157: How to Get Into Writing Books for a Young Audience with Carmen Oliver

Unimaginable Wellness is brought to you by: Wake Up Mom! A 5-Day Free Challenge For Moms Who Left A Corporate Career And Want More in 2023!  https://www.melissallarena.com/momrut/ - January 2nd to 6th – sign-up Join Me! Let's Take Inventory Of What You Are Truly Capable Of + Uncover Your Ultimate Next Adventure for 2023! Join this LIVE and free masterclass on January 2nd-6th at 1pm CDT to: Take an inventory of the biggest wins you've had in your prior life and current one too while on a career break Uncover the skills you may have forgotten and can design your skill-building adventure around so you can stay relevant Discover fascinating skill-building adventures that will help you leap out of bed (I believe adopting an adventurous mindset to creating your own professional development endeavors is the key to staying out of a rut and feeling more fulfilled as a SAHM or WFHM in a mommy trek jo) What stories would you want to tell your grandkids eventually? We'll discuss your "why" Learn about role models that can help motivate you Hear about my personal outrageous adventures and how they have affected my mental wellness as well as my marketability Ask me anything about staying relevant during a career break *You can ask me questions in the comments during the LIVE session. I love LIVE participation in this masterclass because tailoring the conversation makes it relevant to those who attend and it keeps me on my feet which is exhilarating! Maybe you've been wanting to write a non-fiction book that's meant to inspire the younger audience, but you're struggling to find that spark. You feel like you've lost that childlike wonder inside of you. Well, you're never too young or too old to live your dreams. You just have to figure out ways to bring back and nurture that sense of wonder and creativity waiting to be unearthed. In today's episode, Carmen Oliver talks about her book-writing journey in her goal to make a difference in the world – one kid, one reader at a time. Learn how she stays young at heart, how to shape a book so you can connect on a multitude of levels, how she stays plugged into that little girl inside of her, and how her grandkids help with that as well. Carmen Oliver is the author of many award-winning picture books for children including A Voice for the Spirit Bears: How One Boy Inspired Millions to Save a Rare Animal, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard, Building an Orchestra of Hope: How Favio Chavez Taught Children to Make Music From Trash, a Junior Library Gold Standard (Oct 25, 2022), and The Twilight Library (Sept 6, 2022). She's also the author of the Bears Make the Best Buddies series (Reading, Writing, Math, Science).  In 2014, Carmen founded The Booking Biz, a boutique-style agency that brings award-winning children's authors and illustrators to schools, libraries, and special events. She also teaches writing at The Writing Barn and The Highlights Foundation and loves speaking at schools, conferences, and festivals. Carmen lives with her family outside of Austin, Texas.  In this conversation, you will also understand why it's important to get out there. Carmen actually got her manuscript sold after having a casual conversation at a conference she attended. If you want to share your work with the world, you have to start somewhere!  In this episode, you will hear: What if you want to write a nonfiction children's book about someone you never met and who doesn't speak the same language as you? The story behind why she wrote Orchestra of Hope How to ground a story for readers How to find the right balance of word count vs. images in a picture book How do you know that a person's story will resonate with a kid? Gathering input to shape your book and why it's helpful for picture books Using your intuition and being a child at heart – how do you do this? Here's one serendipitous way you can explore to sell your manuscript Is finding the right illustrator the ultimate act of patience? When a story finds its author vs. the other way around The benefits of telling a story from another country to young readers Passions can go from a hobby to the center of your life Carmen's career pivot and call to action: how her daughter reminded her about the kid's book she was talking about writing The first steps to begin a writing career that involves young kids from reading to artist dates and establishing a writing routine  Carving time out of your day dedicated to your writing routine Getting inspiration from the books you read and from the wisdom of other writers Using the art of playing to uncover the kind of story that you want to eventually tell Self-care as a creative and why it's important The hard part about being in the messy middle of the book writing journey is… SHARE this episode with a mom who enjoys reading nonfiction and/or is writing her own.  Similar Episodes: Do You Feel Unmotivated and a Little Depressed or In A Rut? Try This in the Next Seven Days, Episode 156 Find Your Purpose Besides Being A Mom (This Is An Open Call For 50 Moms To Become Beta Readers Too), Episode 148 Supporting Resources: Shop for the perfect gift right here: Orchestra of Hope embodies the holiday spirit! https://amzn.to/3FBNtww  Website: www.carmenoliver.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmenoliver9013/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/carmenoliverjaq  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmen.oliver.566  Subscribe and Review Have you subscribed to my podcast for moms who read and want to write a nonfiction book? I'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.  I'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast for writer moms.  Grab a Free Chapter of My Personal Development Book for Moms entitled: Mom Needs A Lift: Stop Self-Doubt, Uncover What Lights You Up, And Imagine Yourself Going For It! Go to www.melissallarena.com/waitlist if you would like some answers tackling these questions: So how can you get back to that time when you were free, fun, and energized? What if your kids hold the key to this? How can you start your journey from feeling zapped to uncapped in your own level of playfulness? It's time you uncover just how under your nose the answers to these questions are! Grab the chapter here at www.melissallarena.com/waitlist, and tonight, you can use the ideas presented in this quick read.  Meanwhile, check out what moms like you have to say about this chapter and my upcoming book overall. Get your free chapter today! Don't you want to feel alive again? You know who raises happy kids? Happy moms. So here is what other moms have to say… "This book is about getting in touch with your creative, playful, imaginative side. The part of yourself that perhaps felt freer before you became a parent before you chose your identity and had a lot of responsibilities weighing you down. In helping you get in touch with your more playful, creative self, it not only helps you on a path toward greater happiness and fulfillment, but it also helps you to feel more fulfilled as a parent." - Mom/Librarian "The words: imagination, play, and fun are not the usual things we as mothers think of when wondering how to get a grip back on our career and I believe it provides a really fresh take and lots of food for thought for mothers reading it. I think that the tone is so energetic and fresh that it is why I would pick it up." - Mom/Positive Psychology Coach Go to www.melissallarena.com/waitlist    You are invited to send me a DM. What did you uncover from this episode? I'd love to know. https://www.instagram.com/melissallarena/