Please share your exciting news with us!
I recently signed with Nicole Geiger of Full Circle Literary. This was my dream agency. Since their inception, they’ve been pioneers in the diverse voices movement and represent a number of my kid lit Latinx heroes. I never dreamed I’d end up signing with them.
How long have you been writing and pursuing publication?
I’ve been writing since I was a little girl and attended Sarah Lawrence College as an undergrad with the intent of becoming a writer. Along the way, I fell in love with photojournalism and took a very long detour into visual storytelling. It wasn’t until 2017 that I decided that I wanted to come back to my first love of picture book writing. My main focus was solely on developing my craft.
I didn’t begin querying until late last year when I was encouraged to do so as part of the PBChat showcase. I’d won a PBChat mentorship with writer Hannah Holt, using a manuscript I’d started in a Writing Barn class.
What fears or goals led you to your first class at the Writing Barn?
My writing wasn’t progressing the way I’d envisioned. I could get the first drafts out, but when it came to revision, I felt paralyzed. It was hard for me to decipher which steps to take to improve my story. There was also a biography, in particular, that I wanted to write, but I had no idea where to start. I first enrolled in Writing Barn classes to help me address those concerns.
How did the WB programming aid you in both the craft and business of picture book writing?
Writing Barn classes were a game-changer. Studying with Rob Sanders was like one extended epiphany. The way he broke things down made things click into place for me. I finally understood how to start my biography. More importantly, once I had it down on paper, I knew what steps to take to improve it. I garnered a PB Chat mentorship with that manuscript. Later on, I took a course with Cate Berry on writing humor that helped me round out my portfolio and show more range as a writer. All of the manuscripts that led to my signing with Nicole were either developed or refined in a Writing Barn class.
Living in Lima, Perú, I have the additional challenge of not being able to go to a SCBWI meeting or a bookstore to keep up with the latest news in the kidlit industry. The Writing Barn classes not only helped me cultivate my craft, but they also helped me keep abreast of mentor texts, industry news, and ways to stand out.
How did the atmosphere of The Writing Barn aid you in achieving this goal?
The fact that the class sessions are live helped to keep me accountable. I love the face-to-face time with the instructors and other students. The Facebook groups also continue that discussion going between students when class isn’t officially in session. It’s wonderful to feel this connection and feel part of a community when I’m so far away from the conferences and in-person opportunities writers in the States enjoy.
I particularly loved studying with Hannah Barnaby as part of the Write, Submit, Support group. She was very encouraging, transparent, and realistic about the hard work we needed to manifest our dreams. Her feedback on my work was always the push I needed to refine my manuscripts and get them closer to being submission-ready. Working towards the same goals as other students makes the process of submitting less lonely. It also helps to take the sting out of the inevitable rejections when you’re surrounded by others who understand.
What is a takeaway you’ll carry with you far beyond this good news as you continue to build an develop your career?
Community is vital to success. With every step I’ve taken, I’ve worked on building my support community—from critique groups, to 12×12, to PB Chat, to participating in Write, Submit, Support, finding people who are traveling the same road as you makes the journey so much more enjoyable.
Do you have any advice for writers/creatives struggling to stay the course in pursuing their goals?
Identify where you’re struggling and focus on strengthening that area. Breaking things down so that you understand the steps you need to take to improve your craft makes things feel less overwhelming. Worry less about when you’ll get published and more about how you can authentically tell the best story possible.
Bio:
Sara Fajardo is a Peruvian-American writer who grew up in the migrant fieldworker community of Salinas, California. A photojournalist by training, she’s worked as a multimedia storyteller for humanitarian aid organizations for more than a decade. Her words and camera have taken her across Latin America and Africa. While covering emergency responses, refugees, and farming communities she realized that the only thing that separates us is our circumstances. Sara strives to tell multicultural stories that help underrepresented children see themselves and that enable children to connect with other cultures. She lives in Lima, Peru.