We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lori Scott. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lori below.
Lori, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
My parents played a crucial role in my development of confidence and self-esteem. They created an environment of love, laughter, and learning that both nurtured my curiosity and encouraged me to take risks. Even if I struggled to master a skill, their contagious enthusiasm and unshakable belief in me instilled a can-do attitude in my heart. Their support helped me cultivate self-motivation, a key ingredient underlying the development of confidence and self-esteem. In whatever task I undertook, I never felt the pressure to succeed, because they encouraged me to dream big, welcome challenges, and explore the possibilities ahead. And that created a win-win situation. (Consider: I didn’t get first place in the race, but I ran my personal best.) Whenever I announced a new initiative, their first question was, “How can we help?” and, upon completion, their follow up question was, “Did you have fun?” In doing so, they equipped me to not only succeed gracefully but to also fail gracefully. And, I know this may sound odd, but I feel they also developed my self-esteem in an organic way. Outside of specific goals I pursued, our family played games together, prayed together, and always invested in mealtime conversations and bedtime stories. In other words, my parents loved me, no strings attached and I, in turn, thrived.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I hold a few jobs. First and foremost, I am an elementary teacher. I’ve been in the classroom for over 25 years, and those kids are the best part of my day. My main goals are to love them always, to fill their learning with joy and laughter, and to push them to think creatively.
Outside the classroom, my other love consumes me—writing. In the early 2000s, I accidentally wrote a ten-title, bestselling chapter book series for kids. Then, on purpose, I contributed to over a dozen books and wrote over 200 short stories, poems, devotions, articles, and essays for a variety of publications, including most notably, Focus on the Family.
After suffering a life-changing tragedy, I quit writing cold turkey. It wasn’t until around 2018, after the encouragement of my daughter and my parents and an editor from Pockets Magazine named Melanie Hooper, that I picked up the pen again. This time I dove into the world of crafting young adult novels. My stories tackled tough topics (like eating disorders and human trafficking) but still held that sense of humor and hope people had come to expect from me. Both books have won numerous awards but, better yet, the response from readers has reinforced my drive to persevere in a tough industry.
Lately, my childhood dream to one day be an illustrator has come back to roost. I mean… I doodle. A LOT. On napkins. Envelopes. Church bulletins. Yahtzee score sheets. Receipts. Everywhere. Growing up I wanted to be a cartoonist. In second grade, I colored the entire surface of my desk. (I got in trouble, of course.) In high school, I drew the Adventures of Super Cat in the margins of my science notebook. And in college, our professor said we could select a project that showed our understanding of educational philosophy for our final grade. Everyone in the class turned in a term paper. I turned in a comic book called “Freckles and Spaz” and got an A+. I can actually draw forwards and backwards with both hands at the same time. All that said, I’ll be the first to admit there are more highly skilled artists out there. I’m largely self-taught. But that doesn’t stop me. One day, I’d love to illustrate my own picture book. You’ll see a lot of my doodles on Instagram @Stories.by.Lori.
As far as brands go, I have published diversely—from poetry to novels, sci-fi to (gulp) sweet romance, with audiences of kindergarten through adult, depending on the project. That makes me multi-creative. But also, I’ve worked with kids from kindergarten through high school my whole life. That’s why I sum up my brand as “stories with heart and humor for kids of all ages.”
Currently, there are a few dear-to-my-heart projects I’m working on. The first is a MG/YA speculative fiction novel that grew out of the very first story I created when I decided to pursue writing. I would love to see it published one day and continue as a series with these three very likable characters.
The second project I am working on is a third book in the YA series I mentioned above. Although each novel in the series is a stand-alone book, they are united in an underlying sports theme. (I always tell people though … you don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy them. I mean, I’m not a detective, but I love a good mystery.)
Finally, I’m working on picture books. One of my big dreams is to publish picture books and earn the love of the picture book audience. As a teacher, I know how young students talk, recognize their interests, and understand the issues they face. So why not speak to those who already hold a huge chunk of my heart? (On a side note, an even bigger dream than writing a picture book is to create the illustrations for it. I know this will take a lot of hard work and learning on my part, but I do love a challenge.)
The third project involves my doodles. I’m putting sketches together a pitch book for a picture book idea, and will present myself to publishers as an author/ illustrator. With that goal in mind, I’ve posted a lot more illustrations on my IG account!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Most impactful qualities: the willingness to learn, the ability to view the process of writing instead of publication as a win, and the ability to find joy in what you do.
Most impactful skills: goal setting, flexibility in thinking, and making deadlines.
Areas of knowledge that are most impactful: gaining an understanding of your target audience, learning how to craft a pitch and a proposal, and marketing (still a challenging area for me.)
Advice:
Read, read, read! In education, we use books for mentor texts. Reading helps you develop an eye for fluency, story structure, and genre tropes.
Learn. Attend a writing conference. Join a critique group. Listen to podcasts and read articles on the craft of writing.
Build. Don’t wait until the book is written to build your platform. Start now!
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
I love to read fiction, but the Bible has played the most important role in my development. I can turn to its pages for comfort, encouragement, inspiration, and wisdom. Here are a few of the favorite verses I have clung to over the years from my favorite book of the Bible, Isaiah.
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 NIV
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43: 2 NIV
And finally, a special reassurance to me as I face past wounds and daily physical challenges: … but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40: 31 NIV
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lori-z-scott.com
- Instagram: @Stories.by.Lori
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lori.Z.Scott/
Image Credits
Lori Z. Scott (for all of these images)
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
