I, I will Revise!! Pre-ReviMo Interview with Marcie Colleen

Two weeks until ReviMo! Hooray hooray! Today we have Marcie Colleen with us. Welcome Marcie!

 

Can you tell us about yourself?

Wow. That’s a HUGE question. Sometimes I wonder, myself. I am a former teacher and former theater educator from New York. I have always wanted to be a writer, but didn’t know what KIND of writer until 2010. And then it kinda seemed like a no-brainer. Picture Books + Marcie = perfect fit.

Let’s see. What are the top 10 spicy things I can tell you about…

• I used to work in the Broadway theater industry.
• I once met Sir Paul McCartney at a party.
• Tony Randall, of THE ODD COUPLE fame, used to be my boss.
• I’ve been skydiving.
• I worked the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade once.
• I just recently ran the NYC Marathon.
• I studied for most of my masters degree oversea in the UK.
• I starred in a B-rate horror flick back in the day. Eeek! Can you say “straight to video”?
• My fiancé is an artist who’s medium is Lego bricks. You can check out his work at BKNY Bricks on Facebook. (psst…for his REAL job he works at Little, Brown though.)
• I am one degree from Kevin Bacon.

What has most influenced your picture book writing journey?

Truly, I think it’s the way I look at life. I tend to have a 5 year old sensibility. I view a lot of my household goings-on through the eyes of my sock monkey. When you look at life that way, the scenarios keep rolling in.

What inspires your revisions?

The drive to “get it right.” I want each one of my stories to be the best that they can be. Therefore, I want to be stretched and questioned. I belong to 3 critique groups and have many friends who read my work, as well. They truly inspire me to keep on keepin’ on.

The current manuscript my agent has out on submission is version #25! Yeah. You heard me. Number 25! I worked on the manuscript for 14 months and in that time wrote many drafts and had many eyes look at it. I had professional critiques and peer critiques. I think I was at version #23 when I signed with my agent. And then we went through two revisions together before finally deciding version #25 was the one we wanted to send out into the world.

So, revisions are important. Having patience is important. Being thorough is important. That’s why you have to love the process.

How has having an agent changed your revision process?

I have a greater sense of confidence since landing my agent. I guess I like the idea that at least one more person in the industry loves my work and thinks its worthy of publication. So, when Susan asks for revisions I take them very seriously. I know she has the best interest of the story in mind and I love that I now have a “business partner”. I trust her. Her critiques have been spot on.

Recently I sent a revision to her that I was certain was ready to submit. I was a little disappointed when she returned my manuscript to me a few days later with notes for revision. She apologized, but said she didn’t think it was quite there yet. But to be truthful, I would rather have an agent say, “Its not ready yet” than “Its good enough.”

Favorite picture book?

Hmmmm. I think I have to go with a classic. CAPS FOR SALE by Esphyr Slobodkina. Not only does it have monkeys in it (my fave!) but it is a fabulously fun read-aloud and a favorite of mine since childhood.

Favorite hair product? (Love those locks!)

Alas, it always comes down to the hair, doesn’t it?  About 3 years ago I decided to splurge and get my hair cut at “The Curly Girl Salon”, officially called Devachan, right here in NYC. They specialize in cutting curly hair. My curls have never looked better. And, in fact, I use hardly any products now because the cut is so good. But I do use the Devachan hair products which are better for curly hair because they do not have any silicone in them. I use the Devachan Low-poo Shampoo, One Condition Conditioner and DevaCurl Light Defining Gel. That’s it. My routine is simple. I condition and use the gel every other day. The shampoo I use when needed…sometimes only once every 2 weeks. And there you have it. 

Thank you Marcie, love your 10 spicy things! I have to ask, how are you one degree from Kevin Bacon? :D 

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