We are absolutely thrilled for author and Writing Barn success story Julie Hedlund who is celebrating the release of her new picture book, Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews!
Please tell us a bit about your new books! SONG AFTER SONG: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews is a picture book biography about — you guessed it — Julie Andrews! The book focuses on her struggles and strengths as a child of divorce growing up in war-torn England. It reveals how she discovered and developed her singing voice, but more importantly, how she learned to love, accept, and give her gift in order to become one of the world’s most beloved performers.
How long have you been writing/working on this specific project? 10 YEARS!
Where did the seeds of the stories come from? As a child, I loved The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins so much, I knew the lyrics to every single song in both movies. So when picture book biographies started to become popular, I looked to see if anyone had written on about her and couldn’t believe no one had. I set out to change that.
What is your connection to The Writing Barn and/or Bethany Hegedus’ Courage to Create Community? I have so many connections to both Bethany and The Writing Barn. I can honestly say I don’t think this book would have gotten published without two things: 1) Bethany’s mentorship; and 2) Rob Sanders’ Picture Book Biography courses through the Writing Barn.
What fears/hopes did you have before participating in WSS or a WB class/intensive? More than anything, I wanted to do justice to this story that meant so much to me. I also felt a huge responsibility to both Julie and all of her fans to write the best story I could. I hoped Bethany’s mentorship and Rob’s classes would give me the confidence and the tools to do just that – and they did!
Did the WB programming aid you in the craft and the business of writing? If so, how? Although I read tons of picture book biographies before I began writing, I had never written one myself before. I had NO idea what I was doing, but I knew I had the bones of a good story. Bethany’s mentorship provided me with both the compassion and the guidance I needed to see the project through, and Rob’s classes included invaluable critiques and community with others also writing PB bios.
What is a takeaway you will carry with you far beyond this good news as you continue to build and develop your career? Bethany told me that I was keeping myself too removed from the story. I thought that’s what you had to do when writing about someone else, but she told me that the writer’s heart has to be on the page in some way in order for a book to really (forgive me) sing. I’ve kept that with me in all of my writing, as I think it’s great advice for any type of writing.
Any advice you have for writers/creatives having trouble staying the course while pursuing their goals? I know it’s cliché, but don’t give up! I am living proof that if you care enough about a story and believe in it with your whole heart, eventually it will get published.
Who in the kidlit world are you currently reading, excited about forthcoming books? This is almost impossible to answer since there are so many, but I’ll try! I love all of Rajani LaRocca and Jyoti Gopal’s books, and I’m especially excited for the release of DESERT QUEEN in October. Katey Howes’ recent book, WOVEN OF THE WORLD, is a masterpiece. I also can’t wait to see Vicky Fang’s ALPHABOT, since she talked about its creation in a 12 x 12 webinar.
Where can readers order your books? For a signed copy of SONG AFTER SONG, you can order from Second Star to the Right Bookstore: https://secondstartotherightbooks.com/book/signs1499813791 For online orders, my top choice would be the 12 x 12 Bookshop.org shop: https://bookshop.org/shop/12×12. Otherwise, I am thrilled to have people buy my books wherever they prefer to shop. Thank you!
About Author Julie Hedlund
Julie Hedlund is an award-winning picture book author whose titles include SONG AFTER SONG: THE MUSICAL LIFE OF JULIE ANDREWS, OVER, BEAR! UNDER, WHERE?, MY LOVE FOR YOU IS THE SUN, and A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS. Julie is the founder of the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge, which since 2012, has helped hundreds of picture book authors and illustrators to get their stories out of their heads, onto the page, and ultimately published. She is also a co-founder of the annual online conference, Picture Book Summit. Julie lives in Boulder, CO, with a dwindling assortment of creatures as her children grow up and flee the nest. Fortunately Julie’s whoodle, Pepper, is still a puppy and is therefore stuck with her for many more years.
oh my goodness – thank you for the DESERT QUEEN shoutout Julie! Can’t wait to read your book. The Sound of Music was the first Hollywood movie my daughters watched when they were little, Julie Andrews is a favorite in our house!