The Rainbow Resource Center 2021 Summer Book Contest is well under way, and we hope you are working on your entry as we speak. This is our 7th year and there’s still time to participate. One of our author’s parents suggested we get creative writing advice from past winners. Here are two fantastic authors and their great info to share! We loved this idea. Here are interviews with Emma Schoessow and Cami Frahm. We hope you’ll enjoy their perspective and insight on the writing process. And to see our past winners, here’s a link to the RRC Summer Contest Winners.
Author Emma Schoessow, Winner of Contest 2019 with Clara Bunny
Q: Briefly tell us about your winning story.
ES: Clara Bunny is a fable I wrote based off of my little sister Clara and obedience. First, she eats too much in the apple orchard, then she gets pricked playing with a hedgehog, and lastly, she jumps into a deep river – even when she doesn’t know how to swim! An otter rescues her, but she had taken in too much water through her nose and her nose ends up with a constant twitch. Clara Bunny finally learns to listen to her parents.
Q: Where did you get your idea for your story?
ES: I was in need of a good idea for the book contest. My mom suggested I write about my sister Clara and how sometimes she doesn’t always listen. It was just the idea I needed, and I went with it, including characters with names of some of my other siblings, too.
Q: Have you written other books since winning the RRC Summer Contest?
ES: I have written other short stories for my family, and I wrote Tait’s Adventure for last year’s book contest.
Q: What’s the one piece of advice you’d share with another young writer?
ES: My advice comes from 1 Peter 4:10: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” For encouragement, Philippians 4:13: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Q: Was there a writing curriculum you feel helped you develop as a writer?
ES: I feel like my love for book reading and writing itself has helped me to write my stories. And, ofcourse, I never forget Philippians 4:13.
Q: What is your story planning process?
ES: First, I brainstorm ideas. Who is my main character? What happens to my main character? And so on. Then, I set about writing the story, sometimes making changes along the way. I keep my audience in mind and put in things they enjoy. When the story is finished, I begin working on the illustrations. I try to make the characters lovable and their world fun to look at for the reader.
Q: Any tips to share about creative writing?
ES: Writing for people I love helps always helps me with my stories. I think about what they like and how I could make it into a story that they would enjoy reading. Have fun with your story and be creative!
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
ES: Besides writing, I also enjoy drawing, doing stuff with my family, playing with my bunnies, crocheting, and memorizing Bible verses.
Q: Do you prefer writing or illustrating? Why?
ES: Although I like to write, I love illustrating! I had a lot of fun creating the characters in Clara Bunny and the world she lives in.
Q: What’s one of your favorite books?
ES: The Bible and the series The Epic Order of the Seven by Jenny L. Cote are my top favorite books.
Q: How do you like to set up your writing or drawing space?
ES: When I write, I work anywhere that’s comfortable – most of the time it’s my room. When I worked on the actual pages for the book, I did most of that work at the kitchen table.
Q: What inspires you to write or draw?
ES: I’ve always loved drawing cute animals (I especially like drawing bunnies) and I also like to write stories for my younger siblings to enjoy.
Q: What do you want people to remember about your book?
ES: I wrote the book for my little sister Clara and the rest of my family, so as long as they enjoy it, that’s good enough for me.
Author Cami Frahm, Winner of Contest 2016 with The Amazingly Untalented Mango
Q: Briefly tell us about your winning story.
CF: My story was about a monkey named Mango who was jealous of her brother’s many talents, leading her to believe she wasn’t good at anything.
Q: Where did you get your idea for your story?
CF: I got the idea for my story from experiences with my siblings and my imagination.
Q: Have you written other books since winning the RRC Summer Contest?
CF: I’ve written a few books for the RRC contests including Pompeii Getaway, The Soccer Snatcher, and Choose Truth. I have also written many action/mystery chapter books at home.
Q: What’s the one piece of advice you’d share with another young writer?
CF: One piece of advice is to not be afraid to write something down if you like your idea. I had to edit and rewrite parts of my stories but having extra ideas and being flexible with your plot will give you more opportunity in writing.
Q: Was there a writing curriculum you feel helped you develop as a writer?
CF: I went through the Michael Clay Thompson English homeschool curriculum and those books covered everything from correct grammar to poetry to forming academic essays, and I learned a lot about writing, such as not making my stories too wordy.
Q: What is your story planning process?
CF: My story planning process is to think of an idea, create bullet points and expand on those points, create a draft, and edit. Then I add finishing touches if the story needs more detail.
Q: Any tips to share about creative writing?
CF: Being organized is one of the most important things when writing. If your draft plot is unorganized, most likely your story will end up unorganized and messy. When editing, go back and check every sentence for grammar and spelling mistakes. It’s easy to get relaxed and forget to check, but it’s very important to have correct grammar in your stories.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
CF: I like to draw, read, and play piano and guitar.
Q: Do you prefer writing or illustrating? Why?
CF: I think I prefer writing because that gives the readers a chance to imagine a character’s appearance their own way. If I feel like the book needs illustrations, I will draw them, but my past few chapter books at home did not include illustrations.
Q: What’s one of your favorite books?
CF: I love the Spy School series by Stuart Gibbs, The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, and most of all, the Hunger Games trilogy. I don’t really have a one favorite book, but these are all books I enjoyed.
Q: How do you like to set up your writing or drawing space?
CF: I like to use a room that the rest of my family doesn’t usually use, such as our dining room which only gets used on special occasions. That way, I can leave all my supplies out so they are ready for me to use every day until my book is complete.
Q: What inspires you to write or draw?
CF: Experiences and movies/books usually inspire me to draw and write.
Q: What do you want people to remember about your book?
CF: I want people to remember the lesson Mango learned in not being jealous of what other people can do. Remember all the talents you have and be grateful for them.
