Video Transcript (computer generated - may contain errors)

Sara Gentry: Hey, writers, I am so happy today to have Christy Yaros with me. Welcome, Christy.

Christy Yaros: Hi, Sara! Thanks for having me back.

Sara Gentry: Absolutely. And writers you may have already seen, an interview with Christy that we had done in the past about talking about various categories of kidlit. And that is because Christy knows a lot of things about all the categories of kidlit but today we're gonna talk a bit about writing communities and the kidlit community. But before we dig into all that, I am gonna introduce Christy to you all. She is a certified book, coach and story editor working with serious middle grade, and young adult writers who want to create stories that engage, encourage, and empower young people. She happily spends her days talking craft and coaxing stories out of her clients. Previous iterations of Christy have done pretty much all the things in the educational publishing world, from proofreader to managing editor to author. Christy holds an MFA in writing for children from Simmons University, and she is also a Co-Assistant regional advisor for the New England chapter of the SCBWI, and she is a co-host of the Coaching Kidlit Podcast, which is an awesome Podcast and we will have a link to that so that everybody can find it. But today we are going to talk about communities because Christy is involved in a lot of communities. And we know that that can be an important part of the writing journey. So maybe we should do a quick overview here of what and who might be considered all part of kidlit. Who are we talking about when we say the kidlit community?

Christy Yaros: Well, I mean, in the broad sense, right? It's all of us who are involved in that. Writers, editors, agents, publishers, illustrators, people that pretend to write and just admire the the other writers. Coaches. I mean, it's like librarians, teachers, right? Anybody who might interact with a kidlit book in the creation of it and the publication of it, and then getting it out into the world. I mean, generally, we don't include the children in our kids look community. But certainly they’re on our minds.

Sara Gentry: Yeah, it's such a weird dynamic to be like, we are working on things for this population. But we're not really interacting with this population in the same way that we are interacting with each other for sure. And just in general, you know, kidlit community people tend to be friendly and generous, and just all around nice to be around. I think that we're a little bit better than some of the adult market spaces where it can feel a bit cutthroat and competitive. People, I find, are generally eager to support one another and promote each other's books, and do all the lovely things so.

Christy Yaros: I think so too. I mean, I think it's because we all have a shared goal and shared values in that. This is, you know. We want to bring books to children that are going to enrich their worlds and make their lives better. And so it's not, I don't know, not that adult writers don't have a purpose. But I feel like we all have more about maybe a common purpose. And like, isn't that what community is based on shared values and shared goals and things like that. So.

Sara Gentry: Yeah. Thanks.

Christy Yaros: That's really. I would say, kid, people, kids like people are the best people. It's just the way it is.

Sara Gentry: It is the way it is. Yeah. So even within the kidlit community, though, we do get some different types of communities. We've got, well, the SCBWI, which we mentioned. Maybe since you are involved with that on a leadership level, could you maybe give people a bigger perspective of what the SCBWI is?

Christy Yaros: So that's the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. And it is an international organization at the top. And then there are individual chapters in different states. Like, we’re New England because New England is its own community identity, 6 states that are part of the same. Your chapter, is it your whole state?

Sara Gentry: Iowa. Yeah.

Christy Yaros: Yeah. So yours is just Iowa and other parts of the world. It's the whole con, you know, could be a whole country. It could be part of the country. But it's the same thing, you know. It's all people who have the same goals. Again, publishing children's books. So it is writers. It is illustrators. It is people in the publishing world, and it's a great place for you to find local people who do what you do. I mean, I went. I lived in my town for probably 8 years before I realized that there were people that lived like 4 streets away from me who also did kidlit right? And I'm thinking, I'm the only one. So there's that. And since Covid, there's a lot of online offerings. And in August. There's the online conference is coming up where you have the opportunity to be, you know, on Zoom, but with people all over the world, having a shared experience. And then there's even critique groups, peer critique groups. And I always run the YA Critique group. So if you're going to an SCBWI international online conference, and you do YA,  I'm always hosting that meeting group. So it offers things for different levels. And I know I've heard some people say that they weren't ready to join that yet, because they didn't think they were at a certain point. But I don't believe that it's like that. I think it's great for beginners. There's a tons of resources and information, and it's the kind of place where you I mean. I've been a member since 2007. I have seen careers, but people who thought that maybe they weren't ready to join that yet are now Newbery award winning authors. Right. So it's a great way to [...] community.

Sara Gentry: Right? Just because you join doesn't mean you will be teaching a webinar yourself. Right? You can just join and hang around people and sort of absorb information, but also just make really great connections of people who are very generous, and they can maybe help you take the next step of what you'll need to do. It's just so much better than trying to do it all on your own. At least I think so.

Christy Yaros: None of this business can be done on our own. All of it involves other people, I mean, even when you get a publishing contract. Right? You have an agent. You have an editor. You have a marketing team of all of these people. You're never going to be by yourself, so I guess you might as well get used to having having us a community around you, and also growing up with a group of people who are at the same places you are, and and growing together over the years, I mean, that's like a built in support system. For even if you become when you become famous, and you still have these same people that you have known since the beginning, who have gone through. I mean community in general. Let's face it like we have our spouses, our partners, our kids fine like. They don't wanna hear about this stuff all the time, right? Like they smile, they nod.

Sara Gentry: Eyes glaze over.

Christy Yaros: They don't really get it. So finding people, and that I mean, and this goes for anything that you're interested in, but especially think with kidlit. It's not even the kind of thing where, having, you know, I know a lot of libraries will offer critique groups, and it could be anybody from your community. And yes, you have that shared aspect that you're from the same living community. But picture book writer, middle grade writer, adult fantasy, you know, mystery, adult erotica. People can end up all in the same group and like, what do you do with that right?

Sara Gentry: Yes.

Christy Yaros: Get some things out of that, but I think the more you niche down in your 

Sara Gentry: I think that's true, and I think sometimes people perceive kidlit creators or enthusiasts as being like, oh, isn't that so cute like they still have pat you on top of the head and be like, but I hang out with the real writers over here right, and they don't realize the challenges and the difficulty of writing for kids. And so being around other people who respect that work, I think, will help you also feel good about the work that you are doing.

Christy Yaros: Well, anytime you walk into a room, and you know that you have a certain level of shared, you know, interest values it takes kind of a weight off of not, you know. Am I finding the kidlit person in the room? I mean, you know you're in a room of kidlit people. It's like, Oh, the picture book people, the novel people. You can find the illustrators because they're always the ones having fun like in the corner. But still you're all kidlit people. And so it it just like, I think, any other community, you know, if you have a church community or your PTO. Or you know clubs when you were younger, or now, whatever, you all know, coming in, you have a certain thing that you share together. And so like, that's off. That's out of the way, and you can get right into the good stuff right.

Sara Gentry: Yeah, yeah.

Christy Yaros: Like, let's have deep conversations about the things that we care about.

Sara Gentry: Yeah, totally agree. And then we also have these, you mentioned since the pandemic, but I think even before, with the rise of offerings on the Internet. There's more available to us now than there was 20 years ago. You can take classes. You can take webinars, workshops, all the things, whether they're in person or online. We certainly have places like Highlights or the Writing Barn, or 12x12. Places where you can learn things. Perhaps we're we're going in with more of a learning mindset. And whether that's a long range thing, or maybe it might just be like a single session. But that is another way, perhaps, to meet people who are interested in the same things that you're interested in. If you both take a, I don't know, a class on writing middle grade mystery, for instance. Now you've found maybe some new writing buddies.

Christy Yaros: Yeah, I mean totally. Is it even doing the Peer Critique group for the Conference? I mean, I. One of the things I say to them is when you go into this breakout room, and it is just a breakout room on zoom with random people. So I mean super brave people to log on and read their stuff in front of strangers in the 1st place. So you know, you'll have that in common. You're a little bit bold right. But if if you find someone who resonates with you who you're like, yes, like they get me, I get them and grab on, like not creepy kind of way, but you need people who get you because there are plenty of opportunities for community, but it doesn't mean that everybody is a match for you and need you don't want somebody who's who's gonna make you feel bad about yourself? Who's gonna criticize your work? Who's gonna tell you. I would do it this way. But someone who says like, What is it that you're you're trying to do? And how can I help you get there, and hey? You know I'm great at dialogue, and you're great at description. You help me like I'll help you. It's really putting yourself out there and knowing what it is that you need. If you just need people to emotionally support you, someone you can vent with fine to choose. When you get down to that granular level of the people you really want to spend your time with in a smaller community, or in a critique group or or a critique partnership. I mean, you really have to make sure it's what you need.

Sara Gentry: Yeah. So maybe let's let's give some direction or some tips, maybe here for for writers who are like, Okay, I'm very enthusiastic about joining a community, but I'm not totally sure which one to join, because there's tons of good ones there. There are a lot of good ones. There are also, maybe some not so good ones that we don't want to be a part of. So, yeah. How can we figure out maybe, first of all, how can I figure out if I want to join a large group, you know? Say, whether it's a national organization or a you know, a state organization, or whatever. How? How can I figure out what's good for me at a big level versus like finding a group of 4 writers that I can call my own little group? How do I distinguish, or is it maybe I do both?

Christy Yaros: I mean, I think there probably is room for both. You know, I'm part of multiple communities, and they each give me like something different, like, I said, like understanding what it is that you want from people. I mean. At this point my own critique group we met 10 years ago at an SCBWI conference and realized we all live within, you know, the same town around each other. And as we've morphed over the years like, we're friends. We're good friends, and maybe we don't do as much writing together anymore. But we, you know, have our group chat. We send each other memes, and you know, and it and it's morphed into that. But like beyond how we feel about writing, we respect and enjoy each other as people first. So I think that's important. I don't know so much about writing is knowing yourself right and knowing what you are, what you know, we're all, most of us are grown ups. We're of an age where it's just like this is who I am like, I'm not gonna change. So what do I need, and who can meet me there? So I think part of it is money. How much money do you have to invest? Because there are free communities. But there are also paid communities, and the expectations of what you'll get out of. Those are different, based on how much you pay. I mean. That's just the way business works. Right? There's how much time do you have to invest? There are communities where stuff is happening daily, or you know, things that happen once a week or once a month, like, what kind of time investment do you have? And then what level of support are you? Are you looking for, you know, if you're in SCBWI, I mean our region. New England region has probably 1,800 people in it. Right? I mean, you're not going to get to know everybody, and you can't come in with the expectation of like I'm brand new. Teach me everything. You know. You have to do a certain amount of effort yourself in taking advantage of the resources and saying, Okay, here's what I think I need right now and I know with, you know, coaching like this is one of the things that we emphasize. There's so much out there that there's so many free things and free doesn't mean good necessarily paid doesn't mean good necessarily. How do you filter down what you need and what is good for you? And it's hard sometimes with all of the things to focus on, like just the next step. So I would say, like, Where are you? And if you're if you have never finished a draft, don't worry about communities for querying and agents, right? Because you need to finish a book. So what do you need to do that, and find those things that are gonna help you get there, you know. Are you looking for accountability? Are you just looking for people to, you know, connect with on a weekly basis. Are you looking to learn your skills? Are you looking to share your work and have other people share their work with you? There's all of these, I mean, now, it just sounds even more even more complicated, an easier way to kind of whittle down what is the best for you, because we all have limited time and limited resources, and you don't. You don't want to join something that's going to put you out. That's, gonna you know be too difficult for you to pay, just because you think you need to pay for it because you don't. You definitely don't need to pay for things to get the stuff that you need. You may have to work a little harder to find those resources, but you also don't want to join something where the expectation is that you're going to participate every day. And then, you know you can't. And then you just make yourself feel bad because you're not participating. That's not gonna help you, either.

Sara Gentry: Yeah.

Christy Yaros: It probably changes. I mean, school's just ending right? So our teachers, have more time, maybe less, because now that’s your vacation, you know, or their kids are home. Those people whose kids are in school are now home. Now I'm just rambling, but

Sara Gentry: I'm glad that you brought up the idea of paying versus not paying for things, because I totally agree with you. We don't want to pay for things that we don't use, because the mental load of just carrying that just like adds on more guilt. And if that goes on for a long time, maybe even shame at that point, keeping on piles of things that I'm not doing, and and you can feel less than. On the flip side of that. If you're stagnating and not going anywhere, sometimes paying for a class or paying for a membership might be the kick in the pants you need, because you've like I've invested in this. And now I'm gonna see it through. So that goes back to knowing yourself. And if you're someone that's going to benefit by putting your dollars down where your effort needs to be, then maybe maybe that's what you do. But knowing whether you want personal interaction with people is really helpful, or whether you just want to be anonymous and absorb information.

Christy Yaros: You know, there's Facebook groups. And for people who still do Facebook, I am really trying to avoid it, because that's just a huge time suck, but you know, if there you want that, but then you also have to take the information that I'm getting. Is it accurate? Is it? Is it right for me? It can become so overwhelming with all the resources out there and the conflicting things. And how do I decide what I need right now. And and I think that's where sometimes the paid communities that are usually more niched down like we talked about earlier, right? That are providing a certain thing at a certain time, like a lot of our coaches offer con groups, larger groups, smaller groups, communities based around certain things. I mean you have an accountability group.

Sara Gentry: Well, I was just gonna bring up yours as well. So that's an excellent segue, because, I did want to tell people about Christy's, because Christy has this group for middle grade and young adult writers. So here's an example of a group that's very focused on KidLit novels. Granted. They're, you know, using both categories of middle grade and YA, but that's because a lot of writers do tend to cross over from one category to the other. And I love that your program has a mix of learning. You have this learning component of webinars and guest experts and a teaching component. But then it's also a small enough group. I mean, it's not. I wouldn't call it a small group, but it's a small enough group where you aren't just going to be a name on a screen. So I feel like your group is a lovely blend of the best of both worlds between. You know the large and the small options.

Christy Yaros: Oh, thank you. Yeah. Well, I mean, you know, teacher, at heart, I guess. But it started because I had one on one clients who I was coming to an end with, and I didn't wanna let them go right. I didn't want them to just go off and be gone because I had clients who are all over the world, and they don't have any writing communities. And so I said, Oh, what can I do? And so I tried to form this. And honestly, I'm really lucky, and I'm not just saying this because some of them might be watching this. But you know I. I brought together this group of people, and they have really made it. We're, I mean, it's a paid community, but it's beyond that, because everybody is so invested personally that they have shaped the way that our group has grown, and what and what people get out of it. Right? So it's genuinely a group of people who care about what they do and care about helping each other succeed. And we were joking, you know, the other night about like the competition that happens in the group is, I post a daily prompt. And the competition is like who answers the prompt first, st you know it's not who who's further along in their manuscript. And so it's really about support for me. But that is my large group. But then those people don't necessarily get one on one time with me, because there's 1 of me, and at the moment, you know, 30 of them.

Sara Gentry: Right.

Christy Yaros: We have, you know, calls where we're talking together. But if you really want more, I have a small group, and some of us offer that. And I have that, a small group where there's 4 writers, and we meet every other week, and we just talk about. Each person gets, you know, 20 min, and we just talk about that. And then we have our own, you know, even more. Some of us offer one on one where it's just you and I, for an hour focusing on your work. And it really is different. People who want different things, and they know what they want. And I thought I would have this large group community and my one on one clients would be in it, and they don't want to be in it.

Sara Gentry: Right.

Christy Yaros: Because they just want to focus on their writing.

Sara Gentry: Yeah, and that's fair. That's fair.

Christy Yaros: Absolutely, and they say as much as I would love to like. The bonus of one on one is that you don't have to help other people. So if you just really need to focus on yours, and the bonus of being in a community is is the learning that you do get from each other because somebody has an insight that you never thought of, right, approaches something and asks you a question that you know, maybe blows up your whole story. But it's just so fascinating the way just the way that community, like a true community, grows and shapes based on the people who are in it. And that's when I think, when you're searching for where you want to be like, look at the people who are there. Talk to the people, see? Ask them what they get out of it and see if that's something that you want, because there are. I mean, there are plenty of options, and you know, if you're like me, I never felt like I fit it anywhere. So like I've always been a community builder, because I just kind of make my own community so that I have people to hang out with. I've been doing it since I was a teenager.

Sara Gentry: Yup, yeah, I think that's really well said, because I think we just want to avoid communities where the people in the community have their personal agenda like front and center and trying to like push whatever that agenda is, whether you know, because that's when we get the situations of belittling other people, or maybe disrespecting other people's work. Or you know, you don't wanna find yourself in that kind of situation so definitely, no matter where you find your community. You want other people to be speaking well of it.

Christy Yaros: And if you can't find it, get all like, if you build it, they will come. But it's true, you know, during covid with SCBWI I was running a weekly zoom for our members, and you know we'd go into breakout rooms, and people would talk. And from that right people started to form critique groups on their own. Because you're talking to each other every week, and you're realizing, hey? I know Sara and I really have a lot in common, and it seems like we're in the same place in our careers. And we both have the same goals right now. And so they formed critique groups, and some of those people have are now published, and now they're marketing groups like it grows together. And it was because one person said, Hey, I kinda like you, and maybe we should. I don't know. Like share each other's work one day. I mean, it's hard to put yourself out there like that, but the benefits are there. So I think even this week people coming to your campfires.

Sara Gentry: Yup, we've got a little community.

Christy Yaros: It's a little community, you know. Temporary communities are communities, too, and maybe from that I'm sure we'll have people who were here last year, who were at your novel kickoff, who will continue to come, and so you know, it can grow out of that. But I don't know. I just love community because I mean, sometimes you really just need people who get you.

Sara Gentry: Yes. Yeah, so hopefully, writers, we've at least impressed upon you like, do not do this writing thing alone. Whether you're going to find a coach to work with you if you want to keep that one to one. Maybe the idea of being in a group. Maybe you're a very shy person or an introverted person, or socially anxious, or whatever totally fine. You can still have a small go and find those people, or if you want to be part of a big party, do that, too. But just please don't feel that you have to do this whole thing on your own, and be wallowing by yourself somewhere.

Christy Yaros: And don't just don't, because the biggest thing I have learned about, especially writing communities is that so many of us sit here and think we're the only ones who don't get it. You look on social media. See all these people who are posting the best of their lives, you know, just like when you get into that comparison, and you're like everybody else is doing so well. And I am sitting here struggling. No, we are all struggling. It's just how many of us can admit that. And when you can find people that can admit with you that they're struggling, and you struggle together and you get through it. It just makes it just so much easier for everybody and so much more enjoyable, because it's not always fun, I mean, let's be real. It's not always fun. But that doesn't mean that you can't always have fun with people in those kinds of settings. So please just also take away that whatever you think, you're the only one like, we're not none of the rest of that. We're not the only ones. Yeah, everybody. There's plenty of other people who feel that way.

Sara Gentry: So that's right. 

Christy Yaros: You have a community, too, because you didn't get to talk about yours.

Sara Gentry: Oh, well, now you're putting me on the spot.

Christy Yaros: I am.

Sara Gentry: I have a year long community that is part learning, part accountability, but it is not specific to kidlit, but it does include several kidlit writers. So it goes from middle Grade, YA, and adult novel writers, and we go the calendar year from January to December. So it is not open right now. I'm sorry, writers.

Christy Yaros: But that just shows you how I mean, I feel like you and I have a lot in common. Obviously we can yap all day. And yet the kinds of communities that we form are based on our own personalities and our strengths and all that. So I think that's another good way to say, you know, hey? I really like Sara. I'm gonna save my spot for January first, you know.

Sara Gentry: Sure. And you know I structured my... You had started yours because you wanted to, you know, keep clients around you and be able to offer support for them as they were continuing. And that's how yours originated. Mine originated. Because I love New Year's resolutions. So that's why it coincides with the calendar.

Christy Yaros: There you go, and I'm sure that there's so many others out there that, like, there's definitely something for you. So.

Sara Gentry: Yes, absolutely writers. So we are gonna have links to all the things. And Christy has created a special web web page just for this KidLit Summer Camp event. So we will have that in there, and it will help you find the coaching community that Christy was talking about, but also some other things. And we'll have a link to the Coaching Kidlit podcast too, which comes out the 1st Wednesday of every month. And you guys are past 30 some episodes now 40. Is it like 40, 50?

Christy Yaros: It's been about 2 and a half years already. So yeah.

Sara Gentry: Awesome, awesome. It's a very helpful podcast and so for those of you who might be interested in learning specifically about some topics, they've had some wonderful guests on that podcast to really dig deep into specific kidlit issues. So.

Christy Yaros: Sara's not just saying that because she's 1 of our frequents.

Sara Gentry: I did get to be on the guest which is super fun. But no, she, they have had, Christy and Sharon have had some wonderful, wonderful guests, so alright! 

Christy Yaros: Thank you.

Sara Gentry: Oh, and you're at christyyaros.com. What about socials? Are you on socials?

Christy Yaros: I mean technically. Yes, I'm Christy Yaros everywhere, everywhere I can be Christy Yaros. That is where I am. I have been around much these days, that's the way.

Sara Gentry: I know it's getting harder and harder to be on socials. Nonetheless writers. We will have links for that as well, Christy, I want thank you for your time and chatting about community. I hope, writers, that you have found this conversation helpful. So thank you, Christine.

Christy Yaros: Thank you so much. Everybody have a good day.

Sara Gentry: Alright. We'll see you next time. Bye.