Ann Bonwill: Enjoy the Journey
KidLit Craft is back with another Snack-Sized Author Interview. In this series, we ask authors five quick questions that give us insight into their craft and process. Today we’re talking with author Ann Bonwill.
I first met Ann in one of my Writing Middle Grade for Picture Book Authors. I was struck by her thoughtfulness, her deep engagement with story, and her willingness to dig into character. She’s a quiet and inventive soul, who offers her perspective on the world to her readers in delightful ways. —Anne-Marie
Welcome, Ann!
Question 1: What's your writing superpower?
My writing superpower is voice. I love to experiment with different narrators and various POVs. Finding the voice of my character is how I find my way into the story.
Question 2: What’s an element of craft you explored in your latest project and what tips can you share with other authors for growing in their use of that particular element?
I've been working on using more description in my current middle grade project. As a picture book author, I'm used to leaving the description to the illustrator. From Anne-Marie's amazing PB to MG class, I've learned that description is needed to place your character (and reader) in time and space. I'm challenging myself to use all five senses in my descriptions and not to assume that readers can automatically see what I see in my head.
Question 3: If you could travel back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a new author?
I would tell myself to enjoy the journey. I've been writing and submitting for over twenty years, through many seasons of life. I've had productive periods and dry spells, years when I've sold several books and (many) years when I've sold none. Every step has made me who I am as a writer and a person. I would tell myself to embrace that road and not worry so much about whether I was meeting certain goals at the "right" time.
Question 4: What inspires you as a writer?
Reading! I love to read across all age groups and genres, and I find myself inspired by good books of all sorts. I'm also inspired by the company of other writers. Despite my introversion, connection to the kidlit community is crucial to maintaining my identity as a writer.
Question 5: What’s one book you think every kidlit author should read?
I think everyone should read the Moomin books by Tove Jansson. They are full of wonder, whimsy, humor, and heart. Most of all, they show a profound respect for children and the natural world. My favorite is probably Moominland Midwinter, a meditation on the darkness we travel through and the light that follows.
As far as craft books, I love the classics - On Writing, by Stephen King and Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. A newer favorite is You: The Story, by Ruta Sepetys. She talks about how to bring your own history and memories to your work, filling your story with authentic emotion and creating the heart that will make your writing special and unique.
Bonus Question: What can fans look forward to next?
I've written a new picture book about an anxious rabbit that I hope will find a home soon. And I'm working on a middle grade novel with an inanimate narrator that is stretching my voice superpower in new ways. Stay tuned!
Ann Bonwill enjoys writing children’s books every day of the week, but especially on Thursdays. She has lived and worked in many places, spending time as a social worker in Washington, DC, a teacher in Oxford, England, and a cinnamon bun baker in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ann is the author of multiple picture books and nonfiction books for children, including I Don’t Want to Be a Pea!, illustrated by Simon Rickerty, and The Frazzle Family Finds a Way, illustrated by Stephen Gammell. She lives in Virginia with her husband, son, and rescue Shar-Pei.
You can find her online at her website.
