Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

The Importance of Community

by Lynn Becker

I’d like to speak to the importance of community, because I can say without doubt that June Moon—actually, all of my books—would not be published or in the pipeline without the support of my writing peeps. Critique groups, in addition to craft books and workshops, were instrumental in teaching me how to write, and the friends I made along the way helped keep me interested and energized.

I joined SCBWI many years ago, right after art school, with dreams of writing and illustrating for children. I attended events, eventually finding a wonderful group of writers who gathered in Bakersfield for critiquenics, and I drove up whenever there was a gathering (never mind that it was 90 miles over the Grapevine on Interstate 5!). I’m still friends with many of them, and we’ve worked together in various critique groups, both short- and long-lived. I’ve also met writers at conferences, retreats, and at what used to be called schmoozes, and many of these folks have played important parts in my learning curve and June Moon’s journey to publication.

When I first came up with the idea for June Moon, I was walking a neighbor’s dog in the evenings before bed. At the time, I lived in a rural area with a sky so dark we could see the Milky Way on clear nights. Very inspiring! No tall buildings and very few trees also meant that the moon commanded my attention most nights. As I watched it, sometimes partially obscured by clouds, it seemed they might be playing together, and a perky little rhyme popped into my head.

happy moon

sad moon

da da da da -oon moon

At this stage in my writing, I took a very long time to figure out the through-line of any story (pity my poor but patient critique partners!) and the arc of this one eluded me. I was trying to illustrate it, too, and my drawings showed a long list of fantastical—and unrelated—objects and actions spiraling all over the place, as long as there was room for a rhyme with moon.

I took Moon Faces, as it was called then, to events with other writers, where I received encouraging feedback—more so than any other project up till then, which encouraged me to keep going.

I think it was around this time that I became really frustrated with my illustration skills, and it’s likely due to the fact that, even though I participated in a number of writing groups, I had no other ilustrators to talk art with. No one to encourage me or help me find my way or just remind me that it’s supposed to be fun, and this, also, speaks to the importance of community!

I started to focus more on the words, and had a terrific critique from an editor who suggested I reign in the fantasy and ground the story in a more familiar, kid-friendly routine. Also, she suggested that I treat it like a bedtime book, because that’s really what it was.

After another retreat, where I found a wonderful new group to work online with, June Moon really began to come together. At its heart was a fantastical friendship between the child and the moon, and the arc followed an evening of gentle play which segued into a soothing bedtime routine. My then-agent had some additional advice and when June Moon finally went on submission, it was acquired in the first small round. I had been thinking picture book, but the publisher wisely saw it as a board book, and editing two stanzas down to fit the new format strengthened the material. The illustrator they chose did a fabulous job with the art and perfectly evoked the magic I had envisioned.

As the pandemic wound down and supply chain issues wound up, June Moon’s original 2023 pub date was affected by the changing marketplace. Postponed for a year, my writing friends helped make the awful wait bearable with solid advice and a longterm perspective. And, again, when supply chain issues reappeared in the days leading up to June Moon’s 2024 release, writing friends calmed me down and let me know all would (eventually) be okay. And it is!

I would love to add that along the way I discovered 12×12, an online community for picture book writers that’s chockfull of information (membership includes multiple webinars a month), also The Writing Barn, a great option for online classes and community, and many other places to learn and connect. Also, after having moved away from California during the pandemic (thank goodness for Zoom!), I was able to find a new home with the Rocky Mountain SCBWI chapter.

Community understands, answers questions, advises, encourages, provides opportunities, and so much more. Thank goodness for writing peeps to enjoy the journey with!

And thank you so much, Beth, for having me!

Don’t forget to leave a comment to get in the drawing for a copy of JUNE MOON! (US addresses only please. Winner announced 6/14) 

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