Carolyn Crimi was born in New York following four siblings who lived with the certainty that she had been dropped off by the stork in order to give them someone to tease. She has found her revenge in writing children's books designed to make even adults roll on the floor with laughter. Find out the secrets to her humorous success in the following interview with Examiner.com.
Q: This may be a toughie to answer since you've written so many books, but which one is your favorite, and why?
A: It's actually quite easy! My favorite book is Dear Tabby. I think it's my funniest book. I love the fact that it's epistolary—there is something about receiving a letter these days that's so special. Although it was a challenging book to write, it was fun thinking of all the different ways we put messages on paper, like newspaper ads, invitations, and simple posters nailed into trees. It also says everything I want to say to my readers. If someone asked me to shout my message to the world from the highest mountain, I would read the very last page with Manfred the Basset Hound.
I'm not particularly fond of heights, so I hope no one ever asks me to do this.
Q: Which book was your first to be published, and what was it like for you the first time you went through the publication process? Were there any surprises in it for you?
A: My first book, Outside, Inside, came out in 1995. Publishing was an entirely different ball game back then. Most authors I knew didn't have agents. Email was not as prevalent, so all correspondence with my editor was either by mail or the phone. When I tell this to kids, I think they imagine me writing with a quill pen and wearing a bonnet. It all seems so…quaint.
I remember that I was terrified and excited by everything. Every note and letter from my editor was saved and reread a dozen times. ("It's a Post-It from MY EDITOR! I'll never throw it out!") I was kind of a goon about it all.
I had done a lot of reading in preparation for My Big Day, so I can't say I was surprised by anything. I knew they'd choose an illustrator for me and that I wouldn't have much input. I knew I'd be responsible for marketing my book. What did surprise me was how long it took to get a second book accepted. I suppose I thought that once I was published it would all be easier. It wasn't and still isn't.
Q: How do you come up with ideas for your stories?
A: Sometimes ideas will just fall into my head. I don't know why or how. There are definitely times when I'm in between projects that I am actively looking for new ideas. If something funny happens, I wonder how I can turn it into a story. I'll also collect lots of postcards or greeting cards with interesting illustrations. I tack them to my "Inspiration Board," which is a white board that sits right in front of my computer. Sometimes I won't find a story for an illustration for years, but the board itself is a reminder to keep looking for and evaluating story ideas.
Carolyn and her husband now live in Evanston, Illinois, where they cater to the whims of their pug, whose aliases include (but are not limited to) Sir Scratch and Sniff and Mr. Wiggle Butt. Although Carolyn has little use for telemarketers, tailgaters, and book-banners, she finds solace in eating unfrosted blueberry Pop Tarts® and writing wonderfully funny children's books. You're invited to visit Carolyn at her Dear Tabby Blog, but if you stop by, be sure to leave a message. Carolyn loves to receive letters and pictures from kids (and adults) about their pets.
You can find more books by Carolyn at our local Poplar Creek, Schaumburg, Batavia, Bartlett, and Gail Borden public libraries. Don't forget to keep an eye out for her latest books, Rock 'N' Roll Mole and Pugs in a Bug, which will be coming out soon. Stop by tomorrow for the second part of her interview with Examiner.com.
Comments