

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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 10:41 pm said:
  
  Yay you, Julie! I’m more than thrilled about how the post turned out…thanks to Iza, of course.:) And I loved seeing her desk and workspace…perhaps it will inspire me to reinvent my writing area.:)
  
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  - julie rowan zoch on October 20, 2013 at 12:55 am said:
    
    A lot of my best ideas come in the car. I just try to keep paper handy!
    
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  - izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 4:30 am said:
    
    Thanks to you for the great questions and a fun new series, Vivian! Have fun reinventing your new workspace!
    
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- izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 4:26 am said:
  
  I’ll squeeze you right back, Julie! (you too, Vivian 🙂 I am so glad Rob’s work is admired here. He really is an amazing artist. To see more of his work, you can go to http://www.robhare-furnituremaker.com Thanks!
  
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  - julie rowan zoch on October 20, 2013 at 8:00 am said:
    
    Ooo, thanks for the link!
    
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- izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 4:35 am said:
  
  The car is a great (though not often convenient)place for ideas. We are driven to write! 🙂
  
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  - julie rowan zoch on October 20, 2013 at 8:07 am said:
    
    Haha, great line for the long road!
    
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Sheri McCrimmon on October 19, 2013 at 11:21 am said:

Love this post! I cannot wait to make (and eat) these cookies :). Every wonderful writer talks about reading :). Reading is not just a necessity for us, it is my favorite perk as a writer. Thanks Iza and Vivian!

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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 11:11 pm said:
  
  I agree about the perk of reading…I loved picture books as a child…and never outgrew them. Now I have the best excuse for reading them…RESEARCH!
  So glad you stopped by, Sheri…I hope you’ll return for the other posts in the series. 🙂
  
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- izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 5:08 am said:
  
  Yes, reading is definitely a perk! And picture books are timeless. I find most adults enjoy them as much as kids! Thanks Sheri!
  
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Renee LaTulippe on October 19, 2013 at 1:22 pm said:

I’ve already learned so much from Iza, and yet here she is, giving me even more tips and insight — she’s a bottomless well! And I’m so glad about that. Thank you, Vivian, for kicking off your great series with Iza. And thank you, Iza, for your continued wisdom and support. A great post!

P.S. Your husband is a genius. I have never seen such a gorgeous desk and chair!

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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 10:43 pm said:
  
  Hi Renee…yes indeed, we are all so lucky to have generous people like Iza who share their writing journey which benefits us. 🙂 This is an amazing kid lit community…I’m always blown away by how helpful and caring everyone is.
  
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- izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 4:46 am said:
  
  Oh Renee, I am so happy to hear that! Thank you. And I have learned from and been so inspired by you, my friend. And that goes for you too, Vivian, and everyone here that I know. What a wonderful online community of support and learning we have!
  
  And Rob is delighted with all the praise he’s getting! Thanks!
  
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Robyn Campbell on October 19, 2013 at 6:54 pm said:

Iza, what a thoughtful and YUM post. Loved reading your tips as always. You are now and will forever be my BBF. You give so much back. There aren’t enough numbers in the world to count what I’ve learned from you. And you’re just like the Energizer bunny only you keep on givin’ (instead if tickin’)!

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DESK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My dad was a wood maker. He made the most beautiful furniture. I can see your hubby is a fantastic wood maker too.

XOXOXO

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- izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 4:54 am said:
  
  Hi BBF! *blushing* Thanks so much for your kind words! I love being like the Energizer bunny 🙂 After all, I am married to Rob Hare 🙂
  So you grew up with homemade furniture. It’s great isn’t it? xoxoxox
  
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Robyn Campbell on October 19, 2013 at 6:55 pm said:

P.S. Vivian, what an exciting series. Thanks for having Iza. Can’t wait to see what Susanna has to say! *waving*

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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 10:45 pm said:
  
  So happy you enjoyed it and are looking forward to future posts in the series, Robyn! November should be a winner as well with Susanna sharing. 🙂
  
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  - izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 5:00 am said:
    
    Talk about givin’- Susanna is the best! Her site is the hub of our community. And it is through her that I have met so many of you here! I can’t wait to read her post and see what cookie recipe she shares (something chocolate? :-))
    
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Beverly Snedecor on October 19, 2013 at 7:41 pm said:

Thank you so much for this interview. I was very disappointed to see that Sto Bajek is only in Polish… maybe Iza should translate it. It sounds hilarious!

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- viviankirkfield on October 19, 2013 at 10:47 pm said:
  
  Now that is a GREAT idea, Beverly! Glad you enjoyed the post…and I hope you come back for next month’s offering. 🙂
  
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izatrapani1 on October 20, 2013 at 5:03 am said:

Hi Beverly! Sto Bajek is truly hilarious, but poetry is so hard to translate… I like your idea, though!

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Catherine Johnson on October 20, 2013 at 7:03 am said:

Super interview Vivian! Iza I love your working environment, it is lovely. That recipe sounds divine as do your stories.

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- viviankirkfield on October 20, 2013 at 2:13 pm said:
  
  You are very flattering, Catherine. Of course, working with Iza kind of guarantees success. 🙂
  
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  - izatrapani1 on October 21, 2013 at 6:26 am said:
    
    Thank you, Catherine! I am so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I am very lucky to have a great working space.
    
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readingwithrhythm on October 20, 2013 at 2:03 pm said:

A GREAT start to a fun new project! Well done Ms Kirkfield! It’s fun to learn more about Ms Trapani. Thanks for sharing !!!

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- viviankirkfield on October 20, 2013 at 2:15 pm said:
  
  Thanks so much, Rhythm! I loved having Ms. Trapani…her answers to the questions were informative and entertaining.:)
  
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  - readingwithrhythm on October 20, 2013 at 2:16 pm said:
    
    yes they were!!
    
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- izatrapani1 on October 21, 2013 at 6:27 am said:
  
  Thank you so much, Rhythm!
  
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marcieatkins on October 20, 2013 at 6:04 pm said:

How wonderful! I love getting to hear about other artists’ processes. Such a great interview!

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- viviankirkfield on October 20, 2013 at 7:57 pm said:
  
  Thanks so much, Marcie, for taking the time to stop by and leave such a super comment! Glad you enjoyed the interview…Iza was fantastic@
  
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