November, 2026
Happy Halloween!
A hunter and his deer! 🙂 A fun night had by all!
In this month’s Note read about:
1) Author, Brooke McIntyre’s Interview
2) My Events in November:
Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) Conference
SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Fall Listening Tour in Fredericksburg, VA
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I have a special guest on my blog this month!
Welcome Author, Brooke McIntyre!
Bio: Brooke McIntyre writes nonfiction that puts kids in explorers’ shoes. Part science, part adventure, her books reveal wonders of the natural world and explain them in ways that are immersive and approachable. She is also the founder of the writing community Inked Voices.
Where are you from? Grad school for my husband and me and post-doctoral work for him have meant we’ve lived in several states, so this is always a complicated question for me! I grew up in Virginia and we recently moved back here. For me, home is Durham, NC, Brooklyn, NY, and now Charlottesville, VA. I never thought we would land in New York and I’m so grateful that it’s where my kids spent most of their childhood.
How long have you been writing? I’ve been writing picture books since 2013. I recently checked my computer files andOcean was the 18th manuscript that made its way to my computer. I am not sure how many more ideas are in notebooks! My motto is Keep Going––if you are silly enough to persevere in this industry and willing to learn along the way, you WILL reach your goal.
Tell us about your new book:
If You Went to the Bottom of the Ocean is a story about the open ocean, the deep ocean, the ocean you’d find if you left the coast and went out until all you saw was horizon, wave after wave after wave. The reader dives down––it’s written in 2ndperson––seven miles to reach the Mariana Trench. The book is asking: what would it be like to do that? what would you see? how would it feel?
Writing the book was thrilling, because it was like I got to go on this adventure myself. Probably the most breath-taking thought for me is that MOST of our ocean is deep and always dark. And still, so many live here. I included the bristlemouth fish in the book. It’s a small fish, just a few inches long, and their numbers are estimated from the trillions to quadrillions. What?! There are so many cool creatures who’ve adapted to darkness, intense pressure, and cold temperature. I find that inspiring.
People sometimes assume that if they can’t see a thing, it’s not there. Just 150 years ago, people thought the open ocean was just waves. But go beneath and the ocean is full of life.
Where do you get your ideas from? Sometimes I will be researching one idea and find a little offshoot that intrigues me enough to become its own thing. Sometimes an idea will come to me seemingly at random, usually when I’m out in nature. It will be a nugget of a thing, not a story, but maybe a line. Sometimes I brainstorm deliberately. I ask myself: what do I want to explore next?
How was your publishing experience like? Producing this book has been wonderfully collaborative. It was really important to me that the book be illustrated in a way that was immersive, so that the reader is going on this adventure. I was given space to share my ideas and feedback as we went from sketches to final art. I worked with two editors––Naomi Kirsten who acquired the book, and Ian Tseng, who worked with me from sketches till finished book––plus book designer Eugenia Yoh. Each of them made this a better book. I didn’t realize how important some of these book-as-product decisions were until working with them. And how lucky am I that Gordy Wright illustrated? His art sends me to a place that’s true and quiet. I hope readers feel that, too.
What has been the most challenging for you as a writer? Oh, I think I get all twisted up in revision sometimes. There’s so much I want to do on the page! I have to recenter myself, remind myself of my original intention. I have to cut material and acknowledge when I’ve gone down one too many rabbit holes.
On the human side, I have to constantly remind myself to hold myself softly––meaning, give grace to myself through rejections, and give grace to my process, which is thorough and slow.
What’s your favorite part of the writing process? I love when I am in the middle of a project and lines or ideas are popping up for me at random times, like walking my dog or when I wake up. That means I’m in the project, and my mind is at work puzzle-solving. Sometimes the ideas that come up are for a puzzle I knew needed attention, and sometimes not! Figure out how to express myself is both vexing and satisfying.
What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received as a writer? I have two things! Here is the wonderful nugget I wrote down for myself after reading a George Saunders post this summer called The Natural-Born Artist (which I highly recommend): You are exactly where you need to be. Are you struggling through a revision? Are you wishing this project or even (especially) your career would move along faster? You are exactly where you need to be. It is a way to stay in the moment and trust your process.
The other is about your inner critic. This critic gets to ride in the car with you, but it may not drive. That’s via my writing partner Kim. We do not want the critic making artistic decisions!
Who inspires you? My parents. My mom invested so much of herself in her five children. My dad has always been willing to try new things and take risks. There’s hope and steadfastness in who they are.
What is next for you? I hope to write more nonfiction books! My next book If You Explored Inside a Cave comes out in spring 2028. I also have some fiction picture books that I’d love to revise. I don’t feel as sure-footed with fiction. Not yet, but I am learning.
You can reach me or learn more about me at www.brookemcintyre.com. I am on Instagram @brookemcintyrewriter.
Brooke, thank you for stopping by. I’m sure everyone will enjoy reading about you.
Leslie’s Events in November!
11/5-6 VAASL – I’m so excited to be participating in this year’s Conference. Me, long with other SCBWI Authors will be pitching our Author Presentations to school librarians. We will get to chat with them in the exhibit hall and display our books.
11/22: SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Fall Listening Tour visits Fredericksburg (12:30 PM – 2:30 PM) at Capital Ale House, 917 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401. Thank you, member Leslie Eva Tayloe, for coordinating! If you are a SCBWI member, I hope you join us. This event is for members and anyone interested in joining SCBWI.
November Book Giveaway Winner is Robin Currie. Congrats!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Best,
Leslie
Until next month. . .
