KidLit Alert!
Interview with Traditionally Published
Author of
Dare to Question
Jasmine A. Stirling
Hello, Readers, Writers, and Bookish Friends,
Let's hear it for Jasmine and her book Dare to Question. Now, many of you know one of the slogans I live by is: Question Everything! So, this book is on my yes list! I hope you will read and support this writer along her publishing journey.
I reached out to her for an interview after falling in love with her Instagram account. She is an amazing photographer! I highly recommend checking it out @jasmine.a.stirling.author
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Hello, Jasmine, and Welcome to Writing Teazurs.
The title of your new book is Dare to Question: How did you come up with that title? What other titles were in the mix?
My editor, Tracey Keevan, came up with the title. When she made the suggestion, I wasn’t sure if questioner was a good way to describe Carrie. But as I thought about Carrie’s life through this lens, I realized that Dare to Question not only described Carrie perfectly, it also tied together every turn of her career, including the final story of the letter that saved the 19th Amendment—which at that point felt a bit disconnected thematically from the rest of the story. I re-wrote the manuscript around this theme, which made for a more satisfying read. Hence...
What types of dares did you take when you were young? Did you ever say no to a dare? Are you a daring person?
I am not a daring person. I was terrified of the game “Truth or Dare” as a child. I hate things that are risky and (in my eyes) have no greater purpose (like skydiving or even skiing).
However, I am a questioner, just like Carrie.
And I have absolutely no problem daring to question authority, whether that be a boss, a school system, a cultural norm, or a reflexive habit.
On Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies Rubric, I score overwhelmingly as a Questioner. I pair well with other questioners, in friendship and work. I am also highly pragmatic. Like Carrie, I would be willing to make compromises, and use marketing, storytelling, and popular culture to advance a cause I believed in.
Why do you think children should dare to question?
Fascism is (and always has been) a real threat, both within and outside our borders. Banning books, controlling a women’s fertility, policing what people say, dictating gender norms, legislating who an adult is permitted to love, conspiring with our nation’s enemies to manipulate election outcomes—these are anti-democratic, fascist threads running through our culture.
The work of democracy and civil rights is never finished.
Nobody knew this more than Carrie.
Our children will grow up and face these threats. A culture that has lost its appetite for questioning authority is easy prey for fascism. Belief in the power of questions must be instilled in young people if we are to continue this beautiful experiment of democracy and civil rights—a fragile experiment and one that has flourished on our planet only in brief bursts.
You won IPNE Children’s Book Award for your debut in 2021 - what did that feel like? How did you get put up for that award?
I was nominated for the award by a board member of the Independent Publishers of New England and was honored to win in the children’s category. I encourage debut authors to seek out niche awards.
Many of my readers are aspiring authors - and they always want to know how that agented author got that agent. So, how did you and Alyssa Eisner Henkin at Birch Path Literary come to work together?
That is a very long story! I first queried agents in 2018, when I had an offer in hand from Bloomsbury to publish A Most Clever Girl. I received seven offers and almost chose Alyssa. Instead, I chose another agent.
In 2021, I decided to move on from that agent and queried again. This time, I had an offer in hand for Dare to Question, and I received 9 offers—but none from Alyssa.
In a fit of anxious despondency, I decided to write my first fiction picture book—for Alyssa. I was on a very tight timeline because I had to get back to the other nine offering agents in a matter of days. In one day, I wrote my first fiction picture book—sent it off, and waited.
Alyssa loved it. She made my 10th offer, and I accepted.
I like to say that Alyssa and I were stars in an author-agent romcom. First, she offered me, but I went with someone else. Then I broke up with that someone and asked her again, but she said no this time. Tensions ran high—would these two ever get together? Someone had to do something heroic! And so I did—I wrote a book for her. And it worked!
What do agents actually do to help you with your book?
Mostly, actually, she tells me that an idea I’m thinking about will not sell or that a manuscript I’ve written is not ready (or will never be).
However, she also comes up with ideas for books for me to write, and sometimes I do. She has ideas for sequels to books I’ve written. She has ideas about editors who might like things I’m working on. She has scene ideas, creative titles, and pacing suggestions for manuscripts in progress. She says she doesn’t edit work, but in my experience, she provides feedback that is much more creative, big-picture, and valuable than line edits. Alyssa is funny, strategic, organized, and kind.
She makes me feel heard and valued
without coddling me.
We trade book recommendations and notes on things we’ve read. We talk about life. All of these things are motivating.
I should mention that my prior agent was professional and resourceful, and ethical but did none of the above. And that had an impact on my writing life.
Each agent is different.
Your website is very user-friendly and professional - did you create it, or do you have someone?
I created my website on Squarespace, which is not difficult to use. I suggest that creators make their own websites using Squarespace. I also use Canva to create graphics for the site, handouts, etc.
Your website doesn’t need to be beautiful, but it should reflect your personality. For pre-published authors, design your website around information that would show an agent how serious you are and help them get to know you better.
Why Jane Austen? What is your draw to her?
I am an Austen fan and classic literature geek. I have read all of Proust. I love George Eliot and Edith Wharton. Austen’s biography is perfect for children, as it hinges on losing the foundation for her creative work, which was firmly in place during her childhood. It is also about losing a parent.
Art cultivates delight, sustains us, and nurtures us. Let’s introduce children to art and literature early on so it’s less intimidating later. My eight-year-old daughter recently spotted a Magritte poster while we were playing mini-golf. She was excited to recognize an artist she had learned about in school. Let’s keep the arts alive through early exposure.
Your Instagram account has beautiful photos of your children - you are also an amazing photographer. What’s more fun…writing or photo taking?
WRITING is a lot more fun. Simpler equipment, not dependent on other people doing what you want them to, and—for me anyway—easier. With photography, you are limited by what is there. With writing, anything is possible.
As an award-winning author, you know the ropes and the backstory to publication - Any suggestions for newbie authors?
My first book sold in 2017 and was published in 2021. My second sold in 2017 and was published in 2023. Everyone says it, but keep writing. Don’t wait for books to come out to start new ones. Study and learn productivity habits to keep creating. Books can take a very long time to be published. Be realistic.
So many authors are opting to publish themselves - why go traditional? What are the benefits you saw?
I think there are benefits in either direction, and I certainly understand why people self-publish. Traditionally-published authors do a lot of hustling and work to get their books out there, and we often wait years (SIX years, in my case) for a book to come out, which can be difficult for those who are eager to see their projects born. For authors who want to make an impact in a specific community, are enthusiastic entrepreneurs and collaborators, or have a career or other goals which are spurred along by their books, self-publishing can be the way to go.
As for the benefits I’ve seen as a traditionally published author, there are many. I am grateful that my first book is being translated into Mandarin. I enjoy presenting on panels with other authors in established venues. I value hearing what traditional media outlets have to say about my books. I appreciate being considered for awards. Book sales from schools, libraries, international, indie bookstores, and trades—these are aided by being traditionally published. It’s fun when I go on vacation and find my books in places I’ve never heard of. I appreciate that I will attend ALA with my publisher. I like getting advances and royalties. I just got a starred review from Booklist for Dare to Question. I’m not sure, but I don’t think they give out stars (or reviews) indie-published books.
But the biggest benefit is the talent that I get to make books with. My editor is one of the most motivating and creative people I have ever met. It is a pleasure to know her and work with her.
She makes my writing far stronger.
The creative team at Union Square made Dare to Question a stunningly beautiful book, from cover design to text layout. My illustrator only works with traditional publishers, and I am dazzled by how she brought this story to life. My agent motivates me and puts me on the right path. I have a writing family, a place where I and my writing belong. For this, I am extremely grateful to be traditionally published.
What do you think of the publishing world today? Is it easier or more difficult for new writers to get noticed?
I believe email has made it harder to get noticed. That’s why I always suggest that pre-published authors attend events in person and meet as many people as possible on their journey.
I belong to SCBWI, which is a must for children’s book authors. I also belong to various library associations.
From checking out your websites and social media, you have a lot on your plate! How do you keep going? How do you cut out time for self-care?
I am naturally a workaholic prone to hyperfocus. As a result, self-care is not optional for me. It is necessary, and I have built my life around it. I still make mistakes, but it’s a priority for me to not fall off the cliff of overwork.
I hike and walk, I read, I listen to audiobooks with my daughters, and I spend time with my family in nature.
It often feels like these rituals are a waste of time and that I’m not getting anything done. But how you spend your day is how you spend your life. I try to create balanced and joyful days.
My youngest daughter is still home full-time, so I often have little to no time on a given day to do anything writing-related. I’m happy about this; I am grateful for this time with her. It is far more important to me than my writing.
What do your children think of “Mommy, the writer”?
My older daughter is intrigued. She wants to know if I’m famous. She read my website once when it was open on my computer and was excited to learn that I was “award-winning.” The girls have been early readers of my work and enjoy giving brutally honest feedback. They love it when I visit their schools.
At the same time, kids can do anything. They write books all the time. In that sense, they see me as doing something that comes naturally to them.
On a day-to-day basis, the girls are annoyed that I write. It means I am sometimes away on retreats or speaking events or that I’m focused on my work instead of playing with them. It means that on Saturdays, when my husband watches them, I’m not always there.
There are days when I wish I was free of the obligations of writing so that I could focus entirely on my girls. In this way,
I am like every other working mom—
torn between two identities.
Before your first book came out in 2021 - how many years had you spent learning the craft of writing?
I was unique in that I started writing A Most Clever Girl in October 2016, and it sold ten months later, in July 2017. I never submitted it anywhere, and I was unagented. It was the first manuscript I had ever written.
Allison Moore, an editor at Bloomsbury, read it at a conference, liked it, and made an offer three weeks later. I was just looking for feedback at the time.
I had aspired to be a writer all my life but had never tried to write for children or for publication before. I had mostly thought about being a writer in my head. I did take one writing class before A Most Clever Girl—the first workshop in The Writer’s Studio series. It was powerful, and I recommend it to all writers.
Please give us a glimpse into your writing habits.
When I am writing, which is definitely NOT all the time, I aspire to write for at least 90 minutes a day, without interruption, most days a week. I do a huge amount of research when I am writing nonfiction, and I look at lots of mentor texts when I’m writing fiction. I often have to squeeze my writing time into weird times of the day because, like most writers, I have lots of other things going on.
Do you have any weird habits that help you as a writer? Example: I have a little singing bowl on my desk and clang it once before beginning a chapter.
The only habit I have is to set a silent timer—I use the Time Timer for 90 minutes, turn off/close everything that’s distracting, lock my office door, and write. I do this when I need an organizing force—usually when I’m writing a first draft—to gain momentum.
If you could’ve been born in any year - past or future - what year would you choose and why?
If I could be born in any year, I’d love to invent the year. It would be a time before plastic or automobiles, in a place with little to no social stratification, short work days, and abundant freedoms for people of every sort.
Why write for kids? Why write at all?
I love to read and write children’s literature. I could give you a list of reasons, but it would fall short of that feeling of love.
I have been a voracious reader all my life. And yet the books I read in elementary school—those were the books that I loved most.
I studied abroad in college and recently went back to meet Dr. Feneley, the founder of the program where I’d studied. I mentioned how much my experience in the program had touched me. He responded with,
Perhaps writing for children is like that.
We get to relive that magical age when we read children’s literature. As writers, we get their ear at that magical age. I can’t imagine anything more wonderful than that.
How can my blog readers follow you on the road to success?
Please sign up for my newsletter (which comes a couple times a year, at most) at www.jasmineastirling.com, and follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasmine.a.stirling.author/
What words of advice do you give to kids who want to become a great writer or illustrator?
Keep going, find other people like you, and seek out mentors. You’ll never get there without learning how to hear feedback. Enjoy the journey.
You live in San Francisco (I used to live there, too) - where do you write and what do you love about where you live?
I write at home!
My favorite place in the world is Cole Valley, my neighborhood in San Francisco. When I was a teenager in college, I knew I wanted to live here someday. I love my daily hike in the urban wilds of Mt. Sutro. I love the corner market and the French bakery. I love the quirky hardware store, the homeless painter who has his own unofficial street garden, the impeccably dressed man who goes barefoot in all weather and keeps a parrot on his shoulder, the woman who makes exquisite fairy houses from discarded treasures, the flamboyant man who dresses himself and his chihuahua like they’re always on parade, the whispers of French and Spanish on the street, the trees that flower in every season, and one thousand other details that come from knowing a place for almost all of your adult life. I never get tired of it.
What’s the one thing that you learned in your career that helped you become a successful writer?
I’m not sure I see myself as successful. Which says that I haven’t learned this: wherever you are in your writing journey, try to appreciate the view.
If you could ask yourself anything - what would that question be, and what’s your answer?
Favorite Carrie Chapman Catt quote?
“What is feminism? A worldwide revolt against all artificial barriers which laws and customs interpose between women and human freedom. It is born of the instinct within every natural woman’s soul that God designed her as the equal, the co-worker, the comrade of the men of her family, and not as their slave, or servant, or dependent, or plaything.
The movement has no leaders, no organization. It is an evolution, like enlightenment and democracy. Here and there, societies have made organized efforts to push some phase of these great world movements and have disbanded when their tasks have been accomplished; but the great movements of which they have been a small part go on. They are not confined to one land or to one age, but continue through the centuries.”
Why did you choose to write a book about Carrie Chapman Catt?
To create the next stage of feminism, we need to retell the stories of the past. Carrie Chapman Catt may have done more for women’s rights than anyone in U.S. history, and yet so few of us know anything about her.
Catt studied what we would today call brand marketing and applied its lessons to one of the most unglamorous, vilified movements in history, transforming it into a fashionable trend that exhilarated and liberated women just by getting them involved. She was, like many of her peers, also unofficially married to a woman, who led the fight alongside her.
Her story — the sweep and depth of it
— is incredible.
She personally swayed President Wilson to the cause and commanded an army of two million women with ease. She was formidable, strategic, relentless, and complicated. I’m honored to be able to tell her story.
What book would you suggest that writers read?
Ellen Klages recommended the book Big Magic to writers during a presentation I attended. I love this book and frequently gift it to writers. It pertains to my answer in the previous question. Read it!
My third book, Full Circle (title in progress), about the botanist and explorer Jeanne Barret, who disguised herself as a man and became the first woman to circumnavigate the world, was recently acquired by my editor at Union Square & Co. It comes out in spring 2025. It is my favorite project to date, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.
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Wow, Jasmine, you are on a writing roll. I am so thrilled that you are retelling the stories we all need to re-hear. I for one came late to the feminist movement, but I am here! I am getting louder. You just revved up my engine even more. I look forward to reading your books and cheering you on your writer's journey.
If you would like to follow along with Jasmine and support her as a writer please check out her links below. And thanks for dropping by Writing Teazurs with Angie Azur.
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Jasmine A. Stirling:
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Write~on
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