PUBLISHED GRAD

What’s the name of your book? And who is the publisher?

Pabulum, Book one in The Cerridwen Series

Published by Bootstrap Publications

Give us a short summary of your work.

Zylphia could always tell there was more she wanted out of life than to get married and let a stranger help rule her kingdom. When a new suitor comes to Pabulum, it sets off the precedent for a new beginning. But when she discovers a decaying hole through the wall surrounding Pabulum, she never imagines the creatures and adventures waiting on the other side. Things once abandoned come back to save her kingdom, and the entire island, from total destruction.

Tell us a bit about your path to publishing, from idea to to submission to publication.

The idea came to me randomly, as they usually do! A couple of years later I discovered an amazing class at The Institute of Writer’s, Writing for Children & Teens. This course fine-tuned my storytelling abilities. It really helped me locate weak areas in my writing and how to strengthen them. In the Advanced writing course, my instructor offered invaluable advice and critiques, which helped me develop better storytelling techniques. This course allowed me to complete my manuscript! This was something I had trouble forcing myself to do, and the assignments kept me on track. My instructor was patient and her suggestions were supportive.

I took this manuscript to the boutique publisher, Bootstrap Publications, and now I am a published author! Working with a small publishing house has been wonderful, as I am involved with all of the steps to publication. I was able to keep the illustrator that I wanted for my book, and I was able to have final say on every detail in the book.

The first book was a lot of work, and I learned a ton of new information. Now I am working on Book Two in the series and I feel confident & excited moving forward!

How long have you been writing?

I love stories and have been developing them since I was able to pick up a pencil! I have always kept a journal and I write poetry when it comes to me. I have written many articles for several magazine publications, but I haven’t shared the stories I’ve developed to the public until recently. Now I am excited to share my stories to the world!

What’s your favorite genre to write and why?

Fantasy! I love alternative worlds and imaginative places to escape to.

Which ICL or IFW courses have you taken?

Writing for Children and Teens

How has taking our courses helped your writing and/or career?

This course fine-tuned my storytelling abilities. It really helped me locate weak areas in my writing and how to strengthen them. In the Advanced writing course, my instructor offered invaluable advice and critiques, which helped me develop better storytelling techniques. This course allowed me to complete my manuscript! This was something I had trouble forcing myself to do, and the assignments kept me on track.

I would not have been able to complete this on my own. The structure of the courses was so detailed and perfected, it really helped me advance. My instructor was patient and her suggestions were supportive. I continue to use what I learned in these courses in my writing!

Have any of your class assignments been published?

Yes! The manuscript I completed in the Advanced course I was able to take to a publisher and now my first book has been released!
Published through Bootstrap Publications on September 30, 2024
www.bootstrappublications.com/beadonaldson.

Do you have a favorite writing tip you’d like to share?

Make an outline! If you’re like me and you have a million ideas and you don’t know where to start, make an outline of your plots. You can always take things away or add more to them, and you should!

If you could travel back in time and give yourself one piece of writing advice, what would it be?

I would go back to high school and tell myself to dive into my writing, to trust my instincts. I would tell myself to find the courses at the Institute of Writers sooner, sharpen my skills, and then put stories into the world like there’s no tomorrow!

If you could become one fictional character, who would it be?

Ms. Frizzle! She’s magic and so much fun! She is so happy and enjoys her life to the fullest, plus she has a pet chameleon!

What’s the most valuable thing you learned from your experience with the Institute of Children’s Literature and Institute for Writers?

The best thing I learned from the courses I took was how important structured thought and application are. Learning to simply make an outline of my thoughts and write down all of the expectations I had for my project, was extremely helpful. Finding freedom in changing that outline or feeling validated for my initial instincts helped a lot with my confidence in writing. These courses helped my confidence as a writer in general! It was very liberating!