Author Spotlight: Katie Munday Williams
April 22, 2022
I have always identified as a bookworm and loved losing myself in books as a child (I still do!). When I had my own children, I was so excited to start reading picture books to them that it felt like the natural choice when I started getting the creative itch. I'm always so pleased when I can turn to a book to answer the MANY questions my kids come up with, and I love learning right alongside them. Writing for children, and hopefully inspiring them, is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done, and I hope I get to create many more books that children will love.
Congrats on your picture book debut, Poet, Pilgrim, Rebel: The Story of Anne Bradstreet, America's First Published Poet! Tell us about the story and what inspired you.
I was inspired to write about Anne after my mother told me that we were, apparently, her direct ancestors! I'd been wanting to try my hand at nonfiction, but nothing had piqued my interest up until that point. Once I started learning more about Anne, I realized we had a lot in common, and I felt like her journey needed to be shared and appreciated. Women like Anne have truly paved the way for women like me to be outspoken and opinionated!
Was your road to publication long and winding, short and sweet, or something in between?
In the grand scheme of things, I'd say my road was relatively short--I went through the same process of rejection after rejection, but I got lucky during #pbpitch, about 2 years after I started writing picture books. I had worked for about a year on my Anne Bradstreet story, had it critiqued by my groups, and hired a professional editor. I felt it was ready and entered #pbpitch where I was lucky enough to have it noticed by Andrew DeYoung with Beaming Books. I have to admit that it felt a lot like winning the lottery.
What projects are you working on now?
I'm currently working on more nonfiction--another biography and also a couple of projects focusing on the environment. I love finding ways to teach kids about the world in fresh and exciting ways and I try to think of all the questions I had as a child, and turn those ideas into stories. Luckily, my own kids also provide me with plenty of things to ponder.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Treat your writing as you would any other career. Invest in it with your time, energy, and commitment and take advantage of all the wonderful writing communities and free resources out there.
What is one thing most people don't know about you?
My secret ambition is to be a rock star (no really).
Where can people find your online?
https://katiemundaywilliams.com/ and https://www.newbooksforkids.com/
Katie Munday Williams is a Public Health Nurse, Lactation Consultant, and Author. She has always been an avid reader and was once so engrossed in reading Black Beauty that she missed her school bus home.
Katie lives in Santa Cruz, CA with her husband and two children, where they enjoy digging for sand crabs and attempting to bring the entire beach home with them in their pants.
Poet, Pilgrim, Rebel: The Story of Anne Bradstreet, America’s First Poet is her debut picture book. Visit her online at https://katiemundaywilliams.com or on Twitter: @KatieWills79 and Instagram: @Ktwills79
Your biography of Anne Bradstreet sounds terrific. I'm always interested in poetry since I write it also. I'm looking forward to reading your book, and now I'll look up Anne Bradstreet to find out more about her and read some of her poems. Congratulation on your first publication, Katie!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds fascinating! I'd love to add a copy to my school's collection. I'm always looking for new titles that show the amazing things that women have done!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read this book! It sounds wonderful! And what a fun tidbit-you are related to Anne! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteFabulous artwork
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Katie! Looking forward to seeing your book in person!
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