Joanna: What made you get into writing?

Terrie: I wanted to be a writer since I was a kid, but I ended up choosing another career, and didn’t get back to writing until much later in life.

Joanna: I understand completely. I wanted to be a writer since third grade, but ended up becoming a teacher. I had hoped to write during the summer, but I kept my writing life a secret. I think one important step is coming to terms with your writing dreams.

What did you do before writing children’s books? Did your former careers help you?

Terrie: I have degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology, and worked in the biotech industry for many years. Then I got a teaching credential and taught middle school science, math, reading, and art. For years I had written nothing but scientific reports, which had a passive voice and were very boring. It was a struggle for me to loosen up and use a more active voice when writing fiction.

Joanna: I know what it’s like to learn a new craft. When I first started writing, I wrote fantasy and short stories. Then when I switched to writing picture books, I struggled to keep my word count below 1000 words. Now I’m trying to write chapter books and I keep forgetting to add description because picture book writers need to leave room for the illustrators. But I enjoy learning to write new genres and styles.

Have you ever tried writing other genres?

Terrie: Not really. My favorite genre has always been fantasy and that’s the only genre I’m interested in writing.

Joanna: I’m the complete opposite. I love trying to write new genres. But I agree that you can only write what you love to read. For me, I would never write horror because I don’t like reading it. However, I love wuxia dramas and novels so much that I tried to write my own in Chinese.

What is your favorite thing about writing?

Terrie: Creating something out of my imagination. It’s like watching movies in my head and then describing what I see.

Joanna: I love your idea of creating something out of your imagination. I love writing because that is my way of sharing ideas with the world.

Who was your favorite children’s book author?

Terrie: Growing up, I was a voracious reader and I had many favorites. Tolkien, Roald Dahl, Edward Eager, Madeleine L’Engle, Ursula LeGuin, Lloyd Alexander, and E. Nesbit are some of my favorites.

Joanna: I read a lot of Judy Blume and Beverly Clearly when I was younger.

What were some of your favorite books?

Terrie: The Hobbit, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, A Wrinkle in Time, The Earthsea series, The Chronicles of Prydain, Alice in Wonderland. When my daughters were growing up, I used to read to them every night. Some of our favorite books were the Moomintroll series, the Wizard of Oz series, Redwall, Harry Potter, and books by Diana Wynne Jones.

Joanna: For me, I love chapter book series like the Baby-Sitters Club. And I fell in love with mysteries like the Hardy Boys after winning book number 11 from my sixth-grade teacher. But I read a lot of animal stories. Kavik, the Wolf Dog, Red Dog, and Black Beauty. I also loved fantasy like The Neverending Story and The Phantom Tollbooth.

What writing craft books did you find helpful?

Terrie: I read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. “Plot grows out of character. Focus on character. Find out what each character cares most about in the world because then you will have discovered what’s at stake.”

Joanna: Sounds like I need to reread this book. I just read There’s Something Strange About My Brain by R. L. Stine. Building suspense and having a cliffhanger at the end of the chapter will keep your readers turning the page.

Do you do research for your books?

Terrie: For the first book, I did research on demons, demon possession, and grimoires. For the one I’m currently working on, I’m doing a lot of research on fairies and the Otherworld.

Joanna: Sounds like you had fun. When I write my stories, I sometimes do research to make sure the details are correct, like for more Chinese stories. Sometimes I will read up on an interesting topic and then turn it into a story, like how garbage is recycled.

How long does it take you to finish one novel?

Terrie: I’ve only finished one, and it took me about 10 years. I worked on it off and on; sometimes I set it aside and didn’t pick it up again for a year or more because I was busy with other things. I’m hoping the one I’m currently working on won’t take that long! I’m about three-fourths done.

Joanna: I’m glad you didn’t give up. I started writing my Chinese novel in 2013 and I’m still not finished. I plan on finishing it before my son graduates from college.

What is one tip you have for aspiring writers?

Terrie: Read a lot.

Joanna: Agree. Read recently published books in the genre you write. I also recommend getting a mentorship. I have learned so much with my picture book writing mentorship through PB Rising Stars with Sylvia Chen. She can point things out that might have taken me a million years to figure out. Writing classes are also a great place to learn. I have taken three classes with Marcie Colleen, and each time I learn something new. The interactive classes help me learn faster than just reading a craft book.

Where can readers go to buy your books?

Terrie: The Zalthagor Box is available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Zalthagor-Box-scary-book-kids/dp/B0BGN97V7C/

Joanna: Where can readers go to follow your journey?

Terrie: You can follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tlschultz99/

Joanna: What book are you currently working on?

Terrie: The Secret of Jackson Woods is about Rosalie, a 12-year-old girl who lives next to an enchanted wood. She befriends Nate, a boy who is obsessed with fairies, and they go into the woods to explore. When malicious fairies come and steal away her little sister Vera, Rosalie and Nate must find a Portal and go into the Otherworld to rescue her.

Joanna: Thank you for sharing your process for writing a middle grade fantasy. Can’t wait to read your next book.

I have been busy writing because writing helps me cope. How do I deal with stress? I write. I write a lot of the time in the car, waiting for my kids to come back from piano or art class. Being isolated from the world helps me think. I can’t think or write at home without some interruption from one of my kids.

Some good news. One of my essays that I entered for a writing contest just received writing feedback. I revised it, and now I’m just waiting for the next editor to give me more feedback before it hopefully gets published.

The best part of this summer is getting to work with picture book author Sylvia Chen! She is a great mentor. She had me write the pitches for my stories. Just by reading the pitches, she gave me great feedback to revise my manuscripts. She is very articulate and able to explain exactly why my manuscript doesn’t work. Before I just had a sense it didn’t work, but couldn’t pinpoint why. She was also able to use examples from her own book, Sparkles for Sunny, to illustrate her point. Makes me want to buy a copy even though I have way too many books at home.

Since it is July, Study Hall with Marcie Colleen has begun. We’ve just had our first virtual meeting and I’m already excited to revise my manuscript. All her comments are spot on. As a picture book writer, I have trouble adding descriptions. I keep trying to stay within my 500-word count. I definitely didn’t have this issue ten years ago when I couldn’t keep my stories under 1000 words.

I signed up for Study Hall before I knew I got a PB Rising Stars mentorship with Sylvia Chen. I almost didn’t apply this year, but knowing it was the last year, I knew I had to try. I applied to Sylvia first because she was my favorite author and I connected to her the most. She writes about Chinese culture and STEAM. My favorites.

But then I felt sure I wouldn’t get chosen. I had been taking Marcie Colleen’s Writing from the Inside Out for chapter books. I was trying to convert one of my picture books into a chapter book and got stuck in the middle. It always seems to be the muddle middle. So, I thought taking that class would help. Instead, she had us start from scratch and come up with a brand-new chapter book series.

That was one of the best writing classes I’ve taken. I finished writing my first draft and had ideas for at least five more books. I even wrote parts of book two and three. So taking Study Hall seemed like the ideal next step to polish my chapter book manuscript.

On the day of the big announcement, I had completely forgotten about it. I had volunteered as a parent chaperone for my daughter’s outdoor education trip. The internet connection wasn’t very good and I was trying not to use my device in front of the students. I was completely shocked when my critique partner, Carolyn, texted me the news. But I had to wait until Friday before I could get home to watch the replay.

This summer I am continuing to mentor with Girls Write Now. My mentee and I are going to teach three community studios on writing micro-fiction. Afterwards I will use some of our lessons to teach my fourth-grade students next year to enter their writing in more contests.

Besides writing my English stories, I also have a Chinese novel that I have been working on for over ten years. A few years ago, I tried to revise it and it was too overwhelming. So, I decided to break it up into shorter chapters and use them with my students. But the task is so daunting. I would like to thank my friend, Maria, for texting me out of the blue and reminding me why I should keep going. I write for the pure enjoyment of it, but it is so much better when you meet someone who also enjoys reading your stories. Thank you for everyone who has supported me by reading one of my stories. It really means a lot. Thank you!

I also want to thank all the great children’s librarians out there, especially Courtney, our school librarian. I’m a complete introvert and speaking in front of a crowd scares me, but at the end of the school year, I held three presentations in the auditorium to show the process of writing my Chinese picture book. For two of those presentations, I asked some of my students and former students for help reading different parts of the story. I also had a classroom workshop where the students wrote their own micro-fiction piece for a contest. I definitely wouldn’t have done so without her encouragement.

Another thanks to the children’s librarian, Karen, in Daly City for sharing her Storytime with me. On Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 10:15am at the Westlake Branch Daly City Library (275 Southgate Ave, Daly City, CA 94015), I am scheduled to read aloud my Chinese picture book, When Chicken and Duck Talk: Learning to Swim. This is my first time presenting my book to a large audience not from my school. I’ll be bringing extra books and stickers for those hoping to get a signed copy.

Now that I am getting back to writing my monthly newsletter, I will be interviewing authors about their books again. Look forward to an interview with Terrie Schultz, a middle grade fantasy writer and John Micklos, Jr., who will be releasing his new picture book, Sad, Mad, Glad: A Day Full of Feelings!

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of your summer!

Joanna Szeto

February and March have been chaotic with teacher strikes, report cards, and parent teacher conferences. Tax season is finally over. I now have time to get back to my interviews and writing.

Here is my interview with one of my critique partners, Cecilia Vega-Ryan, a Cuban American educator and author of Flyboy! The High Flying Life of Jim Kunkle.

Joanna: Cecilia, when and why did you start writing children’s books?

Cecilia: I wrote stories in 6^th grade and my teacher always wanted a copy for herself. I got good grades, and I enjoyed the writing process. As I got older, I dabbled in playwriting, until I finally got back to children’s book writing. I had a bad experience with an author who told me how “bad” a story I wrote was, that I stopped for several years. Then new ideas popped in my head and finally I found the time to jump in again, learn about craft and move forward. I never thought about self-publishing. Now I have.

Joanna: I also didn’t start in children’s book writing. I only started writing picture books when I switched to teaching kindergarten. Now I understand that there are so many different forms of writing. Learning about each one keeps me actively engaged in the writing process. Some of the skills transfer to all areas of writing. Writing flash fiction has improved my picture book writing.

I also never thought I would ever self-publish a book. Now I’m working on self-publishing my second book in the When Chicken and Duck Talk series.

Are there things you learned in theater arts that helped you as a picture book writer?

Cecilia: Rising tension, how it can feel, comedy, its timing and landing a good line. I also learned dramatic pauses and dialogue.

Joanna: Makes me want to take a theater arts class. Writers can draw inspiration from all aspects of their lives. One of the things I love to do is take a class on something interesting. Maybe it’ll spark my imagination that’ll lead to a story.

Why did you decide to write this story? Why did you decide to self-publish?

Cecilia: I saw a painting with a young boy fascinated with an airplane and learned it was the host of our holiday dinner. I knew there was a story there. I interviewed him and found that he and I both were in Glendale California albeit different times. I knew places he talked about in the interview.

Joanna: That must have been so cool to hear all his stories. Everyone has great stories to tell. Find one that tugs at your heart and begs to be shared with the world.

What was the most interesting thing you learned about Jim from your interview?

Cecilia: There was a street named after him in Normandy, France. He still has fans there today. I admired his tenacity and perseverance. During the depression, he worked. He was quite young. He focused on his goal and found a way to obtain what he wanted. Yet, he came across in his older years as a very humble and low-key person.

Joanna: Hearing that makes me wonder who some of the streets near me are named after. I’m doing research on American heroes and it makes me wonder if Clay Street in San Francisco is named after Henry Clay.

How long did you spend researching for your book?

Cecilia: It took 6-7 months from the idea in December 2024 to setting up interviews, transcribing, reading articles and a book on the airport, and then beginning my first draft. Then I rewrote. My research didn’t end. I made an appointment with the Glendale Public Library’s history department to obtain real pictures of the airport. Asking for photos of him from his wife, and photographing the painting that inspired me. I had to stop myself from doing more research and editing so I could share with my critique group several times. Finally, I sent it to a professional editor.

Joanna: Yes, research takes time. Even when I write fiction, I still need to do research. I started writing a chapter book with a hammerhead shark, but had to change it to a zebra shark because hammerhead sharks don’t lay eggs. If I had done my research beforehand, then I wouldn’t need to rewrite my entire draft.

How many times did you revise the manuscript?

Cecilia: It went through 13 rewrites and still had some minor edits with an editor right before printing.

Joanna: That was a lot of work, but all the rewrites were definitely worth it.

What tips do you have for aspiring authors?

Cecilia: Take classes, join a critique group, keep writing and be patient.

Joanna: I can’t agree with you more. I would also suggest joining a writing community like SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). They have a lot of workshops and conferences where you can learn how to write. Connecting with other writers and forming critique groups makes writing less lonely. Another tip is to read lots of children’s books.

Who are your favorite children’s book authors?

Cecilia: S.E. Hinton and E.B. White. I tend to fall in love with books and not focus on who wrote them. Two favorites are Charlotte’s Web and A Wrinkle in Time.

Joanna: That’s true. I don’t always remember the authors of my favorite books. But a few of my favorite picture book authors are Dan Santat, Mac Barnett, Joanna Ho, and Jason Chin.

What tips do you have for authors trying to write a nonfiction book?

Cecilia: Make sure you are “in love” with your subject. That makes diving into the research easier and enjoyable. Always ask anyone for whatever you are looking for or need. Don’t feel nervous or embarrassed. The worst that can happen is they ignore you or say no. At least you tried. You will be surprised how many people will contribute and help you.

Joanna: Great tips. When my Chinese picture book got published, I gifted one to our school librarian. She surprised me by sticking a barcode on the book and displaying it on the counter of our school library.

What other stories are you currently working on?

Cecilia: I have a fractured fairytale, an adventurous penny, and a young girl who wants to believe she will reunite with her father.

Joanna: Sounds like you are a busy writer.

Where can readers go to follow your author journey or buy your books?

Cecilia: My website is cvegaryanwrites.com.

Joanna: Good luck with your other stories. I would love to see another one of your stories turn into a beautiful picture book.

I started my Chinese novel in 2013, I think. It has been that long, that I don’t exactly remember. I rode the bus to work and I wrote in my journals while on the bus. Sometimes I read, but mostly I wrote if I managed to find a seat.

But my Chinese was really bad. I would write and not know how to write a Chinese character. I drew a circle where that Chinese character would be. You know that five finger rule where you shouldn’t read a book with more than five words you don’t know on a page? Well, I had more than five circles on each page of my notebook.

I probably shouldn’t have been writing a Chinese novel. But I had a Chinese novel waiting to be written. I had inspiration. So, I wrote, knowing that it would probably never be published.

I went home and tried to type it up. At that time, I didn’t know pinyin. But I also didn’t know how to quickly input the Chinese words into my computer. I settled on pinyin because it was faster than hand writing all the words. After awhile I learned the pinyin for a lot of the Chinese characters. I started typing faster.

For the circles, I sometimes asked my parents. I knew how to say the Chinese characters. I just didn’t know how to write them. Sometimes I used Google Translate. But it was difficult because sometimes finding the right English word to translate is not that easy.

In the end I wrote faster than I could type. My journals piled up. I sometimes had to type my scenes out of order. Every time I typed up my story, I had to reread it and find the correct place. It got more and more difficult.

Did I mention that my Chinese was really bad? That meant it could take me five minutes or more to reread my story to find the scene. Typing got slower and slower. Until one day I had so many holes in my story that I couldn’t even figure out what scenes were missing.

Some scenes were already written, waiting in my journal to be typed. Some scenes hadn’t been written yet and were just swimming inside my head.

By the time I reached more than 100,000 Chinese characters, I was stuck. The project seemed too big. I needed to find huge chucks of time to sort through the mess to even add a single scene.

So I abandoned my story to write picture books. They were shorter and in English. So much easier to reread and revise.

But after moving back from teaching kindergarten to fourth grade, I wanted my students to read my Chinese stories. I found my Chinese novel and tried to revise it. It was too difficult. I couldn’t reread my own story. I didn’t know how to read the Google Translated words.

Then I decided to break the task down. Instead of rereading and revising an entire Chinese novel, I would break it down into chapters. I added vocabulary words and comprehension questions. I made it fit onto one piece of paper. Teachers don’t have a lot of copies. I wanted to help save paper and teacher’s resources.

I published the first 10 chapters of the book. And I got stuck again. No time. No motivation. No reason to keep writing.

During this time, not many people knew I was a writer. Just close friends. But after joining SCBWI and taking more writing classes, I realized that I needed to tell people I was a writer.

Now I tell anyone I meet that I’m a children’s book writer. So, I told these distant relatives that I wrote stories. Usually I don’t tell people about my Chinese stories. They can’t read Chinese so there’s no point. Seeing that they were Chinese, I asked if they could read.

I shared my first chapter of my Chinese novel. She liked it and wanted more. My little Chinese chapters are published on teacherspayteachers.com. She checked and said that they cost money. I went in to make it free and found that seven other people had downloaded the free chapters for my book.

I had seven other readers I didn’t know about. I told her that I would keep writing and uploading more chapters. I had found my reason to continue writing and revising. I had found a reader.

Sometimes you don’t need a huge following. Sometimes you just need one reader.

Most of my stories are written for just one reader. Sometimes it’s for my own children. Sometimes it’s for my husband. Most of the time it’s for me. But some day it might be for you.

I signed up for classes and I eventually joined SCBWI. But no matter how hard I worked, my stories stayed close to 999 words. And if you have ever attended any picture book workshop, you know you need it closer to 500 words or less.

Two years later, I moved back up to teach 4th grade. I was getting the hang of writing picture books. I had time to finish them in one sitting. Otherwise I might find a half finished manuscript and forget what I was writing.

But teaching students to write and do peer editing was hard. Some students wrote a paragraph while other students wrote pages of story. I then had the brilliant idea of having them write 100 word stories. Obviously I had to model how to write the stories as an example. And that is how I began writing flash fiction.

Writing flash fiction has helped me hone my craft writing picture books. I can finally write a picture book story that stays under the word count. I have even written a few that don’t go over the ideal 500 words.

Writing flash fiction is fun. I don’t need a lot of time. I get to play with my writing. And if it doesn’t get published, it doesn’t get published. I didn’t spend a month or years trying to perfect it. I just move on and write the next piece.

My recently published piece, “Back to School” was inspired by my years of teaching. When I switched to kindergarten, my classroom was right next to the entrance. Parents would knock on my door. I would ask them which student they were looking for.

It took me awhile to realize that they weren’t looking for any students in my classroom. They were knocking because I was the closest door and they had no idea which room or grade their kid was in. Some would ask me where to find their child’s classroom. I had no idea. I switched from the smallest school in the district with 6 teachers to the largest elementary school with over 30 teachers. I got lost myself trying to get from Building B to Building A. I still get lost sometimes.

During Back to School Night, my husband came to attend for our daughter. I couldn’t attend because I’m a teacher at the same school and had to present for my own class. He came in during the second session and asked me where he was supposed to go. How would I know? I had been presenting for the entire time while he was supposed to be attending her teacher’s presentation. And it was important that he attend because as a fifth grader, they also had a presentation about the camping trip.

So, inspired by all these experiences and a ton more, I wrote “Back to School”. It was my way to vent and include a cautionary tale for parents to stay involved with your kids. They grow up so fast. You don’t want to miss those important moments.

Last year was exciting and crazy. I got my Chinese picture book fully funded, but I had no idea what goes into publishing a book. My illustrator finished the pictures and we sent it to be formatted. Then we had to wait for the sample copy and for all the printed copies to get shipped over from China.

An author friend, Nora Ho, asked if I wanted to join her at the Bay Area Book Festival and sell my books. I needed a seller’s permit. So over winter break I started Szeto Studios, LLC. I ordered a bunch of poly mailers and once they arrive I will be able to ship the rest of the pre-ordered books.

Over winter break I finally got my shoulder diagnosed correctly. I have a rotator cuff injury and not a frozen shoulder. Which meant I couldn’t go snowboarding with my family. But it wasn’t all that bad. I got to sit inside and write my stories. Saved me a lot more aches and pains. Finished my story about being stuck in traffic, since we were stuck there for 13 hours!

Some of my goals for the new year:

1. Learn how to present in front of a large audience, especially if I plan on doing school visits. (Teaching in my own classroom is not the same)

2. Write and submit 12 more picture books and hopefully some chapter books or middle grade.

3. Get 2 more of my flash fiction stories published. (Good news! I have a story coming out on 101words.org on January 10, 2026)

4. Find an agent.

5. Get book 2 of When Chicken and Duck Talk illustrated and published before the end of the year. (Most likely by the same illustrator, RaeAnne Lee)

6. Create a fabulous presentation for the Climate Action Youth Summit, where my students will be presenting their projects about the environment

7. Just got a writing project funded on Donorschoose, so will be sparking students’ interest and writing comics, essays, and stories.

8. Try to update more on my website and social media, but my students and children will always come first.

9. Interview more authors and share tips and tricks on writing and getting published. My interview with children’s book author Nancy McNeil will be coming soon.

Here’s a secret I learned about making goals that can be accomplished. Make small goals. That way you can get them accomplished, feel elated, celebrate, and then attempt another goal.

If that still doesn’t work, aim to get it done. Done is better than perfect. Your perfect draft will come after 15-20 revisions. This year I will try not to edit while I write.

Good luck with goal making. If anyone needs help with teaching, writing, or learning Chinese, just ask. I’ve got lots of tricks and tips up my sleeve. Just haven’t had time to write them down and share.

Joanna Szeto

Thank you for following my journey to publish my first trilingual picture book, When Chicken and Duck Talk: Learning to Swim. The project successfully funded with 41 backers and $1656. There is still time for you to get a copy with a late pledge.

After Kickstarter finalizes all the pledges, I will send out a backer survey to get addresses where rewards will be sent.

The files will be sent to the printers by the end of September. I will update everyone once I hear back from the printers about the timeline.

In other writing news, I have just finished writing my first draft for a screenplay. I have been taking a Teleplays course through Girls Write Now with my mentee. Writing a screenplay sounded scary, but I’m glad I attempted it.

I will try and turn the screenplay into a short animated skit. Then try and teach my students to make a shorter one in class.

In September I’ll be taking a Chapter Book Writing class. I am stuck in the muddy middle of my picture book turned chapter book. I’m hoping the course will help me get unstuck so I can finish the chapter book before the end of the school year.

Happy reading!

Joanna Szeto

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