We were lucky to catch up with Danny Schnitzlein recently and have shared our conversation below.
Danny, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever had any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?
Coming up with new ideas is easy for me. I could do it all day. The difficult part for me is seeing that idea through to completion. Many times I get halfway through a story and then I get stuck because I’ll look at all the different ways the story could go. So many possibilities. Which is the right way? Then I freeze up and stop writing.
I take a lot of notes for each project. Reviewing my notes can help me find my way through stuck spots. Mapping out a story and knowing how it will end is a good way keep focused on the goal. Filling in the blanks on the Save the Cat beat sheet is a really good way to look at your story as a whole and see what’s working. You can also go back to the bare bones of every story: Who is my character? What do they want? And who or what is stopping them from getting it? A lot of stories stall out because you strayed from your idea.
Mythulu Creation Cards are another way to get unstuck. You can use them before writing when bouncing ideas around, or when you get stuck. You randomly pull a card from categories like elements, habitats, characters, relationships, traits, and textures. The cards help you to grab ideas outside of your brain’s usual bag of tricks, so it keeps your writing fresh. Their website is mythulu.com.
Mistakes are important. Someone said, if you’re not making mistakes, you’re not learning. I agree. Sometimes you have to write a story the wrong way to be able to see the better way.
I start each project the same way I started my first manuscript, with an idea and a blank sheet of paper. At first it seems like it will be easy. But every story presents new challenges and problems. And after a while, the thrill of the new idea wears off and you have to keep rekindling it or else the project will stall out. A lot of people try writing children’s books because they’re short. So they think it will be easy. In truth, writing for children is really difficult. People also think that writing for children is lucrative. I hate to burst your bubble, but unless you’re someone like Mo Willems or Dav Pilkey you’re not going to make a lot of money.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’ve been writing for children in one way or another since 1993. I worked as the head writer for SALSA, a GPTV show that teaches Spanish. The show had some very talented puppeteers and was a lot of fun to work on. Then I wrote for Irasshai, a GPTV show that teaches Japanese. Later I wrote songs and scripts for The Organwise Guys, a show that teaches kids about good health, also with puppets. As a kid, a friend and I would put on puppet shows for the neighborhood using Spike Jones records. So it’s kind of cool that my writing career led me to puppets again.
My first picture book, “The Monster Who Ate My Peas,” was published in 2001. The book is getting a brand new release next year with a brand new cover. I worked with my editor at Peachtree Publishing to improve some of the text and change some things that have bugged me over the years. “Peas” won some readers’ choice awards and was part of the Atlanta Mayor’s Summer Reading Program and the Georgia Department of Education’s “Read More” Initiative. Atlanta Brave, John Smoltz, recited the book for a dvd. Later, the book was adapted into a touring musical and a ballet. I’m still kind of amazed at all that’s happened, especially the ballet! I’m hoping the re-release will get the book more exposure and a brand new generation of readers. When it was first published I sent a copy to author, Ray Bradbury, along with a fan letter. He’s been one of my heroes since I wrote a research paper on him for high school English. I wanted to tell him what an inspiration he has been. I was flabbergasted when he wrote me back and sent a blurb for “Peas” along with a signed study guide for his classic novel, “Fahrenheit 451.” The blurb made me kind of sad though, because he thought I was asking him for something, which I wasn’t. So I never used the blurb. Ray Bradbury died in 2012. After 25 years, I’ve changed my mind. I decided to use his blurb for the new printing.
I’ve published three more picture books since “Peas.” The newest is a fable about dreamers and doers called “Gnu and Shrew.” It’s a National Science Teaching Association “Best STEM Book.” My dad would have been proud since he was a scientist and a research anatomist. He was an author of medical atlases. About halfway through writing the manuscript, I realized that the message of the story was pointed directly at me. As I said before, ideas come easy to me. But the day-to-day work, fleshing out the story is much harder. So I identify with both characters in the story, Gnu (the dreamer) and Shrew (the doer).
Right now I’m focused on finishing a humorous middle grade manuscript about a caveman who steps outside the traditional hunter/gatherer parameters to become the first scientist. I’m also working on an adult novel and a young adult novel. I’ve recently adapted my book, “Trick or Treat on Monster Street,” as a musical screenplay and am preparing to record the music for it.
My favorite parts about my job are watching my ideas come to life with puppets or illustrations (or ballerinas). Seeing the musical version of “The Monster Who Ate My Peas” on a stage, with an audience, was a very surreal experience. Especially since the main character in the play is called “Danny,” my name. In the story, the boy’s name is never mentioned.
It’s fun working with other people and being a part of a writing critique group. Writing is a really solitary profession and it can get lonely sometimes. I also really enjoy writing songs for projects. I’d love to do more of that.
Another great part about my job is visiting schools. It’s inspiring to be around kids and hear their ideas. Kids can ask some really insightful and funny questions. My favorite question came after I’d talked about the importance of revision. A kid raised his hand and asked, “Why don’t you just do it right the first time?” That still makes me laugh! Overwhelmingly, what kids love best about my school presentations is when we draw monsters. I encourage them to come up with their own monsters, so when the exercise is finished we have one hundred different monsters. One thing I’ve noticed over twenty-five years is that Kindergartners tend to draw the most inventive and creative monsters. I think it’s because when you’re young, you haven’t learned to censor yourself yet. The sky’s the limit. Drawing monsters might seem silly or frivolous at first glance. It probably doesn’t check any boxes for teaching standards. But it gets kids creating enthusiastically, joyfully, and you can see them lose themselves in the process. Besides, drawing is a really good way to get ideas for stories. So maybe it’s not so frivolous after all!
I wrote a song for my school visits called “I Love Reading” and students sing the chorus along with me. Music is a great way to break the ice and connect with an audience. Learning should be fun after all.
After singing the song and reading one of my books, I like to show students some different ways to generate ideas. Then I take them through the steps of brainstorming and plotting.
Schools interested in my author visits can contact me through my website: dannyschnitzlein.com. You can also find a gallery of kids’ monster drawings, a well as teacher’s guides, and info about each of my books.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Manage your time. I’m over 60 now and I’ve realizes I’m not going to be able to get to all my ideas. Many of my projects will go unfinished. There’s a fire lit under me now, reminding me to keep writing, keep moving ahead, and finish projects!
Enjoy the journey. Celebrate your successes. Each one may be the only one of its kind. And take time to make friends in your field and spend time hanging out with them.
Be good at business. If you’re not a good business person, hire someone to handle that part. I really don’t enjoy the business part of writing. I just want to write and create. But business is important. Find a good agent. I’ve had two different agents and both retired. So I’m on the lookout for a new one.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
“The Artist’s Way,” by Julia Cameron is an important book for any person working in a creative field.
Recently, “Save the Cat” by Blake Snyder and the related book “Saves The Cat Writes a Young Adult Novel” have been really useful in helping me structure my longer form manuscripts. Being able to step back and view a story’s beats is an essential skill for writers. There are 3 kinds of writers. Pantsers write by the seat of the pants. Plotters plan everything before writing anything. And the third kind kind of writer does a little of both. I would put myself in that third camp. I generally jump in and start writing when I’m excited about an idea. When the idea is fresh it will tell you a lot about itself. Then I go back and plot. Then I write again. There’s no single correct way to write. You have to find what works best for you. And trust me when I say, NOBODY does it right the first time!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dannyschnitzlein.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannyschnitzlein/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danny.schnitzlein
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dannyschnitzlein9318
- Other: @dschnitz.bsky.social
Image Credits
Author photo by Jenny and Allen Hansen
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