What is the name of your article? Who is the publisher?

Dash to the Rescue

illustrated by Vickie L. Kastl

Doodle and Peck Publishing

Give us a short summary of your work.

Dash, a young Mongolian, nomadic girl, finds a way to save the nucleus of her family’s livestock from destruction from a brutal, winter storm. By applying the the story of Noah and his ark to the problem she gives her family peace of mind.

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

My idea developed after reading an article about the how the nomads of Mongolia lost their entire livelihood when their animals froze to death during frigid weather. I submitted the subsequent story to about 15 publishers before it was accepted by Doodle and Peck.

How long have you been writing?

20 years

What’s your favorite genre to write and why?

Picture books/multicultural

Which ICL or IFW courses have you taken?

Writing for Children and Teens

Writing and Selling Children’s Books

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

It was a way to turn my passion into practical steps. I learned a lot during this first step.

Have any of your class assignments been published?

No.

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

If you have a passion to write, NEVER give up.

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

Don’t assume a piece is ready to submit even though it sounds good to you. Find someone to critique it.

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