JODIE FITZSIMONS “I’m very passionate now about the idea of forging your own path and finding ways to make things happen for yourself.”
Kelly’s Writerly Q&A September Author Interview is with Jodie Fitzsimons, a Melbourne-based writer and author, casual teacher and founder of Bold Author, Budding Artists, a book and YouTube series providing opportunities to talented student artists and picture-book authors. Alongside children's picture books, Jodie is a contemporary women's fiction and YA writer with a Substack newsletter that’s filled with personal musings on everything from secondary infertility and IVF to writerly updates and recommendations.
Today, we are celebrating the publication of her fifth Bold Author, Budding Artists picture book, Wombat the Copycat. Congratulations and welcome, Jodie, it’s so great to chat!
Kelly: Thanks for taking the time to answer some writerly questions. Let’s start by talking about Wombat the Copycat. What’s it about?
Jodie: Thank you, and thanks for having me. It’s a thrill to make it onto your famous Q&A! Wombat the Copycat is about a grumpy wombat who decides it’s time to show the other animals in Misty View that he has some spark and flair. He runs for the position of town mayor alongside Dingo, Burra and Roo, but, having no idea what to do, he copies the campaign trail ideas off the other candidates with disastrous results. I’m hoping this will be the first in a series of Wombat the Copycat books.
Kelly: I love this book and how uniform the illustrations are. You should be so proud of what you’ve achieved with this story and how kids can enjoy the rhyming narrative while learning about being authentic. What inspired you to write this story?
Jodie: I was keen to write a book about Australian animals, and when I was looking up some animal facts one day, I found out wombats poop out cube-shaped poo, and right then I knew it had to be about a wombat! The premise came from my love of rhyme, and when I was playing around with titles, Wombat the Copycat just came to me, and once I had it, I couldn’t let the idea go.
Kelly: What a cute way to begin! How long does it take you to write a picture book story?
Jodie: It varies a lot. My first published picture book, A Kids-Only Christmas, was written because I wanted a Christmas book to launch Bold Author, Budding Artists with, and I literally had it written and done in a couple of weeks. Other stories I wrote years ago, and I go back to them from time to time to edit and change or submit if I can. Sometimes it can take longer, too, if I suddenly think maybe it would sound better in prose, so I start all over again. I usually end up going back to rhyme, though!
Kelly: It’s great to learn that every book is conceived differently. What does your typical day of writing look like?
Jodie: A typical writing session for me is me sitting at the kitchen table (I will soon have a proper desk space in a newly renovated room, which is exciting!) and writing late into the night when everyone else is asleep. I’m a night owl. I’ll never be able to get up early to write, and it can be hard for me to write anything substantial during the day in the short window when my daughter naps.
Kelly: Writing at the kitchen table is a rite of passage I’m very familiar with. The best place to start is anywhere you can! Let’s talk about your Bold Author, Budding Artists series. How did it come about?
Jodie: Honestly, I was feeling disheartened with the industry. I’ve always had positive feedback for my stories, and when I had the opportunity to get my work in front of one of the Big 5, I was so excited. The feedback for a few of my stories was that the rhyme was great, the humour was great, but it’s a no. I later found out it was more about me NOT being ‘a name’. Obviously, my reaction was, well, how can I become a name if nobody gives me a chance? Not long after, a few of my writer friends went to a conference, and a couple of them were told it’s very hard to get a PB published at the moment as a debut author, so maybe write something else. I didn’t want to write something else. That was when I realised if I wanted to get my work out there and make a name for myself, I might have to do it myself. And if I could help aspiring and up-and-coming authors at the same time and give budding student artists a unique experience, that would be even better.
Kelly: I love how you responded to this rejection! Not only did you realise your own dreams, but you have made so many others’ dreams come true too!
Kelly: There’s nothing like celebrating a publishing win, but I believe it’s even more important to talk about what came before. Can you share a rejection story?
Jodie: The above was probably the toughest one, because it felt like it could have been a yes if I were already published. I did get a lovely rejection from a small publishing house with the first picture book I ever wrote, called The Honorary Hairy Fairy. She was very kind, telling me she really enjoyed the story and the writing, but that it was a no at that point. The reason it was my nicest rejection was that she actually gave me a couple of tips on how to improve it, for example, cutting some words. I realised she was right, it was far too long!
Oh, I just remembered another rejection that was a bit gutting. I’d been able to get the first five chapters of my YA novel in front of a literary agent, and the feedback was amazing. She said I should 110% enter the Text Prize and Ampersand because she believed it was finished to such a high standard, and that I’d be in with a particularly good shot with Text. When I didn’t get long-listed or short-listed, I’ll admit it stung quite a bit after perhaps getting my hopes up a little too high.
Kelly: Thank you for sharing these stories. You are so great at bouncing back, but I know how hard it is to accept a rejection on something you truly believe in. As a mum who writes, how has motherhood impacted your writing?
Jodie: It’s greatly impacted my writing. I didn’t start writing picture books until my son was born almost a decade ago. It was only once I started reading lots of them that I really found myself wanting to write them. I love the rhyme and rhythm, and, seeing how much my son enjoyed the funny, quirky, commercial kind of stories, it made me want to write some for him, too.
Once my daughter came along 18 months ago, I knew I wanted to make my maternity leave count and use the time to really try to make something finally happen. It’s amazing how having kids and having time away from work can inspire you to be as productive as you can be!
Kelly: Yes! It is so amazing how having kids and time away from work inspires! Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Jodie:
I’m very passionate now about the idea of forging your own path and finding ways to make things happen for yourself.
Traditional publishing is so hard, and while it is still the dream for most authors, I would encourage aspiring authors to find other ways to get their words out there as well. Even if it’s while you chase the trad dream too. Self-publish and use platforms like Substack. I think I’ve been much happier and more fulfilled making things happen for myself than sitting by my emails waiting for someone else to offer me something. Because what a waste of time if that offer never comes!
Kelly: Great point! Other endeavours can be so fulfilling, between getting that dream, yes! What are you currently reading and loving?
Jodie: I’ve been in a bit of a novel-reading slump for quite a while now, I’m embarrassed to say. My husband goes to bed early, and I go to bed late, and I only really like to read in bed! It’s not an ideal match to get much reading done… I’m trying to get through Liane Moriarty’s The Last Anniversary before I watch the TV series, but, honestly, I really mostly read picture books and board books with my daughter at the moment. I just got two beautiful picture books from the library, which I highly recommend – Kiralee Strong’s Hugs Still Feel the Same and Claire Thompson’s Croc Candy. My daughter’s currently stuck on my son’s old version of Where is the Green Sheep? So that’s slowly sending me insane…
Kelly: You just reminded me, I need to read The Last Anniversary too! I’ve just pulled it off my shelf. So, what can we expect from you next?
Jodie: I still have plenty more picture books in the pipeline for the Bold Author series, and I’m currently looking for more aspiring Aussie guest authors (so please reach out!) to take part. I locked in my first Book Week event too, running a workshop to a large group of grade 5s and 6s, so I really hope more events, talks, and workshops will be in my future. Aside from that, I’m writing a contemporary women’s fiction novel, and I entered it in both The Richell Prize and The Wheeler Centre’s The Next Chapter competition, so obviously I’d love to get some amazing news from one of those! I also have a full YA manuscript sitting there that I’d love to rework, but there just needs to be more time in the day!
Kelly: You are amazing! Best of luck with all your projects! Thanks so much for your time.
