KidLit
Interview with Trenise Ferreira
SCBWI Work-in-Progress Winner!
for
GLORIA JACKSON EXPLAINS IT ALL
Welcome Readers and Creatives -
Today, we welcome a debut chapter book author, with a work-in-progress SCBWI win for her first KidLit book, Gloria Jackson Explains it All. She decided that she would write an amazing book, snag an agent, and be published....and she is manifesting all of that!
How?
She's doing the work! She's reading. She's writing. She's created a creative routine for herself. She's connecting with other writers and bookish people. She's promoting herself by doing interviews and social media posts. She's doing it her way, and she's gracefully sharing her amazing journey with us.
Let's all cheer Trenise on to victory - publication and lots and lots of readership.
Hello, Trenise, and welcome to Writing Teazurs,
Congratulations on winning the work-in-progress award from SCBWI for your chapter book, "Gloria Jackson Explains it All"! Can you tell us more about the book and the inspiration behind it?
Happy to do so!
“GLORIA JACKSON EXPLAINS IT ALL” is a chapter book series that I’ve been working on for a couple of years now. I originally wrote it as a picture book, but after an R&R from an editor, I was encouraged to redevelop it as a chapter book series. Though that opportunity didn’t work out, I felt strongly that the editor was right, and I’ve since revised it into the version that won the SCBWI Best WIP Chapter Book Award!
My pitch goes like this:
In Gloria Jackson Explains It All, know-it-all Gloria is proud to know everything about everything — and she loves to drop a good fun fact or two! — until a cross-country move shakes her confidence and presents new challenges. Good thing she’s got her diary to process her feelings, feats and to share her favorite fun facts.
How did it feel to receive recognition from SCBWI for your work in progress? Can you share some of the emotions and thoughts that went through your mind when you found out?
Winning this award was MAJORLY validating, and I was so excited when I got the email!
I have been on a journey with Gloria.
In 2021, she was a picture book, then a chapter book that I thought would sell, so I was so disappointed when that opportunity didn’t work out. But I never gave up on this story, and I think the current version has a place in the market.
When I found out I was, it was pretty funny. The award was announced about a month after the initially planned date. So the whole time, I kept telling myself, “You’re still in it!” But then, two days before the announcement date, I still hadn’t heard anything, so I thought maybe I didn’t win. But the next day, I just happened to check my email that evening, and there it was! The email indicated that I had won!
As a pre-published author, beating out thousands of other entries is a big deal for me. It made me feel like I’m on the right track and I have a strong contender on my hands for future success.
If I gave you a megaphone and the whole world would listen - what one sentence would you shout?
Always have the courage to ask for what you want.
Writing for children can be a unique and rewarding endeavor. What do you find most fulfilling about crafting stories for young readers?
Writing for children is the best because they are still so in tune with wonder and imagination of the possibility of the world around them. I love tapping into that! I look forward to the day when a book that I wrote is a favorite for a child and leaves a lasting impact the way my childhood faves have left on me.
Can you offer some insights into your writing process? How do you approach creating relatable and engaging characters for your chapter books?
I aspire to be a prolific writer, so I write, quite literally, every day. But more than that, I read every day (physical books, e-books, and audiobooks! I love them all) and watch story-driven content daily. All of this helps me understand what makes a good story, why characters work (or don’t), and how to deliver for my audiences how I intend to.
One of the best things I’ve done for my craft over the last year has been committing to writing every day, 12 minutes a day. It’s a small time commitment (and if I can write longer in a given setting, I do!), but the consistency helps me constantly hone my craft and elevate as a writer.
When it comes to character development, I typically can see my characters very clearly in my head as I’m bringing their world to life. I think about what I loved about chapter books at that age – the voice, their worlds, their adventures – and I bring that to my writing. I draw much inspiration from my favorite 90s cartoons and re-reading series like “Junie B. Jones.” She was my favorite when I was a kid! When we study the things we loved as kid consumers, we can create characters and stories for the new generation of readers that resonate just as strongly.
I also encourage writers to determine what they respond to as creators and build that into their process. For me,
I respond to competition,
so I compete with myself!
I give myself a literal gold star sticker for every day I write, and I refuse to let my sticker grid go empty! I bet myself that I can draft a picture book in an hour. I challenge myself by doing things like NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). This works for me, and it’s helped me grow as a writer. Knowing what you respond to and how to motivate yourself to keep going in an industry predicated on “no” is so important.
(**Okay - Trenise, I am totally stealing the gold star sticker idea! My teachers gave them out when I was a kid and I respond to goal setting as well! So excited to bring this back, thank you!**)
As a children's book author, how do you balance the need for educational content with the desire to entertain and engage young readers?
I was a kid who loved learning, so balancing education with entertainment comes naturally to me. Kids are naturally curious and want to know more about the world around them, so I tap into that instinct. What did I like as a kid? What things made me go, Wow!” I bring those elements to my writing in a way that’s super fun and approachable. There are so many educational shows for kids – shoutout to PBS Kids! – that feels like just plain fun vs. a school lesson. That’s the vibe I go for when I write. Kids come for the fun and the story but leave with new facts and true information. Those were the stories I liked the most as a kid, and I aspire to see my versions on shelves one day.
What advice would you give to aspiring children's book authors who are looking to write captivating and meaningful stories for kids?
Really study the current state of children’s books and think about what you can bring to the table that’s fresh and different. Breaking into children’s books is incredibly tough – I’m still striving for it! So, believe me when I say you have to bring something different to the table that hasn’t been done a million times before.
Beyond that, read deeply and broadly. Know the current trends. What sold when I was a kid in the 90s likely would not sell today, so it’s essential to have a good feel for how stories are told for modern audiences.
Most importantly, I encourage writers to develop their voice and perspective. You can’t teach that, which makes each of us as writers unique storytellers.
Find your voice
and hone it until your stories sing.
Can you share some of your favorite moments or challenges you've encountered while working on "Gloria Jackson Explains it All"?
Gloria’s character loves fun facts, and she shares them with the reader throughout the story. This was equal parts the most fun and the most challenging part of building her world! I had to think about what fun facts would interest kids and verify the truth for each one. There are more than 25 fun facts in this first book, so it was a lot of research, but I enjoyed every minute.
Do you have an agent? If so, how did you get one? What's it been like to have an agent?
I do have representation and have since 2021. For those looking to query, I encourage you to have a very polished query package that shows your strengths/range as a writer. That worked for me, and I’ve enjoyed my relationship with my agent! I have some secret news I’ll (hopefully) be able to share next year on the publishing front. For now, I can say that looking critically at your work, assessing how it can be better, and then doing the work to level up has made all the difference in the world.
What do you think about AI and writing? Have you tried AI for any creative works, and if so, what did you think about it?
I feel strongly that writers and creators should not use AI to influence their work. Creating is the most innately human thing we can do in this world, and we cheapen that for ourselves when we allow machine learning to do the heavy lifting for us. For innocuous things like chapter titles, character names, etc., using AI to help you could be ok. But beyond that – to use AI to develop pitches, plots, to create art, anything that’s truly of value to a story – for me, that’s unethical, and I would not encourage creators to go down that path.
Can you recommend any resources or books for readers and writers looking to improve their networking skills and strategies or their writing skills?
Networking is my JAM, and I love talking about it!
For me, it’s been critical in my professional career in corporate communications and as a writer. The thing about networking is that you just have to do it. There is no secret sauce to networking success – it’s having the courage to put yourself out there and go after what you want. Publishing is like any other entertainment industry – the more people you know, the more people who know you, the better your chances of getting through the door.
You can’t expect your work to always speak for you; sometimes, you must be your own cheerleader! I encourage writers to be active on social media. Yes, it can be a lot, and Twitter (I refuse to call it “X”) has gone downhill as a functional platform. But interacting with other writers and illustrators is important, particularly if you can’t attend in-person conferences and conventions. Is a writer doing something you love to promote their books? Tell them in the comments! Go to their virtual events! All of these things go a long way when it comes to networking.
As far as courses, there are two I strongly recommend. I recommend the Introduction to Children’s Writing 10-week course through the UCLA Extension writing program for beginners. That’s where I got my start, and this fully online course laid the foundation for the writing career I’m currently building.
The second course – for beginners and intermediate writers – is Ebony Lynn Mudd’s PB Retreat. These on-demand courses help writers understand character, voice, and structure – all the elements needed to make compelling picture books!
Who's your biggest cheerleader? And what did she/he/they say about this win?
No question, it’s my mom and my fiance. They cheerlead for me endlessly and believe in my writing as strongly as I do! They were so happy for me to have won this SCBWI award and are proud of me for all I’ve accomplished on the writing front this year. And their support is so important. Publishing can be a lonely industry, and you face so much rejection. So, having two people in my corner who celebrate my success is a blessing.
My dad passed in 2020, but I like to believe he is rooting for me just as hard in the afterlife.
What's the one question no one has asked you that you'd like to ask yourself and answer?
I don’t know that I have a final question for myself, but I have a parting thought –
always bet on yourself.
In this industry, you hear a lot of nos, face a lot of rejection, and knock on a very tiny door alongside thousands of other creators who want the same thing as you.
My tenacity, ability to ideate unique and original stories and the relentlessness with which I approach my writing sets me apart. I am betting on myself to outlast others and build a career. But to do that, I have to keep writing, I have to keep ideating, I have to keep striving. And I’m betting on myself that it will pay off in the end.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I believe in you, and I'm betting on you, too, Trenise! Thank you so much for this amazing interview and the in-depth content you shared. You are strong and wise so early on in your writing career, that I know you will have staying power. And through your networking advice, you will make lasting writer friends.
Keep reading and writing and sharing your thoughts with all of us other writers - the stronger one of us is, the stronger we all are. Let's all cheer Trenise on to great writing success. And I'm so happy that she's remembering the fun of childhood curiosity through her books.
If you would like to get on the writing journey with Trenise, here's her contact information:
Instagram: @treniseferreira
WordPress: Trenise Ferreira
Twitter: @treniseferreira
Representation: KT Literary
Write~on,
Angie Azur
(angazur @ gmail.com)
Your Writing Cheerleader!
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