This week, we are hearing from the lovely and talented Kim Pierson. I'm super lucky to call her my critique partner and friend. I have read three of her works and am getting sucked into the fourth right now. Kim's young adult steampunk novel, Neverville, is currently out on submission. Here, she shares her story about finding her literary agent and also a fabulous recipe.
As a side note, I have to say that Kim is the best baker I know. My husband is always happy when I go to writer's group at holiday time, because Kim brings cookies, and I bring them home for him to eat. He refers to her as Kim, the baker. She also brought this delicious granola to share at our annual Pennwriters conference a few years back. She made a jar for each of our critique group members who were in attendance at the conference. It is a real treat.
Meet Kim Pierson.
Thanks so much for asking me to be a part of Food 4 Plot! As you know, I'm one of the many who drooled through all the wonderful descriptions of food in Beautiful Secret and was excited to hear that a companion cookbook is in the works! I'm so pleased that you thought of me as someone to interview about food and writing.
1. Tell a little about yourself as a writer and your journey to getting an agent!
Like many of the writers I know, I've been scribbling down story ideas ever since I can remember, from grade school short stories featuring characters from my favorite books (Little Women fan fiction, anyone?) to awful, angst-ridden poetry when I was in high school, to legal writing (often stranger than fiction) as a law student and practicing attorney. Ten years and four children later, retired from the practice of law and working on writing children's books when up with my kids at 2 a.m., I stumbled on a fiction writers critique group at my local library. Joining this group was a huge moment in my decision to define myself as a writer. My lovely critique partners are not only talented writers in their own right, but amazing critiquers—able to balance constructive criticism with lots of hearts and smiley-faces. With their unfailing support, I've improved my writing without ever feeling too discouraged in this very tough industry. Aspiring writers out there, I can't stress enough the importance of a good critique group!
My critique partners helped me through two YA novels, one of which I queried a bit without success, and the other I pretty much shelved right after finishing. I learned so much from writing these first two manuscripts, including how rewarding it can be to see a major project like a 75,000 word novel through to completion—even if it never gets published. By the time I sat down to write my third novel, a steampunk-y Middle Grade time travel book, my ever-supportive critique partners were confident that this was going to be The One. With four active kids at home, it seemed to take forever to complete the first draft, but knowing that my group was waiting for a new submission every two weeks really helped me make writing a priority. After I finished, and the manuscript was fully vetted by my group, I passed it on to several beta readers (including my two oldest boys, whose ages happen to put them squarely within my target audience), revised again based on their comments, and then started querying agents.
I kept a spreadsheet of my queries and when I sent them, so I can tell you exactly how many queries I sent out—46. I got a lot of incredibly discouraging passes, and even more just plain no-responses, but I also got seven requests to read more of the manuscript.
After I sent out my first dozen queries in July 2016, I took a break because I had decided to submit to Brenda Drake’s wonderful Pitch Wars contest. While I was not chosen for the contest, one of the amazing mentors (thank you, Joy McCullough!) paired me with one of her other prospective mentees, and boom! I had another extremely talented critique partner. So I highly recommend that writers consider entering contests like Pitch Wars—there are potential benefits beyond the obvious ones.
When I didn't get a Pitch Wars spot, I sent 34 more queries through September 23, when I received an email from the brilliant Lauren Galit of LKG Agency, wanting to set up a call (!!!). Four days later, I was on the phone with her for almost two hours, while we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of Neverville. In the end, she offered representation! As you might imagine, I was completely, just-got-off-a-roller-coaster-ride thrilled! Lauren also reps a good friend and CP of mine, so I was aware going into the call that she was an amazingly good editorial agent and that she has lots of great connections. I did take a week to consider her offer and notify the other agents who had requested my manuscript, but I had known after that first call that I wanted Lauren to represent the manuscript. She really "got" the story, and what I wanted to do with it, and had great, inspiring suggestions for improving it without changing the things I loved most about it.
After that, we got to work, did two major revisions (and several minor ones), and Neverville is now out on submission!
2. Are there any foods or drinks that you like to snack on while writing? Any food that inspires you in some way?
I drink decaf coffee constantly while writing (and, frankly, while not writing). I try not to snack because I'm too apt to run through an entire bag of something with no recollection of having eaten it, but I do write once a week with a mindful writers group at a local restaurant, and can attest to the fact that wraps are a good food option for one-handed eating. Since I never learned to type properly and instead peck at the keyboard with two fingers, this does cut down on my productiveness about 50% (and I do end up wiping quite a bit of buffalo sauce off my keyboard), but it's worth it!
3. Tell a little about yourself- culturally speaking - Does your family celebrate your ethnicity with certain foods? Does your culture shine through in your writing (this doesn't have to be ethnicity -this can be how and where you were raised - think nostalgia)
My mom is a wonderful cook and baker, and my dad always had a vegetable garden (his father had a huge garden and orchard when I was young, too), so my brother and I grew up eating really well! My dad actually has begun cooking more and more lately, too, and has some great recipes I've taken to borrowing (long gone are the days when we knew we'd be getting boxed mac and cheese and kielbasa if Dad was cooking!). Very little of what I grew up eating relates to our family's ethnicity, though—likely because we're very much a hodgepodge.
That said, in recent years we've begun to identify slightly more with our Scandinavian heritage—because of our last name, I guess, and because we know quite a bit about our Swedish relatives—and every year at Christmas, my mom bakes amazing mandel kakor, an almond-y Swedish butter cookie. The cookies actually feature prominently in my current work-in-progress!
I have no doubt that my background plays out significantly in my writing—in fact, the first novel I ever wrote was very much an ode to 1980s Milwaukee (when and where I grew up). I think that many writers have a real desire to capture that which is no longer there. My new project takes place in Door County, WI—one of my favorite places in the world!—in the 1940s. I wanted to write a book that focuses on what was happening here in the U.S. during World War II, but I was also really inspired by the idea of setting the book in the time period in which my parents were growing up, in a part of the country that is very close to where they lived as children.
4. Please share your favorite recipe with a picture if you have it, but if you don't no big!
I get more requests for this granola recipe than any other! I love it on skyr with blueberries, but my kids like it best with milk or just by the handful, right out of the jar.
Kim's Best Granola
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 c. nuts (a mix of slivered almonds and pecans works well)
4 c. rolled oats
1/2-1 c. dried, sweetened coconut
¼ c. ground flax seed
¼ c. wheat germ
1/3 c. butter (or substitute part coconut oil)
3 Tbs. honey
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
½ c. dried blueberries, cranberries, or a mix of dried fruit
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add nuts and cook, stirring often, until they start to smell nutty. Add oats and continue to cook about 5 minutes, or until oats smell toasty (do not allow nuts to get too brown). Add coconut and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add flax seed and wheat germ; stir. Remove from heat and pour onto a rimmed cookie sheet.
Preheat oven to 300°.
Melt the butter/coconut oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Turn off heat and stir in almond extract. Return the oat mixture to the pan and turn burner on again. Sprinkle with cinnamon and salt. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Pour out onto the cookie sheet.
Place cookie sheet in preheated oven. Turn off the oven and leave in there until cool.
Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and stir in the dried fruit.