Picture Book Debut
Hairstory
Good day, Authors and Creatives,
Today we talk with Sope Martins about her PB debut, the power of poetry and white space, trusting ourselves as writers, and the importance of finding the people who support us along the way.
I met Sope in my novel-and-verse intensive at VCFA (Vermont College of Fine Arts), where she first told us about her upcoming debut release, Hairstory. I fell in love with the idea of this book and the magic we find in something as ordinary as hair. The history it carries, the stories it tells, and all that it symbolizes and represents.
Sope is a magician with words. She creates space for African stories, supports readers & writers, and builds a creative community through her books, blog, online courses, and The Kid Lit Foundation. I'm so excited for you to meet her and support her work.
Thanks for being on Teazurs Blog. We met in a novel-in-verse intensive at VCFA. And during that first week, you had a book release for Hairstory.
Hair carries history—and magic, too—how did you research this project? What unexpected tidbit did you uncover that's not in the book?
Ah, yes, those were some good times at the novel-in-verse intensive! And thank you for seeing the magic in Hairstory.
Research-wise, I started off just talking about hair with my friends and family. We all had such distinct and indelible memories of the times we spent at the salon, so that was a revelation in itself. Then I started reading blog articles, following up on things that came up in those conversations. The next stage was books like Emma Dabiri’s Don’t Touch My Hair. I found a couple of surprising things.
One was this lovely connection between my Igbo and Yoruba heritage: in both cultures, the earth is viewed as a female deity. In Yoruba, she is Ilẹ̀, and in Igbo, she is Ala. That was a fun find.
We learn a lot about symbolism in poetry. What's your process for turning something like hair into a symbol kids can understand?
I think children understand symbols better than we sometimes give them credit for.
Things carry
stories.
So with Hairstory, I didn’t really even have to turn hair into a symbol. All of that meaning was already there. My job was just to make the connections a little bit clearer so they could discover them too.
Was it easy or difficult to balance teaching cultural history and keeping the book playful for children?
It was a little difficult because I had so many stories I wanted to tell with Hairstory, that it went in lots of different, sometimes competing directions.
Then my editor asked me a very necessary question:
what story did I actually
want to tell?
The answer was connection. In what ways does our hair connect us? Once I knew what I was trying to say, the format became much, much easier to nail down.
What do you hope kids understand and feel after reading Hairstory?
I hope it makes them curious.
- If something as everyday as hair has all these stories behind it, what else in their lives does?
- What are the stories behind the food they eat, the clothes they wear, the things their families do?
- What other stories are sitting right there, waiting to be discovered?
If I gave you a megaphone and the whole world would listen—what is the one word or sentence you would shout?
BE KIND!
TO YOURSELF
AND TO OTHERS!!
Oh, this is an ongoing conversation I have with myself because I am a chronic overexplainer! You probably wouldn’t guess that from my writing because, before I show my work to anyone else, I as a reader have to be happy with it.
Once Writer Sope
can make Reader Sope happy,
I’ve done my job.
So I don’t have a concrete rule. I think you have to trust your instincts as a reader of your own work. If your eyes keep jumping over your words, sit with the piece a little longer. There’s probably a more truthful way you can tell that story or write that piece.
What has been a big takeaway so far from your VCFA MFA program?
Trusting myself. I came into the programme wanting to become a better writer, which I think I have, but the bigger lesson has been learning to trust the writer I already am. You can learn craft, take feedback, and revise endlessly, but at some point you have to know what you want your story to be and stand by it.
Recently, my agent asked if I wanted to rethink a format choice I’d made for a character. I’m not precious about my words, but this particular choice was so inherently tied to who the character was that, without it, I didn’t think I could tell their story properly.
So I explained my thinking to her, and she understood where I was coming from. That confidence comes from my time at VCFA.
I have a lot of projects in the mix, but now is the time to tackle my great white whale: the YA novel.
As a bona fide, self-certified pantser, I sit down to a blank page each day and try to create this sprawling world with many characters (primary and secondary), storyworld rules, desire lines, and…and…it can get a little messy in my head! But I’m trying it out to see where it takes me. No matter how long it takes me.
You are a very busy author – how do you find time to write? How do you organize it all?
I’m an early bird. Writing is usually the second or third thing I do when I wake up. Those early hours, when I’m freshest, are what I devote to my writing practice. Because I know that the moment the day really gets started, I won’t write a dang thing!
What are your favorite novels in verse, and how have they influenced your writing?
Ah, you’re asking me to pick favourites from all the beautiful babies out there?! I can’t! But if you held me over a fire,
Sarah Crossan’s Moonrise
are all firm favourites.
The two that have probably influenced my writing the most, though, are Ibi Zoboi’s (S)Kin and Laura Amy Schlitz’s Amber & Clay. Both lit up parts of my brain that are directly connected to what I’m working on now.
On your website, you share writing tips, so I am curious about your writing process. Is there something newer writers could use?
My new watchword is: write from your characters’ emotions. It’s been my saving grace and has elevated my writing from plot to story. A lot of the time, what I think is writer’s block is actually my characters pushing back because the plot isn’t coming from their needs and wants. And that makes for leaden writing.
Now, when I get stuck, the first thing I do is take a break and look at the situation from inside my character.
- What do they want?
- What do they need?
- What's their knee-jerk reaction to this immediate situation?
When did you first learn about SCBWI, and what does being a part of that writing group entail?
I am actively involved in branch activities. I was introduced to SCBWI by my friend, who is the regional advisor for Nigeria, and boy, am I glad she did!
A lot of my original book-writing knowledge came from the conferences and The Book, which is SCBWI’s guide to the ins and outs of writing and publishing for children. When I was still trying to figure out how this whole industry worked, those resources were invaluable. And now I get to be involved in the community here in Nigeria, which feels a little full circle.
What advice do you have for writers looking to join the SCBWI community?
Writing can be a lonely endeavour. Having a community like SCBWI can help make the journey a lot less so. I’ve learned so much from being a member, made such good friends, and found what I think will be a forever community.
To know that our work is seen and our struggles are acknowledged. That we’re not lost in this grand sea of words, but buoyed up by the friends and colleagues we meet along the journey.
Why write for kids? What makes you want to write for the young in our world?
Because you’re never more than a hop, skip, or jump away from magic with a child. I can unleash my wildest imaginings, and I know they’ll be along for the ride!
You are currently working on a YA story; what themes or ideas are you excited to explore next?
I’ve been working on a young adult manuscript for a while now. More than a decade, actually! It was one of the first stories I ever wanted to write, but I’ve only just gotten to grips with the voices that need to tell it.
It’s one of those stories that has somehow grown more urgent in my mind with time, so I’m very excited to finally be writing it properly. I can’t wait for the day I have a workable finished draft in my hands!
You founded the Kid Lit Foundation with a vision for telling and sharing African stories by African writers. Why is this important to you?
There is no dearth of African stories. There’s a gap between the number of stories we have and the number of people with the tools and opportunities to successfully bring them into the world. For a long time, other people have dictated how African stories are told. There’s a reason we’ve had to keep saying, “Africa is not a country!” If you want stories that capture a culture in all its specificity and complexity, then you’re going to need people from within that culture telling them. I’m just trying to get them started young.
What advice do you wish you had heard earlier in your writing career?
Don’t be afraid to write stupid.
After the stupid comes the good stuff.
But you’ll never get to the good stuff if you’re too afraid of being seen as stupid. Younger me, if only I could send this note back in time to you!
I’m leaping out of my writing cocoon and leading workshops wherever I can! You may have seen me at an SCBWI workshop, online or in person, and I’ll be leading a workshop at the Leaf Journal On Writing for Young People conference in November.
I love sharing what I know and talking craft with other writers. I’m based in Nigeria, but the wonderful thing about virtual events is that I get to pop up all over the world, so who knows where I’ll be next!
Is there anything else you want to share with us today?
Read on. Write on. Make candles. Or cupboards. Do what you love, and forgive yourself if you aren’t there yet.
You still have time.
It’s been a pleasure. And an honour.
Oh Sope!! It's been my honor and pleasure, too. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself with us. I love your writing advice. I'm going to write from my character's emotions from now on!!!
I'm excited to see where your verse, prose, & white space take you next. I'm so glad we met at VCFA.
Links here:
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That's a photo of my hubby and me on a hike in Asheville.
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