I have been pursuing creative writing my entire life, eating up creative writing lessons in grade school, high school, and college. When I started working towards publication, I began writing short stories and then went on to compose a couple pretty bad novels for the adult market.
At one point a writing friend told me my characters were quite innocent, and children’s books might be a good fit for me. But it wasn’t until a few years later when I had my own children and re-discovered picture books that I decided to take the plunge into writing children’s literature.
In 2015, when I decided to shift to writing for children, I promptly joined SCBWI, an organization I’d heard a lot about, even as a writer for adults. When scouring the SCBWI discussion boards, I saw several posts for 12 x 12 Registration. As I read about the program, I was instantly hooked. I love a good challenge, and outside accountability is very motivating to me.
So I dug in and proceeded to write a draft each month in 2015. Hooray! But my stories were pretty rough. Boo! Still, I kept on and noticed that my work improved month by month, draft by draft.
It took me a while to realize what the biggest benefit of 12 x 12 was to me personally—writing practice, just like athletes. As I was stretching my writing muscles, some stories were just a warm-up.
There was more than one swing and a miss.
And then sometimes, if I kept setting up to the plate, I’d hit a home run.
After a three years of creating drafts – one year I wrote 18! – I realized I needed to organize my files. So I set up my directory structure and created a folder for each year. At first, it seemed like I was just cleaning up files.
But when 2019 rolled around, I realized I was really setting myself up for a critical look at my work. When it was time to create a new folder for the year, I had a big decision to make. Which stories would I carry with me into the future, and which would I leave behind?
To make a decision, I considered the following:
Marketability – Did the story have a strong concept? I have a “I want a pet” story. But I didn’t have a hook to make it stand out in the marketplace. Sorry Lucy’s Snoring Alligator, you didn’t make the cut.
Title—I’m a sucker for titles. If I really fall in love with a title, but haven’t fully fleshed out the concept or even written a full draft, I may hold onto it. But I do have a few documents that I open and it’s just a title. Not a single word! Those don’t come forward.
How hard did I try—Did I write one draft and give up? Maybe it needs a little more elbow grease. Let’s keep it.
What did my critique partners say—Was there a certain element they felt was strong and worth developing? Maybe the story had heart, but the plot needed work. Maybe the voice was good, but the pacing was all wrong. If they saw a spark of something, I’d hang on to it.
How many drafts—Some stories need 30 drafts (like IT WILL BE OK) and some only 17 (like NATIONAL REGULAR AVERAGE ORDINARY DAY). But if I was on draft 50 and it still wasn’t working, or I felt burnt out on the story, it just might be time to let it go.
What does my heart say—There are a few stories that I’ve moved from year to year that I can’t let go of, because something about it strikes a chord in me. One of them is likely a poem more than a picture book manuscript, but I just love it so much, it makes the cut year to year. There’s something inside me that thinks I can make it work.
Now to be clear, I DO NOT DELETE THESE PRECIOUS DOCUMENTS!
They are filled with my heart and hard work, even if they don’t make a good story. The “left-behind” manuscripts still sit on my hard drive, but they’re not in a place that visually overwhelms me each time I open my laptop.
Have I ever gone back to a manuscript that I tucked away in a folder? You bet! And that book is IT WILL BE OK: A Story of Empathy, Kindness, and Friendship, which was my January 2017 draft.
It stayed in my 2017 folder, but when I was on a writing retreat at The Writing Barn, and had time to think and review all my manuscripts, I saw the folder on my hard drive and my heart did a little flop-flop. I opened it up, and read it again. I loved it. Made a few tweaks, then sent out into the world. And now it’s publishing on February 2nd. Jaclyn Sinquett did an amazing job on the art.
So write, write, write! Draft, draft, draft! Practice, practice, practice! Know that every story you draft in this challenge may not turn out to be a published book, and that’s OK! But keep showing up to the page and one day you’ll hit that home run.
As the youngest of eight siblings, Lisa Katzenberger has been making up stories to entertain herself since she was a child. She loves to write books that make children laugh, escape, and dream. Lisa lives near Chicago with her family in a 100-year old Victorian house with sloping hardwood floors and the tiniest bathroom you’ve ever seen. She is the author of IT WILL BE OK: A Story of Empathy, Kindness, and Friendship (Sourcebooks 2021) and NATIONAL REGULAR AVERAGE ORDINARY DAY (Penguin Workshop 2020).
Find out more about Lisa at:
Website: www.lisakatzenberger.com
Twitter: @FictionCity
Instagram: @lisakatz17
Pinterest: @LisaKatzenbergerKidLit
Giveaway: Lisa is offering a picture book manuscript critique (up to 1,000 words) to one 12 x 12 member. Go get that February draft written!
421 Responses
Your piece struck a chord with me. You so clearly laid out a plan for success – focusing on the work and not giving up. Thank you for the inspiration to keep going!
Such a valuable article. Thank you. I struggle with “too may pieces” of many manuscripts…. I overwhelm myself and then find it harder to sit down, roll of my sleeves and commit time to ONLY ONE…for a while. I appreciate your lens on the process. Thanks.
Thank you for being candid about how many drafts you wrote. It’s motivating to know that published authors go through the same process!
Thank you for the encouragement!!! Lots of ups and downs this month so I really appreciate it!
I keep telling my son you’re like the Mars rover… you have perseverance. I need to take it to heart ❤
Thanks for the encouragement!
❤️Thank you for sharing your writing journey.❤️
Lisa,
Thank you very much for your article. It confirmed to press on, and through perseverance, one day your work will be published. The organization of your yearly writings and what needed to be purged and what needed to stay shows the truth and honesty of integrity. What’s working and what’s not. Thank you, my dear.
I admire your perseverance and organization. Hanging on to manuscripts for a later look can be a revelation in terms of seeing things both good and not so great!
Thank you for your encouragement, Lisa. I’m going to implement the idea of the yearly folder.
Lisa! I’m inspired by your perseverance — and your organization! Can’t wait till I have 50 manuscripts just sitting in an electronic folder!!
Thanks so much, Lisa, for this encouraging post. I love your idea of yearly folders. I definitely need to work through my drafts. It always helps to hear the experiences and what worked for other authors.
Thank you so much for this organizing tool! Your encouragement is just what I needed today.
I had not thought of a folder for each year. An interesting way to proceed. Thanks for your questions too.
Thank you for sharing your journey, Lisa! It is so encouraging to hear. Congrats on your books–I’m excited to see your newest. It looks wonderful. Congrats!
Lisa,
Thanks so much for the tips for taking a critical look at past work! My mountain of drafts has me overwhelmed right now (okay, maybe not “mountain” yet…buy my “mole-hill” can still be overwhelming). I ask myself daily, “Which one should I work on?” Thanks for the help.
Lisa, It’s as though you’ve been reading my mind — Organizing my stories and figuring out how to categorize them has been my January dilemma and project.
Thanks so much for sharing how you handle yours. Running my stronger stories through this list to hopefully focus on the best ones going forward.
Congrats on all your books. Love NATIONAL REGULAR AVERAGE ORDINARY DAY. And the cover on your latest one is darling!
Thank you everyone for the kind words! I am so glad you found my thoughts helpful — it warms my heart! Keep going everyone! You’ve got this!
What a wonderful happy ending to your story, IT WILL BE OK1 Thanks for reminding us to revisit old manuscripts. As we grow as writers, I think old manuscripts can get a much needed makeover that might just make them winners.
Thanks for your great insight.
Thank you so much for sharing your process from draft to published book! it is so helpful and inspiring!! Congratulations on your books!! I look forward to reading them!!
Thank you Lisa for your personal telling of your story. It is inspiring to see someone that has actually kept at it and reached publication. Congratulations on your books.
What an inspiring story! Thanks for sharing😊
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for sharing your journey of perseverance! That is inspiring and motivating! I appreciate how you weeded out your stories -I now need to do that too! Your advice about how to to do that is very helpful. Thank you for your post!
Thank you, Lisa. Your system of reorganizing your stories and drafts every year on the basis of how you perceive their marketability has inspired me. I also loved your baseball theme! Thanks for the insights and the baseball puns. You hit a home rum with me.
Very encouraging post! I think that organization is one of the biggest pieces. I’m still trying to figure that part out! Thanks for sharing with us! Congrats!
Thanks for a great post, Lisa. You have inspired me to take a long hard look at all my story drafts – and also to organize a bit more! Looking forward to BOTH your books!
Thank you for sharing your journey Lisa. I appreciated hearing about your resiliency.
Thanks, Lisa. I love your categories for deciding which manuscripts make the cut to move into a new year. I know I have a few “hangers on” that beg me to stay when I know better. Now I can focus on why/why not and march forward without regret. Anyway, they’ll all still be there percolating, just in case!
Great advise and petspective, Lisa! I relate to so much of this. I keep a file on my computer called Compost File and my inactive ideas and drafts rest there, waiting for the right conditions and opportunitues for them to bloom.
I know, some of those old manuscripts are quite comforting, like a pair of shoes that are all broken in. I’ve heard seasoned authors say that a piece did not sell 10 years ago, but now it did. So happy for you, Lisa. See you at your book launch on Saturday. Yippee, whooohoo.
Forward motion is definitely better when organized. Thanks!
This really resonated with me! The part about stories that have a good story arc but don’t quite make the cut…I’ve been wondering my own pile of those recently, and you nailed– it may be a good concept but it doesn’t have a hook. Also, I feel like you’ve validated my hanging on to all those one-word idea documents cluttering up my drafts folder! Thank you for sharing 🙂
This was great thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing! It was great!
Wonderful post, Lisa. I totally agree on working and working and not giving up on yourself or the stories that make your heart flip flop. I also started off writing adult fiction but wish someone had suggested children’s books earlier; it was while reading picture books to my daughter that the light bulb lit up. Can’t wait to see your new book!
Encouraging piece. Thank you.
This is such a helpful list of ways to evaluate a manuscript. Thank you for sharing!
I love happy endings! And your tip for organizing is a gem! Thank you, Lisa. I’m inspired!
So inspiring! I can’t wait to get my copy of It Will Be Okay! xxx
I like your idea of sorting. It’s easier to keep files for a lot of reasons, finding mss, updates, research info. Thanks for your inspiring words about not giving up. Love the illustrations on your book. Best of luck!
Thank you for sharing your story and your organization system. I too have docs that are titles only, so you made me feel better about that. I look forward to reading your new book!
What a helpful post, Lisa! I love your criteria for moving stories into your new folder or leaving them behind – something I really need to do. And a big congratulations on It Will Be Okay.
I am in the process at looking at older manuscripts now. Can’t believe some are ten years old. I’m surprised at how many I feel are ready to be sent, but for whatever reason, I hadn’t. Making a list of where to submit now. And yes, there are some that will never be sent, but I still love.
Thanks for sharing your process. I love the mix of practicality and listening to your heart!
Congratulations on your persistence and new books! I know there will be more. You are an inspiration.
Everyone has their unique path to publishing. But most have in common hard work and persistence! Good Job and thank you for sharing!
This was just what I needed to read today, as I stare at my cluttered laptop desktop. LOL. Thank you for sharing and may this year’s manuscript folder be the juiciest one ever.
I love this post. It makes me feel like if I just need to keep on truckin’ and trying and I will be going in the right direction. Thanks for sharing your story 🙂
What a wonderful and inspiring post, thank you!!
Ah! A sensible, manageable way to stay organized. Thanks! Very inspiring story of the journey of It Will Be Okay.
So inspiring, Lisa. Congrats on your book deals!
Wow, I love your energy and all of your advice. I am new this year and soaking up everything I can. Thanks for much, Lisa 🙏🏼✨🧡
“IT WILL BE OKAY” is a great title. Looking forward to reading it. Thank you for sharing your persistence and organizational skills for all our picture book drafts. Carole Calladine
I love the warm up analogy – as a new writer it really takes the pressure off!
Congrats on your lovely book! Hope to pick it up some day 🙂
Thank you for this! I’m a little scared and encouraged at the same time! Much work ahead. Thankfully, it’s work I like 😉
Thank you, Lisa, for these tips! I fear I will lose some of my babies, and I need to organize them better. I do keep an ongoing list of my manuscripts—revised, critiqued, ready manuscripts.
And congratulations on your new book. I can’t wait to get my hands on it!!
The comments about organization as well as revisiting old works rang true. Thank you for sharing!
I think that sitting down and organizing might be something I really need to do. Thanks for the tip! I hope it leads to some success like yours did.
Thank you for the encouraging and inspiring post! It was very needed and appreciated. Congratulations on IT WILL BE OK. I love the cover!
Yay CP! I remember that first draft and it wasn’t that title! Congrats always!
Really good advice. I also have those mss I just can’t let go of and a few titles I love. I hang on to them in case I’m inspired to work on them again. Congrats on your success!
Thank you Lisa! Your post is so encouraging!! I can totally relate to holding onto stories that “strike a chord!” They must strike a chord for a reason :-). Congratulations on your beautiful books!
Congrats on “It Will be Okay!” And thank you for the advice!
Your new book sounds wonderful–I can’t wait to read it. Thanks for a great post Lisa. It’s so encouraging to read about how things work out.
Thanks for the amazing encouragement!
Thanks for your encouraging words, Lisa! Congrats on your homerun! I am still swinging for mine:>
I loved reading about what stories you brought with you from year to year, and which were leave-behinds. I am also drawn to titles, but have so many blank stories with just a title. I’ll be curious to see what comes with me to 2022 and which ones stay in 2021!
Congratulations on your book birthday, Lisa! I love books that focus on empathy and kindness, so we are definitely adding that to our reading list. What struck me most about your post is the idea of organizing manuscripts: keeping what works, revising what needs help, and letting go of what doesn’t. I tend to keep everything that I write, but having organization can be helpful in directing my focus on what to revise and/or submit in the future. Thank you for sharing your process!
Thank you for sharing, Lisa! Your books look adorable and I’m loving your folders idea to keep the overwhelm at bay.
Some stories were just a warm up…what a great way to think of those stories that aren’t the best but still help me with my writing goals!
I just love reading these journeys of perseverance and success. Congratulations on making it across the finish line! I look forward to adding this book to my library.
I’ve only been writing picture books for about a year, and I love the idea of going back through and deciding which manuscripts are keepers to move forward with. We’re so lucky to live in the digital age where we don’t have to save stacks of paper copies of things and can truly keep everything to go back to. Can’t wait to read It Will Be OK!
Thanks for sharing how you deal with all your drafts!
Thank you for the encouragement!
I too am finding that the more I write, the more I hear my voice and my style…thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your process, Lisa! I love the idea of carrying stories forward from year to year. What a great way of evaluating your work each January. And of course, don’t delete anything!
This story sounds amazing, Lisa! I can’t wait to read it. Thank you for sharing your journey and for the encouragement and inspiration! 🙂
Thanks for the advice and encouraging words, Lisa!
Hi Lisa! So excited to see your next book coming out 🙂 Congrats on It Will Be Okay. Thank you for sharing your process. I’ve been a bit overwhelmed about keeping all these StoryStorm ideas organized!
I love that method!
Congratulations Lisa! Thank you for sharing your journey and the encouragement to never walk away from pursuing your craft. Your advice is priceless!
Thank you, Lisa for sharing your decision making process. I, too, have a folder for each year, but have not gone back to read them. Now I will. Thanks.
YES—practice, practice, practice (and definitely never delete, great reminder)! Thank you for sharing your journey.
This was great, Lisa. Your comments hit home with me as I do/have done the same thing. I look forward to reading your book. The illustrations are perfect for your story.
Thanks Lisa. I am glad I read this early in the month instead of waiting for the check in at the end! I am a title lover too and I have decided that if its just the title…it stays back. Thanks.
Great post, Lisa! I like your way of thinking! Congrats on your success!
Thank you, Lisa, for your helpful and down to earth post. I’m ready to writex3, revisex3, practicex3 and dream, keeping your decision considerations in mind. Congrats on your book! I’m looking forward to reading it…and hopefully meet you at a local post-Covid SCBWI event. You’ve been getting lots of nice shout outs on the forum!
A great reminder about marketability. Sometimes I write for an audience of one.
Thanks for this, Lisa! I keep all my old drafts in folders, but not by year. I’m digging this organization method!
Thanks Lisa! Your process is very encouraging. I have many stories that fit your categories!
Some stories just have to wait until the proper time to be introduced to the world, don’t they? I’m glad you didn’t give up on It Will Be Okay.
I feel you on ALL of this. I love your idea of creating a folder for the most promising stories so that EVERYTHING isn’t always in your face all the time. I get so overwhelmed trying to figure out what to work on next. I’m going to try this! THANKS FOR THE TIP! And congrats on both your books! 🙂
Thank you for the organizational tips! My hard drive is rapidly becoming overwhelmed. 🙂 Your story really resonated – keep showing up, keep writing, keep persisting. Thanks, Lisa!
Great tips for organizing. Thanks for sharing!
Great post, Lisa!! Thank you for sharing your writing journey, especially about how many drafts you write. I also write numerous drafts… before I start a new draft I cut and paste the old version into Word and date it so that I know which ones have come before the current one. Then I go ahead and revise… dating them helps as I can go back and see where a major change was made and if it doesn’t work I can put the older version back in. I have found that sometimes the magic will be missing from my latter revisions. I also do not throw away the sections that I have deleted but put them into my “Rag Bag” Folder for use in other stories later on down the line.
And I definitely hear you about hanging onto stories that “strike a chord!”… my old MG had me bawling as I wrote a certain chapter… and that had never happened before or since. NED is a keeper!!
These are great suggestions! I need to organize my drafts, too.
Thank you for sharing your story. You have some very wonderful ideas!
Thank you for sharing your journey with us, Lisa. Your tips on how to decide which stories to focus on really resonated with me. Wishing you continued success!!
Thanks for sharing! I’m with you…a sucker for titles 🙂
Thank you for sharing your strategy for organizing! I just made separate file within my drafts file for 12×12 drafts. I’ve just started writing picture book manuscripts in earnest and I love the idea of assessing each year which ones to carry forward — but not deleting the others!
How true, Lisa! “Write, write, write. Practice, practice, practice.” We ARE athletes, but ones who train with our brain, not our brawn. Thank you for sharing with such honesty how you persevered to the path of publication. Congratulations on your debut picture book. Sending you encouragement and inspiration as you continue…”Batter up!”
What an adorable book! Thanks for sharing your inspiring journey.
Lisa, thank you for reminding us to keep the golden nuggets of our past manuscript attempts and revisit them. They may speak to us differently as we gain more practice and knowledge of how to give picture books wings.
Thank you for sharing your story and your encouragement. I do believe no writing is ever wasted and appreciate how you’ve organized yourself so that you’re not overwhelmed by all that you’ve done. I’ll be taking a look at my files to see if there’s something similar I can do.
Thank you so much for this encouragement. 🙂 Blessings.
Thank you so much for this encouragement. It means a lot.
It’s so nice to hear that those rough first drafts can be made to shine with a bit of persistence, and I love that you listen to your heart and don’t stop those stories that have a special place in it! And no writing is wasted – I am a believer of that too. I went back to a story I thought I had finished and put away in the proverbial drawer, but last year, I took it back out and saw how it could be improved, and I so enjoyed doing that, it made my heart sing a little in what was a very grim year.
Very inspiring, Lisa! On a side note, I’d love to trade tiny bathroom pictures with you someday! We have one too.
1. Congratulations!
2. I cannot wait to get my hands on this book!
3. Thank you for the reality check on drafts and revisions! I have a PB I’ve been working on and revising (my first “serious” one) and 4 revisions in, I was like “Why isn’t it good enough already?” (insert self-pity waaaaaah emoji here along with whatever one expresses unrealistic expectations). I so appreciate hearing about your journey. Thank you for taking the time to share it.
I loved hearing about your process of sorting and evaluating—thank you for sharing it. Congratulations on your upcoming book (with a great title)!
Thanks for sharing your inspiring journey with us!
Thank you so much for sharing your system. This is only my second year in 12×12 and I wasn’t sure how to organize last year’s drafts and keep the most promising ones prominent.
Thank you for sharing this organizational system. I thought I had a good one, but as my number of stories grows it could be good to leave some behind in a previous year folder.
Reading this made me reflect upon my own journey. I remember a nervous excitement trying to write those first-12×12-year stories, like, can I do this? Do I have stories, plural, in me? And now several years later, I know the stories will come, they are waiting to be unveiled.
Congrats on your publication!
Lisa, Loved your reflection of your work and how you organize your stories. I might do the same. Also I’d really like to see that bathroom! Congrats on the new book.
Thanks for the reminder that if I keep exercising my writing muscle, my work will get better. And for including Bautista in your GIFs.
Thank you for your lovely post. And for reminding us that some stories don’t work. And some that aren’t working now could work later. 🙂
I appreciate your thoughts on organization. It is so important and surprising how it frees a person to write more abundantly.
Thanks, Lisa, for sharing your journey; there were valuable nuggets buried inside.
Oh man. Creativity pep talks AND baseball imagery??? This post is right in my sweet spot. 😉 Thanks, Lisa!
Very inspiring post! Thank you, Lisa, and congratulations on your success!
Thanks for sharing! Your story is motivating!
I loved reading this. Organizing your stories into folders for each year and continually working on drafts, or even just putting a title on a page. I do something similar, but I like how you make a point to be focused in your organizing and really take a critical eye to your work. I’m going to attempt to implement this in my own work! Thanks.
I love how you organized and reviewed your MSs. I have mine similarly organized, but haven’t reviewed them all. I’ll have to add that to my to do list!
Thank you for this wonderful overview of your growth as a writer.
I love process! Thanks for sharing yours.
So glad you shared your story of perseverance AND organization. I’ve been doing that bit by bit this year.
I love hearing about how people organize their work!
Congratulations, Lisa! Yay! I caught the book talk on your website…best interviewer ever! Thank you for your thoughts and the process of your writing.
Wonderful post, Lisa! Congratulations on this book. I love that our hard drives are filled with stories that might make their way into the world one day!
So great to hear a new way to manage all of the drafts we accumulate. Congratulations on your adorable new book! Happy dancing for you!
I love this article! You said it so well. I started organizing my files better too last year. I put each of my drafts into their own folders but then I have a big folder labeled ‘Other Stories’ and in there are all my drafts of 30 ideas. Some are more developed than others but it helps to keep me organized and if I have any ideas, insights, or inspiration that hits during the day I transcribe them down into their own word doc so when it’s time to get down to writing the draft I have it all there. My first story I probably revised close to 30 times, and when I sent it off last September with some rejections I can’t complain about I revisited it again a few months later and made it even better. Back then, I had thought I nailed it only to realize that I could make it even tighter. I feel it helps for me to create separate folders for those stories that have been revised more than once and into the final stages. Your story looks so adorable and the cover art is well done!!
Such wonderful advice. Writing is both a joy and hard work and I was blown away by your dedication to, not only your story but the constant rounds of revision and editing as well.
I’m a librarian, so my filing system is pretty organized – having said that, it never occurred to me to simply leave some things behind. I have scraps of information, single sentences, concepts, titles, and opening paragraphs in individual files that just keep piling up.
You have motivated me to take a fresh look at everything and create annual folders, just as you do, for everything in order to move forward with material that I can truly focus on. Thanks again – an interesting and helpful read.
Great post, Lisa! I love your tips about deciding which books will go forward and which will stay tucked in past years’ files. Congrats on your books!
Great advice Lisa! I’ve been struggling with how to organize, even more so – papers and notes I’ve pritned that have been sitting in piles and folders for months. But organizing into computer folders is helpful and could be better with utilizing this! I will be ok, is totally wonderful too!
Lisa,
I love your list of questions you ask to help determine what to do with each draft at the start of a new year.
Thank you for sharing!
Terri
Lisa, thank you for the reminder that perfecting any draft takes LOTS of practice and revision:)
I absolutely love IT WILL BE OK! It is such a sweet story.
Awesome post! So true about all those documents—I sadly haven’t saved as much as I wish I had!
Thank you so much for this supportive and uplifting post, Lisa! I really appreciate what you say about having a kind of gut reaction to certain pieces you write. Even if you know they’re not (yet) ready, they hold you in place. So in addition to being guided by your head, you’re guided by your heart in making decisions about managing your portfolio. Also, thank you for the encouragement to join 12×12. I’m not sure you recall, but I was in your Writing Barn class in the fall and this was a recommendation you gave!
Thanks so much for sharing your story and inspiring us all to keep on working toward our goals. And congrats on IT WILL BE OK!!!
Love the idea that as we stretch our writing muscles, some stories are just a warmup! Great post! 😀
Thank you for sharing your experience, Lisa! I love your insight about organizing your stories.
Thank you, Lisa. It is always a great thing to be reminded of perseverance! You certainly delivered that message in beautiful way.
I love those decision making tips and the organization ideas. Thank you!
Lisa,
What a wonderful post! Every word was true for so many of us. Thank you for your insight.
Just wondering have you ever written a story about your 100 year old Victorian house with the tiniest bathroom?… sounds like a great story!
Encourages me to not give up too quickly on revising! Very inspirational. Thanks Lisa!
Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your story. I love learning from successful authors! I do need to get more organized so thanks for giving me some tips on that and I like learning how you weeded out the drafts that would move forward month to month. Great ideas! I look forward to reading your books. They sound delightful.
Thank you for sharing your journey with us Lisa! I really am looking forward to reading IT WILL BE OKAY. And I love the fact that it was something you had shelved (or filed away) for a while. I remember reading in one of my writing books that we should not love our work, but I disagree. And I think you would too!
Hi Lisa, I really enjoyed your post. So much resonated with me, especially your metric about deciding which stories to stick with and which to let go. Eye opening! I also loved the reminders that some stores may take more revisions than we envision, and that persistence is the key to hitting a home run, unless it’s time to bunt! Thank you for sharing your process and your journey, and congratulations on your newest picturebook. I’m looking forward to reading it.
Lisa,
I love, love, love your advice. The drawers are stuffed but I will not unload any into the trash. The manuscripts are not precious, but someday, I may have a hare-brained idea that will give those darlings something they need.
Fingers crossed
AND
Congrats on your successes!
Thanks Lisa for sharing this. I am in that lace right now evaluating what to keep and what to let go of and trying to come up with a 2021 business plan that includes time blocking for writing along with classes, critique groups etc. It’s nice to hear we are sharing similar thoughts here. Keep on writing!
Marianne
Love this idea of being able to critically move chosen works forward, and still being able to look back! Great idea!
This is such an inspiring article. I have many ideas and manuscripts that need work but
I know there is light for them at the end of the editing/revision tunnel. Thank you for sharing. Congratulations Lisa on your success!
Great post, Lisa, thanks! Good reminder that I can feel good about my February draft. It’s thin, rushed, but it at least plays with an idea that I’ve had for a while. And I can go back to it and think about whether there’s anything there I want to continue playing with!
Congratulations on your success, Lisa! I’m new to picture book writing and appreciate reading about your process and progress. I look forward to the day I have lots of organized folders filled with my writing.
Thank you, Lisa. I always find your advice very helpful and feel a certain connection to the way you do things!
Thank you for the reminder that persistence is the key! And your book “It Will Be OK” sounds wonderful. Thank you!
Thanks for the checklist, and for 2 lovely books. I heard you read one. Lynne Marie read the other. I got to sit, enjoy and learn. Thank you!
Great post. I love your process for organizing drafts.
Love this file organization method! I do something similar in my bullet journal. Every 6 months when I start a new bullet journal, I decide which works-in-progress and which story ideas to carry over. The ones left behind are still listed in the old bullet journal if I want to look back. Their Word documents are still in my archived manuscript folder on my computer.
Lisa, thank you for sharing the story of your journey – so inspiring ! (PS also 1 of 8), best, Karen
Priceless advice, Lisa!
Thanks for sharing the importance of letting go of stories that don’t work so we can focus on ones that could actually make it.
Lisa,
Great story and great advice! Thank you. The thing that struck a chord with me was the eight siblings part. I’m fourth born of six. 😳
I have far too many ms folders with not nearly enough potential. I hadn’t considered making a new file every year. Looking forward to trying your method. Fingers crossed. 🤞
Ann
I do something very similar to your method! But I’ve never gone back to look at old ones. Maybe it is time that I do!
Love your prioritization method, Lisa. And your writing journey is inspiring. Thanks for sharing it!
Love the idea of yearly folders for writing projects, Lisa! Thanks for the wonderful tips!
Thanks for sharing your journey with us and for all the writing advice.
This was such a good read and your advice really resonated with me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
What a wonderful read!
Thank you, Lisa. Your path is relatable and gives me hope!
Hi Lisa! Thanks for sharing your journey! Stories like yours give me hope:>
Thank you for this beautiful message. We all need to hear that It will be okay. What a great title and can’t wait to read it. Sounds so comforting. I like the idea of folders. Will try that. Thank you for the advice.
This is definitely what I need, to think of writing as exercising. Thanks for helping to confirm this for me. I joined 12×12 today and I’ve redrafted a PB this evening
Thanks so much for sharing your process with us––and congratulations on your book launch!
It’s always interesting to learn about others’ process. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your honest post. And congratulations on your books – I can’t wait to read them.
Thank you for sharing your writing path to publication! It is very encouraging, and the title to Lucy’s Snoring Alligator made me laugh out loud. Maybe one day your Snoring Alligator will re-emerge with a great twist 🙂
I’ve spent the morning editing five stories. I realized one was pretty old. I love the beginning of the story and the end but what’s good about the beginning doesn’t carry through until the end, not yet anyway. I wondered to myself how long I’d be tinkering with it so your post really hit home. I think it’s always good to hear from someone who has worked as hard and has had their books published. It helps to read you’ve been in our shoes! Thanks, Lisa!
What great advice and inspiration to JUST. KEEP. GOING. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your dedicated journey!
Great motivation to keep writing. Thanks.
Yes, the writing practice and accountability of the 12×12 have been invaluable. Thank you so much for sharing your writing journey.
Thanks for sharing your writing process! I also did an inventory of my stories and decided to only pursue the ones that have a chance in this tough marketplace! I can’t wait to read your books! Congrats!
Wow Lisa, Reading this blog post really connected for me. Hearing about your journey and how many revisions it takes, makes my own journey seem right on schedule then! The visuals helped me laugh through the truth of what it takes to stick with it.
Thank you so much! This was such an important post!
Samantha
Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you, Lisa! I needed this help to organize my little story babies. Appreciate you for taking time for us on the 12×12!
That was so inspiring… so relatable. Thanks for such sweet advice!
Thank you so much for sharing your journey and the work that went into your beautiful book. You are an inspiration. I can’t wait to read your book to my daughter.
Thank you for sharing your journey. Thank you for sharing how you organize your drafts, too. It has inspired me to get more organized with my drafts!!
As a first time 12 x 12 participant, this is wonderful advice. Thank you!
Good luck with your new book. It looks incredible. I am already hooked with the cover. Your post was inspirational, thank you.
Thank you Lisa. Congrats on your books. Your persistence is so encouraging.
I love the theme of your latest book. And I’d love to see a photo of your tiny bathroom. Congratulations on the book’s release!
Such great advice, thank you. I think it’s time I did a little tidying up.
I agree. Even many of mine are crap right now, I save them all. If nothing else, they’re good for a laugh
Thanks for sharing your story. It has inspired me to take another look at past drafts and put in the work to make them shine.
Love the baseball metaphor. Thanks for the post, Lisa.
A lot of good info in here!
I love the fact that you listed exactly how many drafts your manuscripts took. Sometimes it is so challenging to know when you are ready. Am I ready? I’m not sure!! Congratulations on your amazing success!!
Swings and misses. As we lead into spring training! Thanks for the great advice!
A wonderful story “Write” from the heart!
Thank you for this wonderful post. It was so encouraging to read about the number of drafts. I have a ms that I first wrote when I was a teenager in the 90s and I let it sit untouched for years. I picked it back up a few years ago and started revising. I won’t give up on it yet.
This is great advice, thank you! I love the backstory for IT WILL BE OK, and now I’m inspired to go through old folders to sort out what I might still want. I especially appreciate the tips for deciding which stories should move forward. Congratulations on your book release!
Lisa, thanks for wonderful advice on evaluating and saving stories. I am looking forward to trying your ideas for determining which stories get carried forward into the next year.
I loved hearing about your journey. Thank you for sharing.
Great advice! I love the idea of making folders so you’re not overwhelmed when you open your computer!
Thank you for sharing the great advice, Lisa!
Wow! Your hard work and persistence paid off. Well done!
Thank you for sharing your journey. I can’t wait to read your book!
Thank you Lisa! I love that we are getting to follow you on your writing journey. Hopefully we will still see Lucy’s Alligator someday!
Great post! It’s a helpful reminder to be here for the process of writing, to enjoy the creation of stories even if not all of them will ultimately be published. This feels like such a sustainable and fulfilling way to write!
Lisa- thank you so much for this post. It is a wonderful demonstration of how to organize years of writing while staying positive and hopeful. What a journey.
Thanks for sharing. Love hearing of ways to focus on the strengths of stories, what are reasons to make a story a keeper. I shall bear these in mind in future when looking at what is making my picture books work and what perhaps isn’t. Interesting idea to categorize by year and see what makes the grade to continue to the next stage.
Thank you Lisa for sharing for your story and giving us inspiration to keep moving forward no matter the obstacles that may slow us down! Can’t wait to read your book!
Thank you for your encouraging words. Sometimes, I feel like giving up, but then I read success stories like yours, and my heart is happy again.
Oof yes, definitely need to organize all my files. I want to keep the good titles, too!
Thanks for the tips Lisa!
Thank you for sharing your writing journey! Each author who shares his/her story leaves their thumbprint on my heart .
I haven’t deleted any of the stories-even the bad ones! I’m always amazed at how they still mean to me too! Can’t wait to read your books! ❤️
This is so encouraging! Thank you!
Lisa,
Your post made me think about going back to some of my past Story Storm (PiBoIdMo) ideas and seeing if they speak to me. Thanks for the nudge.
Thank you for the great post, Lisa. You are a shining example of how perseverance can lead to success. Congratulations!
Thank you. I like the accountability of 12×12 also. It’s been very good for me. And I recently went through old story files too. Grateful for the encouragement, Lisa. Thank you again.
Great tips and congratulations!
Loved this! Great reminder that what doesn’t work today may still work tomorrow. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your encouragement and words of wisdom!
Thank you so much for sharing your process and your journey. So many great takeaways.
Thank you, Lisa, for these tips on organizing manuscripts and the criteria for weeding them. You have written a lot! You’re so fortunate to have had the writing bug all your life. Reading to my daughters got me into writing for children, too. It was like authors and illustrators were having so much fun out on the playground; I wanted to play, too. But, of course, it takes determination, willingness to practice, and mental flexibility. Thank you for cheering us all on!
Wonderful and encouraging post!
Love this! Makes me glad I renewed with 12×12 again.
I love the nuts and bolts included in this post. So many parts of writing are magical, then comes the work. But you make the work part sound rewarding – even if it takes a really long time. Thanks for sharing your process!
Thank you for sharing such great ideas about your process!
You’ve inspired me to tidy up my files. Who knows what I’ll find?
Your piece has encouraged me to keep going and also to think about the stories that I have written and perhaps can go back to and work on.Thank you so much
Loved your book! Thanks for sharing with us!
Thanks so much for your post, Lisa! Your process for deciding whether to move drafts into the new year is really inspiring and creative.
I really appreciate your insights on organization; I’m just starting out so its helpful
Thank you so much for your post. Hearing how you deal with organization is very helpful!
Thank you so much for sharing! So much great info!!
Loved this post, Lisa, and your interview on the Picture Book Spotlight podcast. Your insights on each were so helpful!
Thank you, Lisa! This is my first year with 12×12 and I am already wondering how I am going to tackle all the revisions while trying to think of new PB ideas (plus working plus raising kids).
Thanks for the pointers and baseball GIFs!
This such a great post and great advice given! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for sharing, Lisa!
Thank you, Lisa, for such an inspirational post. Knowing how many drafts you went through helped to put things into perspective fro me.
Thanks for sharing your journey with us! Wishing you continued success.
Thank you for the inspiration and the reminder to persist. I love the idea that no writing is a waste as it’s all practice!
So glad I caught this post Lisa. I am hoping to start off 12×12 strong in 2021. 🙂
Lisa, this PB is fantastic, so full of heart. Congrats!
Thank you! Wonderful advice.
“What does my heart say?” was the piece that sparked inside me. I’m trying to listen to my writing with less of my left brain lately and try to feel the emotion of it. I appreciate all the other information to help set us up for success, too. Thank you!
Thank-you for sharing how to deal with my critical weakness– the not-as-creative side to writing. I am brand new. And organization should be the first thing I put into place.
Thank you so much for sharing you journey with us, Lisa! I still remember taking a class at the Writing Barn where you were the TA. So happy for your success!
I’ve had a couple books come out of me which didn’t need much revision – have you ever experienced that? Those “lightning bolt” ideas that come and you can see the whole thing clearly and perfectly. Maybe a little revision, but BAM – it’s like magic!
Thank you, Lisa, for this very encouraging post! I will go back to my folder of forgotten manuscripts (which I’d been dreading!) and maybe I’ll uncover some gold!
I certainly resonate with the “likely a poem more than a picture book” observation.
Thanks for the helpful explanation of your process.
Thanks for sharing! I get really stuck on titles too! Titles have definitely been the starting point for a few of my ideas.
Thank you for your reminder to tap back into old drafts. I am organized on how I file away drafts, but I don’t revisit them enough. I look forward to rediscovering some ideas!
Thank you, Lisa, for your wonderful advise about finding that balance of letting drafts and ideas for stories develop over time and knowing when to let go of some. But, of course, never delete forever! I enjoyed reading about you on your website. I love the part about your teacher letting you write all day and you’ve never stopped since!
Thank you Lisa for your uplifting and inspiring message and sharing the story of your journey with us. I love your filing idea, might try it. Your picture book sounds just perfect, we all need to hear it will be ok!! I look forward to reading it someday! Best wishes
Love the idea of “year” folders. Thank you so much for sharing!
Such a great post! Thank you for sharing your process! I love how you ask yourself this question: “Which stories would I carry with me into the future, and which would I leave behind?” I need to do that with my stories. Thank you for inspiring me!
Congrats on your new book. It resonated with me that you listen to your heart when you just know there’s a story that needs to be in the world.
Thank you Lisa for your inspiring journey. I am amazed at how many drafts a single story takes before I can see IT!
A wonderful post! Thank you for sharing your organization and decision-making process. I plan to give it a try!
Thanks for sharing your story! This has got me inspired to write write write all over again 🙂
I like seeing how other authors work through their stories once there are many to work through. In the beginning, it’s all about writing, but, at some point, you need to cull them.
Lisa, you are an incredible writer and seem like such a humble person. Your titles rock! And also, I appreciate your authenticity with some of your own struggles as well as your helpful tips on how your organize your work. I just want to mention that you invited me to sit with you at a conference and you are just such a good person : ). Just know that those little things really make a big difference in people’s lives. Thank you ; )
Lisa, thank you for your candid thoughts on organization and revisions. As a new writer, this will be so helpful to me moving forward. I also think of many titles without a full story for them and I have trouble letting ideas go so your advice on how to organize manuscripts without completely discarding them is invaluable to me.
I was nodding my head throughout your post. Sounds like you and I have a similar system. I call my file with the most potential: PB Works in Progress. The others, the fits and starts, the random sentences and ideas are in another folder. Proud to say my PB Works in Progress folder is growing steadily. Keeping at it! Thanks for your words of encouragement!
Thanks for this inspiration, Lisa. I’m a new member here and am looking forward to improving my craft!
Thanks for this article! 😊
Congratulations on your new books! I find that when I organize sometimes ‘mash-ups’ happen– an idea or approach for one ms feeds into another ms that actually ends up creating something better than I had originally.
Love this reminder to keep going!
Great post and I think I should get your book “It’s Okay” as I’m scared of spiders.
Thanks for posting.
Thank you for sharing, Lisa!
Great advice and tips. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing your process, your struggles, and your encouragement to keep writing.
What a beautiful, heartfelt, honest, and inspirational post. Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
I’m constantly going back to old drafts. It gives me a good laugh, but I do question, is it time to work on you again? Why did I put you aside to begin with. Often, it’s only because a new idea came up and then another and anoather, and then the older one gets pushed aside. It’s good to go over older files. You find gems.
Thank you fir your insights and honesty. I needed to read thus!!
Thank you! I’ve got many “heart stories” too, squirreled away. Wonderful to hear about your journey.Thanks for giving loads of examples and encouragement.
Lisa, Thank you for sharing your criteria and the idea of organizing my files by year. I think this is the month to take a look back and reassess!
So many great tips in this post, Lisa. Thank you!! Love your ideas on deciding where to focus your writing energy. Going to go through my files and reorganize!
Thank you for the encouragement and for sharing your process to organize and cull those drafts!
Thank you for the encouragement and for sharing your process to organize and cull those drafts! Even the ones with just a title – I have a few like that too. It’s nice to know other writers have similar experiences. 🙂
It’s so good to read, that a successful PB author like Lisa’s process is so similar to those of us just starting out. It puts wind in my sails.
Thank you for sharing your up’s and down’s on your writing journey. It is really encouraging to know how many drafts it can take before it is right. I know I have many many drafts of a manuscript that is literally my heart. I know one day it will be right, but for now I will keep drafting.
Thanks for sharing how you organize and prioritize your mss. I think I will steal this idea! Thanks!
Lisa, love the title of your book – Sure a great title for these challenging days!!! Also, I liked when you were trying to figure out which of your stories to keep working on you said, ” What does my heart say”…great advice! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing your journey! The graphics were helpful! 🙂
Thank you for this! Very helpful advice!
Thanks so much, Lisa, for the inspiring post. It’s important to remember that even the terrible drafts are practice and that maybe, the terrible ones that I love still have hope!
I appreciate the reality check on how many drafts we really end up writing (“only 17” vs. over 50) — feeling that, for sure!
Thanks for the tips! I get tired of my stories around Draft 15 LOL! Will keep plugging away.
Thank you for the advice and encouragement. I love learning about a writer’s journey.
Great advice, Lisa! Thanks for sharing! I love to look back at old ideas and manuscripts, too. There is one idea from years ago that I’ve always “rolled my eyes” at, but it always stands out to me. I think it’s time to draft it and see what happens! 🙂
Your organizational tips are so helpful; thank you! I also want to tell much I enjoyed “National Regular Average Ordinary Day.”
Lisa, thank you for your wonderful words. It is encouraging to read where you have been and dream of where you are going. My copy is on it’s way to my book shelf and I will cherish it. Mary Jo
Thank you Lisa for sharing your journey as a writer. It took years of dedication and hard work to get that first book published. I love the sports analogy, an important aspect to share with elementary children when tackling a new task. To try and try again. I look forward to reading your books for inspiration.
Awww! I can’t wait to read it! Thanks for your encouragement!
This was a great post, and I can’t wait to read It Will Be Okay, because it will be okay!
Lisa, congratulations! It is exciting to celebrate your success in having two of your picture books published.
Thank you for sharing many practical suggestions to help us succeed, too. Very helpful!
I plan on reviewing your post in the future for encouragement to persevere.
Yay! Thank you!
This post gives me a lot of hope, Lisa. I turned to PB writing after years of writing artcikes and curriculla. Among other things, reading and writing picture books give me a lot of calm and relief. I’ll borrow from your organisation strategy, and the idea of reviewing the writings at the end of the year seems a pretty good exercise in self-evaluation. Thank you 🙂
Thanks for sharing your organizing ideas. It’s something I need to do!
Gail Hartman
Loved the sports – writing analogy. Thank you for sharing how you critically evaluate your stories.
Thank you for sharing.
Lisa,
I enjoyed hearing about your path to publishing. Thanks for the reminder to look through those tucked away drafts! 🙂
Lorraine
Thank you for sharing your journey! It was inspirational to read!
Thanks for the encouraging post. I am going to go back to my stories in the drawer and see how I can improve them!
Love this book, Lisa!!!
Thank you for sharing! I’m going to use your system to take a closer look at some older manuscripts.
Yup, write, write, practice, practice. Don’t give up. I like the your book cover. Thanks for sharing.
Love the swing and a miss–love the baseball analogies. Thanks for this insight into your process!
Great post Lisa – thank you!
Thank you for sharing your inspiring story! It helped me realize that it’s healthy to put a MS away for a while, or to let it go. Thanks for reminding us that as long as we keep writing and experimenting, eventually we’ll get that home run!
Really appreciate the insight on deciding what to shelf and what to keep working on. Congrats on the debut!
Thank you for sharing your process and journey!
Awesome advice to hang in there and keep writing–and to revisit those old manuscripts. Thanks for the encouragement and sharing your success story. 🙂
Love this post and advice. Thanks and congratulations on your success! I want to organize my files now : )
Lisa – Love your post and advice. Thanks and congratulations on your success! I want to organize my files now : )
Thank you for sharing your process! It gave me the motivation to re-organize and re-assess my manuscripts, WIPs, and story ideas. Thank you!
I love the fact that you don’t throw out any of your old drafts! You just move them. Who knows when an old draft can spark a new idea or prove useful to a work in progress. You’re right. A lot of hard works goes into those drafts even when they don’t quite seem to work. In time, they may serve as a resource for other writing.
Thank you for the encouragement.
Thanks Lisa for the great advice and congrats on your new book. I hold onto a lot of my manuscripts that I know may never see the light of day. 🙂
Such great advice, thank you! I definitely need to assess all my drafts.
Thank you so much for sharing this! Always good to hear this is a looonnnggg learning process and just showing up means we’re one step closer to smashing it!
Thank you for sharing all your information.
It’s encouraging to hear how you found your true calling in children’s books. Those old drafts are leading us on to something better. Thank you!
I love the idea that some stories are just warm-ups!
I love your checklist for deciding whether or not a manuscript is a keeper!
Your story files remind me of my photo files. Every year I cull my photos and create a ‘best of’ file for future use in albums or videos. I never erase the other photos. For writing, I have one document with every story listed with the date originally written. Title and date; that’s enough to find it on my computer then. Sometimes it is just a title and an empty document (like you); sometimes it is that gem that was left behind for something newer and shinier. Thank you for writing about your process.
Thank you, Lisa! I need to do an inventory of my many drafts from 12×12, and I will use the questions you provided to do so.
Congratulations on both your picture books. I look forward to reading IT WILL BE OK—a good message for all!
Great advice! Thanks for the encouragement. I need to get this book!
Thank you Lisa for the wonderful words of encouragement, they are most definitely appreciated! I also had an ‘aha’ moment when you mentioned putting your folders into files. That is perfect. I have mine organized, but not like that. I’m on it! And then to write some more…. 🙂
Love your process of making a folder for the new year and giving a hard look at your drafts and deciding which are keepers. You’re right 12×12 is all about writing practice. Than it’s the next step: revise? move on? keep? hold? Thanks.
Thank you so much for sharing your writing experiences. When I wrote my first picture book draft, I thought I was only going to write one book. Ha. Ha. Now I see this is an ongoing process. I have learned so much from each manuscript I have drafted. Your words of wisdom are inspiring.
Thank you for sharing your journey with us! It’s always a nice pep-talk to hear from someone who has been through it and continues to draft draft draft! Fun is in the craft, right? Right! 🙂 Cheers!
I’m so glad you kept the stories that you felt had something special in them. I love the idea of organizing files so as not to be overwhelmed by all the WIP’s on my computer!
This is such great advice and encouragement, Lisa. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your journey. I found it helpful to hear about your process to decide which stories made the cut to move forward from year to year. I need to do a little housekeeping with my stories as well.
I NEED to do something like this. My file is overflowing! Thanks for the post and the organizational inspiration!
Great post and Brava to you having that many stories regardless of how complete they may be! I cannot imagine being that prolific. I think 12 is a stretch, but you had 18+?! I’m with you on getting stuck on titles.
Your book looks wonderful; can’t wait to read it.
Thank you for this encouraging post. It’s great to know that other writers mull over stories for years, then one day it all falls into place.
I get visually overwhelmed by having too much in view, so I really appreciate your ideas for how to choose which ones to prioritize.
Great Advice – No when to hold them and know when to fold them.
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I appreciate all the advice!
Great advice and congrats on the upcoming release!
Love the idea of an annual evaluation! Congrats on your new book, and thanks for the great post!
Thank you, Lisa. So many excellent points. Important for me to organize the book ideas and work the writing muscles.
Hi Lisa, I loved hearing about your writing, filing, and ranking process! I also have a series of stories (in my case: email subject lines) with just headlines and no body copy…yet!
Looking forward to reading your new book!
Hi Lisa, Thank you so much for sharing your process! I, too, struggle with knowing when a draft is complete, and have found it kind of fun to come back months/years later to review old drafts. Things just seem to pop out that weren’t obvious before! And I agree that knowing when to put it to rest is also very important. Thanks again, can’t wait to check out your books!
Thank you for sharing your filing system and how it helps make decisions about your manuscripts. That is an incredibly helpful way of thinking about it. Congratulations on your new book, too, I’ll keep an eye out for it!
Thanks for the post! I look forward to a time when I have so many WIPs that I also need a filing system and a method for deciding which to walk away from…
Thank you for sharing, Lisa. I certainly can relate. My first book was published years after I gave up on it. I revisited it, revised it about 20 more times, then finally found a publisher. Congratulations to you on your new book! I look forward to reading it. 🙂
Lisa- I love this whole post! I especially love your process for sorting and assessing your work and what you will push forward with. Thanks for sharing!
Lisa, thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to read your book; it looks sweet.
Thanks for that Lisa! It is always encouraging to know manuscripts that have been revived make it through- I have a tough time putting away any!
This is a great strategy! I love taking time to organize my files when they get overwhelming – time well spent for sure.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Lisa! It is so important to keep those drafts, even like you say, if it’s just a title or not working right now. I also joined 12X12 to work hard on writing and polishing my craft, and can’t wait to see my stories shine!
Lisa,
Thank you so much for your inspiring words! It is always reaffirming to hear another writer’s processes, struggles, and some of the difficult decisions that need to be made. I also appreciate your offer of providing a manuscript critique! Congratulations on your books!
Lori
Thanks for the useful advice. My takeaway, be in it for the ling haul. Picture books take time!
It was so encouraging reading about your journey, Lisa. Thank you! I’m inspired to buckle down and enjoy the process a bit more. I am eager to read your two books, they both sound so wonderful!
Thank you. Just keep writing… writing… writing. Just keep writing…
Your story was so encouraging to me! Thank you!
thank you so much!
Your process, and the time you have taken to write each story, and sooo many drafts, was such a relief to me as I do my own writing. Thank you for sharing all the details to keep me motivated to keep going!
Just goes to show with perseverance and patience the road to publication is a long one.
This post was very encouraging. It’s nice to hear from a published author, that not all drafts will be home runs!
This post really touched me because it is so where I am. Tons of manuscripts is folders. Thanks so much for this insight into your process. It was very helpful. Congratulations on all your success!
Yes, re-visiting previous drafts in various stages of submission-ready is a lovely journey and there certainly are nuggets that surface for differing reasons; a theme or subject of rising interest in current markets being one. Thank you for sharing your journey and inspiration. Best wishes! Linda Geiger
Thank you for sharing your journey and congratulations on your success!
Thank you for this boost today! I am due for some re-organization and. you just motivated me to do it. I love “National Regular…” and cant’ wait to read “It Will Be OK.”
Thanks for the inspiration! You never know when an old story will find new life!
You’re an inspiration, Lisa, for perseverance and continuing to learn and apply new skills. I like your questions for deciding what to keep/purge, and seeing value in saved stories that can change from “not yet” to “now.”
I love how keeping your drafts organized also serves as a way to keep track of your writing development! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you, Lisa! I love that It Will Be Ok got pulled out of the “discard” file after a little time to think – such an encouraging story.
Thank you! It was helpful to hear about an old manuscript getting rediscovered by its author!
Such a relatable and inspiring post, Lisa. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, yes, yes! Thank you for this post, Lisa! So thrilled for your success!
Hello Lisa,
Yes, I totally relate to everything you have said about being overwhelmed with files. Having a cluttered desk, computer, and mind can give me writer’s block. I have spring-cleaned my ms and feel productive that I have done something positive. I feel energized. Writing a monthly draft in 12×12 has been extremely helpful. Congratulations on your success! Marlena
Thank you for the encouragement. Love your book cover and the subject.
Great post, Lisa! I have SO MANY manuscripts that will never see the light of day- trust me, it’s better for everyone. But, I still pull bits and pieces from them from time to time. I love the idea of organizing your files by date. And, thank goodness for growth- looking back makes us realize how far we’ve come!
Thank you Lisa. I love your work, so getting a little behind the scenes is so helpful. Thank you!!
Thanks Lisa! Your post is so encouraging and helpful. Congratulations on your success. Can’t wait to read your new book!
Thank you for sharing your process, Lisa.
Thank you Lisa, for both the organizational tips and your inspiring story! I can use both. I am not surprised you have gotten to where you are, and I love that you are passing that hope on to us!
The part where you talked about the benefit being for yourself – I think that’s key. It’s easy to get caught up in writing to get published, but it works better the other way first.
Haha! Love the gifs. So hilarious and relatable! Thank you for the tips for deciding what makes the cut each year and your encouragement to just keep writing …. and writing.
Thanks for sharing your journey, Lisa! Your organizational tips are so helpful! Congrats on It Will Be Ok! 🙂
Congratulations on your book! I love your criteria for what gets to move forward, I definitely need to do some work on that.
Thank you for your post. Great advice.
Great suggestion! I am new to PB writing and have dozens and dozens of documents each with a new idea. I’m going to make a 2020 folder right now to store those away and start fresh with my 2021 ideas. Thank you!
This is such a great post. I like how you’ve approached your decision on what to put forth. Super helpful.
Thank you for your success story, Lisa! I love that it’s not a Cinderella story but instead a story about perseverance. It makes me want to go back through my files to see what gems I’ve tucked away. Congrats on your new book!
I love this story and the filing by year system. I think I will try it for myself as a way to organize but also re-inspire.
Wow! This post could not have come at a better time. Since jumping into 12 x 12 I’ve been trying to sort out my files, figure the best system for ALL THESE DRAFTS of my various titles. You’ve given me some direction. AND the nod of approval for holding onto some of those manuscripts that don’t seem to be working, but stick to my soul. Some time and distance … I will find a place to hold them for a bit, and revisit with fresh eyes. Thank you. I can’t wait to read this new book of yours.
Thank you for the inspiration!
Perseverence! I love it, Lisa! Thanks for sharing your journey with us and congrats on your picture book success!!
Lisa, thank you for sharing your story. I love that IT WILL BE OKAY was in your files, waiting to be unearthed. A good reminder to keep reflecting on and revisiting our work.
Lisa, thanks so much for sharing about your process. Good reminder to self – circuitous rather than linear and practice, practice, practice. #amwriting
Thank you so much for sharing!!! I completed my February manuscript, that’s 2 for 2 🤗👏🏾
Thank you so much for the inspiration and for sharing your process! I also go through several rounds of editing my stories after receiving critiques. We just need to keep going!
I really needed to read this because I was losing my momentum. Thank you for reminding me to continue. 🙂
Thank you for sharing how your organize your drafts. I am definitely going to look through what I have and see what can be left behind that I have been dragging around. Congrats on your releases and wishing you continued success.
I love this practice of culling and curating your projects each year. Thanks for the encouragement and advice!
What a journey! Thank you for sharing. I’m off to ‘write, draft, practice’!
Fantastic post! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you for being so candid about your process — this is a wonderful, honest article and I really appreciate your sharing it with us!
Lisa,
I really can relate to your analogy between what it takes to become a better writer to what it takes to become a better athlete – baseball player in particular. This is my first time with 12 x 12 and one thing it has taught me – which echoes in your article – is to understand becoming a writer, a good writer, is a process, that requires time, effort, determination, and creativity.
Encouraging words–also quite useful, thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
Lisa,
I always enjoy hearing about someone’s creative. I appreciate that you’ve also share an analysis of your decision-making. Thank you for sharing your great perspectives. Congratulations on your publications! I can’t wait to read the books.
Lisa, Thanks for the words of encouragement. Really helpful advice!
Thank you so much, Lisa. I, too, have finally found my voice in children’s literature after trying out other genres. Becoming publication-ready seems like quite a mountain to climb, though! I really appreciate your detailed, honest advice and encouragement about the process.
Thank you for sharing your process! This is incredibly helpful and inspirational. I love “some stories were just a warm-up.” I certainly started to learn that after several manuscripts. Congratulations on IT WILL BE OK!
Thank you for sharing your journey. I admire your perseverance and courage to switch genres. Love the baseball whiffs and then the hit. So true!
Thanks Lisa! It’s a real thing for me to be honest about my drafts as well – keeping the ones that strike a chord, and that have an element of ‘wow’, but also being honest when something isn’t working. I think the thought process of understanding why something isn’t working is also really important and can be a backup solution and another story – recycling to understand and inspire elsewhere.
Thank you for sharing, Lisa! Your journey is so inspiring, and I love your decision-making process regarding manuscripts.
Draft and redraft and save and wait for the spark of inspiration and timing — that’s the theme of 12×12 for me! Encouraging!
I loved reading about your journey and process. So encouraging! It always helps to be reminded how many drafts it takes to really hone a story, and how many stories it takes before the shining gem shines out from the bucket of rough rocks. PS Come to the Netherlands and you will see a land full of tiny bathrooms, including ones you have to origami-fold yourself into. Your bathroom will be in good company.