KidLit Alert!
Traditionally Published, the Fabulous
Keely Parrack
Welcome, and get ready to learn more about this amazing writer, Keely! She and I met years ago and the next time you see her...ask her about the Moths. (Inside joke) Keely has had a long career as a writer who loves to write for kids. She's a mentor in-person and guides us all with her beautiful prose.
Keely writes for YA (young adult), Poetry, and PB (picture book) audiences. She is represented by Tara Gonzalez with Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Her Young Adult novel ~ Don't Let in the Cold ~ is debuting on 9/6/2022!
Way to go Keely!
I'm so glad she interviewed and shared her story with us.
Enjoy reading more about her below...
Where can fans connect with you? What is the next writer’s conference or retreat you are attending where fellow creators will get to speak with you?
I will be launching at Kepler’s Books, Menlo Park, 9/6/2022,
https://www.keplers.org/upcoming-events-internal/keely-parrack-stephanie-kuehn
and Towne Center Books, Pleasanton, 9/8/202
https://townecenterbooks.com/events/highlighted-events-1
I love meeting people and chatting about books and writing! I’m hoping to do some SCBWI events in autumn and will be on a Thriller/Crime/Mystery Instagram panel in early October; details are being worked out now, so check into my social media for updates.
It is so nice to be able to actually meet people in person again!
You write for multiple ages in KidLit: Is there a favorite? What is the best thing about writing for kids in different genres?
I love writing both!
It’s so much fun to lose myself in a dark, gritty thriller and then come up for air and write something fun and joyful and shorter! I think they use different sides of my personality, but they do share common themes, like nature, caring, and awe of the world around us.
I love the freedom YA gives to go deep into the setting, character arcs, and plot, and for PB (picture books) they are so small, so every word has to be perfect. I see them more like a fun puzzle of how can you get across all of that with a minimal amount of words.
You’ve worked with children most of your life. What’s the funniest thing a kid ever said to you?
This is hard because I have had so many different kinds of interactions with kids, and they have taught me so much! I love chatting with kids and teens of all ages they are always fascinating.
So, I’m going to change your question to what was the sweetest – at a recent school event, I was doing a presentation on my picture book
MORNING, SUNSHINE! and my PowerPoint has a picture of my cat Mimi pretending to write, and a little girl ran up to me with a really cute picture she’d made of Mimi for me to take back and show her ☺.
If you could be any Super Hero (even one you make up), who/what would it be, and what are your powers?
I wish I could spell!!
Pretend we are a kid in your creative writing class, and give us a prompt:
There is something under your bed, and it is terrified of you - what is it, and how can you help it lose its fear?
What are your favorite KidLit books in each of the categories you write?
There are so many gorgeous ones, but a recent favorite is OUTSIDE IN, by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Cindy Derby. A keeper of a book!
And for YA – again so many great ones, but I’ll go with my current read, which I am loving, WE WEREN’T LOOKING TO BE FOUND, by Stephanie Kuehn.
Was there a special teacher or mentor in your background that helped you become who you are today?
There was a really awesome sixth form English teacher, Mrs. Halle, I think her name was, who was just so passionate about English Lit!
I went to school in the UK, so I guess it’s equivalent to AP English here. And there was an amazing Professor at Loughborough Uni, I can’t remember his name, but he taught me all about Ibsen, Strindberg, and Lorca – bliss to study with him! I also have amazing friends and critique partners that I wouldn’t have gotten this far without!
If I gave you a megaphone and the whole world would hear what you have to say, what one sentence would you shout?
You are worthy, you belong, you are enough,
and lean into kindness.
I heard this quoted somewhere, and I have no idea who said it, but they are very wise!
Most of the time, you need at least two of these things to get published, talent, luck, and persistence. You can have luck and persistence, or talent and luck, or talent and persistence, but eventually, persistence is the strongest of the three, persistence to keep getting better and learning your craft, and persistence in staying power and not giving up!
Tell us something weird about yourself.
I am terrible at spelling and grammar, and I can’t type!
You have a new YA book coming out on 9/6/2022 - what’s the backstory? How long did it take to write? How did you set time aside to finish it? Did anything crazy happen while getting it published?
I first got the idea from staying at my friend’s cabin in Tahoe with my then-8-year-old son. It was summer and so beautiful in the daytime, surrounded by trees in the mountains, but at night it was so dark and quiet! And everything seemed eerie and threatening!
Maybe because we were so alone, it felt like we were in this big house lit up like a goldfish bowl! And that’s when I started imagining what it would be like for a teen girl who didn’t even really want to be there but was stuck with just her step-sister, and it was winter, and there was a blackout and a tap at the back door in the middle of the night?
It took me forever to get the story figured out. I always had Lottie, the main character, and Tahoe as the setting but probably wrote at least 5 totally different versions of the story – don’t do that!
A few months after I’d got it into polished shape, I was lucky enough to get a great agent, and she sold it! But backing up, it took 8 years to get the story right and two to sell it! My agent never gave up, and that’s one of the many reasons she is so awesome!
You’re agented through Erin Murphy Literary - how did you choose them, and what have they been the most helpful with?
I choose Tara Gonzalez as she seemed so passionate about her clients and what she was looking to rep, and she had purple hair – seriously, I wanted someone passionate and fun to rep me!
Plus, I knew a lot of people who were with EMLA, Erin Murphy Literary and they were very happy with them. Also, I knew that even though Tara was new, she had all the agency support and expertise behind her. And after our phone call, I knew she was the one!
Aspiring writers have difficulties writing query letters. Do you have any advice to share?
Don’t stress too much. Keep it simple and brief. Three paragraphs!
1 - What is it? - description plus hook and comp titles. Why are you sending it to that agent? – MSWL list or something unique about them that makes a good fit.
2 – One paragraph outline – you don’t need to give away everything here, but make sure the stakes, tension, and character arc are clear.
3 - Over and out – any relevant published work i.e., short story – don’t stress if you have none, add membership to SCBWI or similar author organizations plus any relevant experience or skills, i.e., working at an indie bookstore, is a definite bonus!
Thank you for your time, and sign off!
If you google ‘agent query letters,’ a lot of authors have great advice and examples – good luck!
**The work is what will get you an agent, so always make sure that is as good as you can possibly get it!**
What great advice, Keely!
Thank you for your willingness to share your writer's journey with us. I look forward to reading Don't Let in the Cold very, very soon!
For more information about Keely and her books:
Meet Keely in Person at Kepler's Books
Meet and Greet Keely at Towne Center Books
Write~on
Angie Azur
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