CARRIE PEARSON: CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR AND PRESENTER
  • Home
  • Books
    • Stretch to the Sun: From A Tiny Sprout to the Tallest Tree On Earth
    • A Cool Summer Tail
    • A Warm Winter Tail
  • School, Library, and Bookstore Visits
  • Presentations
  • Blog
  • Contact and Connect
  • News and Calendar
  • Educational Resources
  • Creator Resources
  • Media Kit
  • Children's Book Connections Consulting

Blog

Mentor Monday: Lisa Moser

2/6/2012

4 Comments

 
Lisa Moser, author and mentor, shares her thoughts today. Lisa is Miranda Paul's 2012 SCBWI mentor from the great state of Wisconsin. I'm hoping to interview Miranda at the beginning and end of her mentorship to learn all about her experience. After reading Lisa's answers below, I am sure Miranda is in for a wonderful mentorship. Check out Lisa's thoughts on two important components of mentoring and her website: http://LisaMoserBooks.com.

Please share a brief bio of you and your work.

My name is Lisa Moser, and I am very grateful to have five books for children published right now with three more coming out in the next few years.

*Perfect Soup by Lisa Moser, illus. by Ben Mantle (Random House, 2010)
*Kisses on the Wind by Lisa Moser, illus. by Kathryn Brown (Candlewick Press, 2009)
*Squirrel’s World by Lisa Moser, illus. by Valeri Gorbachev (Candlewick Press, 2007)
*The Monster in the Backpack by Lisa Moser, illus. by Noah Z. Jones (Candlewick, 2006)
*Watermelon Wishes by Lisa Moser, illus. by Stacey Schuett (Clarion Books, 2006)

Coming Soon:

*Railroad Hank by Lisa Moser, illus. by Benji Davies (Random House)
*Squirrel’s Fun Day by Lisa Moser, illus. by Valeri Gorbachev (Candlewick Press)
*Cowboy Boyd and Mighty Calliope by Lisa Moser (Random House)

A long, long time ago, I grew up in the small town of Fairfield Iowa.  It was an idyllic childhood, filled with popsicle days and firefly nights.  Fairfield had the first Carnegie library west of the Mississippi, and many days I would pedal my bicycle across town to fill my bike basket with great books.

 I graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education and taught fifth grade in Worthington, Ohio.  It should be noted that I was never beaten in a footrace by any of my students.

When my husband and I moved to Wisconsin, I became a stay-at-home mom and began the great adventure of becoming a children’s book author. 

Why did you decide to become a mentor?

I feel so blessed to have received guidance from wonderful people in every stage of my writing journey.  I wanted to give back in the same way I received. 

How many writers have you officially mentored?

Well, if we use the word “officially,” I’d have to say that this is my first mentorship.  However, I have worked with many writers for many years.  

I’ve been in one particular writing group for about 15 years, but when my daughter was in pre-school, there were several other young moms who wanted to write for children, so I helped organize a second writing group.  It was such a joy to be part of their writing process.  I saw each member start from the very beginning of the learning curve, and now each and every one of them is a published author.  How lucky was I to be a part of that!  

 I also give critiques at the Wisconsin SCBWI fall conference.  While this interaction is brief, I do try to give the recipient everything I can in the written and personal conferences. 

What strengths do you bring as a mentor?

I hope I bring kindness and honesty to the table.  Both are vitally important.  

 Kindness allows authors to be vulnerable.  They can bring glimmers of ideas and know that they are “safe.”  Kindness allows authors to gain confidence in themselves and in their writing.  Kindness allows for mistakes, failed attempts, trials and errors.  For every published story, there is some kind of failure involved.  At least that’s true for me.  But failing isn’t so terrible, when it is met with kindness and encouragement.  It’s just a step in the learning process.

 Honesty, given in a loving environment, lets authors become better writers.  They need to know what is not working and why.  The competition for publication is stiff.  The successful authors are the ones that can hear honest criticism of a story and use it to make their story stronger.  Honesty leads to success.    

Have you been a mentee? If so, what from that experience helps you be the best mentor you can be?

Yes.  When we first moved to Wisconsin, I happened to be in the library and saw a flier for a class on writing for children given by the incredible author/illustrator, Gretchen Will Mayo.  I signed up immediately and took classes from her for two or three years.  During that time, Gretchen asked another student and me if we would join her personal writing group.  We’ve been together ever since and were blessed to add several talented authors along the way.  That writing group has helped me on every single story I’ve written.  But they’re more than writing colleagues.  They’re dear and cherished friends.  

 I think the valuable part of that experience is that my writing group has seen stories in every single stage.  They don’t flinch and turn away if I bring a bad first draft.  And first drafts are always bad.  They find the areas of strength, and they find the areas that definitely need work.  I’ve learned not to worry about being perfect, that writing is a journey.  Through hard work and perseverance, nuggets of stories can be unearthed from bad first drafts and turned into something quite lovely and shiny. 

If you could mentor any writer throughout time, who would it be and why?

Oh, gosh.  I am in such awe of other people’s talent.  Maybe my wish would be to mentor anyone who needed the gifts I could offer.

If you could be mentored by any writer throughout time, who would it be and why?

Beatrix Potter!  I adore her work, and it has stood the test of time with love, dignity, and charm.  But if we’re going down the path of imagination, let’s go all the way.  I would love to be mentored by Beatrix Potter at her Hilltop home in the Lakes District of England.  With a lovely packed picnic lunch, we’d traipse the country paths together.  We’d stop in a field overlooking a charming village. Beatrix would paint and talk of writing, and I would sit under a tree and drink it all in.  Then I would write, and write, and write some more. 

One day, I will go to Hilltop Farm in England.  Beatrix won’t be there, but all the things that inspired her will be, I hope. 

Thank you, Lisa!

I want to thank you, too.

4 Comments
Natalie Aguirre link
2/6/2012 11:46:16 am

Great interview Carrie & Lisa. Lisa, it's so awesome how you've helped so many authors grow into better writers and into getting published. I know that's a time commitment that takes away from your own writing.

Reply
carrie pearson
2/6/2012 12:48:02 pm

Good point, Natalie. I'm finding most mentors say working with others brings value to their own work. It is hard to make the commitment on the front end but it seems to pay off (for both parties).

Reply
Leslie Helakoski link
2/10/2012 12:41:41 am

What fun to read more about Lisa Moser. Lisa and I both attended our very first SCBWI conference around 13 years ago in Wisconsin. She read Monster in My Backpack at open mike! Great interview and big hugs.
Leslie

Reply
carrie pearson
2/10/2012 12:49:44 am

Thanks, Leslie! ;)

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Welcome!

    This blog shares insights on the craft of writing children's books and the publishing industry, and supports creators and educators on their journeys. 

    Click here to subscribe to Carrie's Blog Posts by Email
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Available now at your favorite bookseller!

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Member of the Nerdy Book Club
    Explore Nonfiction
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing
    A Cool Summer Tail
    Agent Search
    Andy Sherrod
    Arthur A. Levine
    Art Notes
    Austin
    Avante Garde Mentorship Program
    Awards
    A Warm Winter Tail
    A Writing Life
    Be Fearless
    Being Critiqued
    Benefits Of Books
    Blog Tour - Cool Summer
    Blog Touring - How To
    Bologna Children's Book Fair 2018
    Boni Ashburn
    Book Launch
    Books Help Brains
    Book Studies
    Boxing For Cuba
    Bulver-Lytton Fiction Contest
    Butt-in-Chair
    Cbi Clubhouse
    Chasing Home
    Cheryl Klein
    Children
    Children In Exile
    Children's Choice Book Awards 2012
    Christina Wald
    Chuck Wendig
    Coast Redwood Trees
    Conference Success Stories
    Craft
    Creston Books
    Critiquing
    Crits For Water
    Cuban
    Cuban Children Exile
    Cubans
    Curated Content
    Darcy Pattison
    Deborah Halverson
    Dial
    Dos And Don'ts
    Dutton
    Eggstra Crazy Day
    Emerging Voices Award
    Endorsements And Reviews
    Erin Dealey
    Escape From Havana: An American Story
    Exile
    Fall Scbwimi Conference
    Floyd Cooper
    For Book Crafters
    Free Edit
    Frepful
    Gelett Burgess Award
    Goals
    Great Lakes Great Reads
    Guillermo Vincente Vidal
    Holy Family Orphanage Marquette Mi
    Holy Family Orphans Home
    Humor
    Ideas
    Inbound Marketing
    Industry Outlook
    Ingrid Law
    Jacketflap
    Jerry Spinelli
    Jessica Lee Anderson
    Julie Straussgabel672dfe5019
    Katie Davis
    Kickstand Desk
    Kickstarter.com
    Kidsbooklink.org
    Kristen Remenar
    Kristin Wolden Nitz
    Laini Taylor
    Lauri Hornik
    Linda Sue Park
    Lisa Moser
    Lisa Wheeler
    Marketing
    \\\"marquette Boys\\\"
    Mary Kole
    Melissa Shanker
    Mentee
    Mentor
    Mentoring
    Mentor Monday
    Mentor Mondays
    Mentors4rent
    Mentors For Rent
    Mentorship
    Michael Hyatt
    Michigan History Magazine
    Middle Grade Historical Novel
    Milkweed
    Mindy Hardwick
    MINE!
    Mini Labradoodle
    Miss Piggy
    Moosewood
    Motivation
    Must Read
    National Mentor Month
    Networking Day
    New Blog
    Notes From The Road
    Nuggets
    On A Beam Of Light
    Operation Pedro Pan
    Patience
    Patrice Barton
    Pedro Pan
    Personal Mission Statement
    Philomel
    Phrase Frequency Check
    Piboidmo
    Promotion
    Publisher's Weekly
    Puppy Breath
    Rateyourstory.blogspot.com
    Rejection
    Rejections
    Research
    Revisions
    Rhythm
    Ruth Mcnally Barshaw
    Save The Bookstores Day June 16 2012
    Scbwi
    SCBWI-MI
    SCBWI-MI Mentorship Contest
    SCBWI-MI Revision Retreat
    Scbwi National
    SCBWI.org
    Scbwi Wisconsin Mentorship Program
    School Visits
    Second Sight
    Self-growth
    Selfpublishing8081e9eb37
    Selfpublishing8b1f9d6af0
    Show Vs Tell
    Shrunken Manuscript
    Shutta Crum
    Signings
    Sitting Poses Cancer Risk
    Spinster Goose
    Stacy Dekeyser
    Stretch To The Sun Book
    Successful Creatives
    Sylvan Dell Publishing
    Tamra Tuller
    Tara Lazar
    Treadmill Desk
    Twitter
    Unaccompanied Minors
    Underhoured
    Unexpected
    Website Development
    Wild
    Wild Midwest Scbwi Conference
    Word Frequency
    Writing Contests
    Writing In Rhyme
    Wwwdeareditorcomb008ccbbfd
    Www.kidlit.com
    Www.readerkidz

    Archives

    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    May 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009

    Picture


​carrieapear@aol.com
​
906.360.3229 EST
Picture
Photos used under Creative Commons from wuestenigel, Steve A Johnson, dirkjanranzijn, bandita, margory.june, aldenjewell, ell brown, arripay, Edwin Torres Photography, greg westfall., Bill Ward's Brickpile, Peter Blanchard, Enderst07, Karrierebibel.de, Ben Husmann, striatic, plentiful, pdam2, erix!, Parker Knight, autoreverse tiramisù, Chris_J, cheriejoyful, brewbooks, thedailyenglishshow, Maguis & David, Bill Selak, paparutzi, human after all, g23armstrong, Bring on the Photog, hans s, ilovememphis, Enokson, peapodsquadmom, bsabarnowl, photogramma1, bsabarnowl, shawncampbell, KOMUnews, ecksunderscore, Richard Leighton, dvs, xlordashx, tiefkuehlfan, photosteve101, Denise Cross Photography, bluebirdsandteapots, Keoni Cabral, halseike, bovinity, Aaron T. Goodman, Cesari
  • Home
  • Books
    • Stretch to the Sun: From A Tiny Sprout to the Tallest Tree On Earth
    • A Cool Summer Tail
    • A Warm Winter Tail
  • School, Library, and Bookstore Visits
  • Presentations
  • Blog
  • Contact and Connect
  • News and Calendar
  • Educational Resources
  • Creator Resources
  • Media Kit
  • Children's Book Connections Consulting