Six Questions with Jody Jensen Shaffer

Jody Jensen Shaffer is an award-winning poet and the author of more than 90 books of fiction and nonfiction for children, including Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story, The Last Day Julian was My Best Friend, Porcupine Had a Fuzzy Sweater, Prudence the Part-Time Cow, A Chip Off the Old Block, It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus!, and more. Jody’s books have won numerous awards, been translated into several languages, represented Missouri at the National Book Festival, and been loved by kids and adults everywhere.

Website: 

http://jodyjensenshaffer.com

Social Media: 

Twitter https://x.com/jodywrites4kids

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jodywrites4kids.bsky.social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jody-jensen-shaffer-17758023b/

1. What was the timeline for your newest book, from idea to publishing?  

I wrote my first draft of Disco Dave in May of 2018. It was a somewhat vague idea about a walrus who loved disco in theory, but when it came to reality, he found he didn't have the skills. Over the next several years as I revisited my manuscript and asked critique partners to weigh in, Dave's story, and heartbreak, became clearer to me. Dave really loved disco! But despite trying several things to learn to dance, he just couldn't. Oh, the pain of loving something that doesn't love you back! What do you do with all that longing? Once I had Dave's heart, I knew I had a story. I sold Disco Dave to my amazing editor at Magination Press, Katie Ten Hagen, in July of 2024. It releases March 3, 2026!

2.  If you could tell readers one secret about this book, what would it be?

I'm not sure this qualifies as a secret, but Dave's friends are named Donna, KC, and Barry G. I'm hoping adults who read Disco Dave with the kids in their life will appreciate these references to Donna Summer, KC and the Sunshine Band, and the Bee Gees. And Barry G, if you're listening, I've got a copy of Disco Dave with your name on it!

3.  What’s a particularly striking or memorable reaction someone has had to this book?

When I showed this manuscript to my in-person critique partners, Sue Gallion and Ann Ingalls, they laughed and laughed. They also gave me some great feedback, as usual. I dedicated Disco Dave to them.

4.  When you begin creating a book, do you always know where the story is going?

No, I don't, which is both freeing and frustrating! Sometimes a book idea pops up fairly fully-formed; other times, it takes me months or years to mold an idea into something resembling a story. Sometimes I will get an idea, but I won't yet have the voice of the piece. Until I have the voice--structure, approach, tone--it's hard to move forward. I need to sit with the idea, imagine it, play with it in my head, for the voice to come.

5.  Once you’ve created a first draft, what’s your next step? Critique group? Check in with your agent? Tuck it away to let it age?

I always begin new ideas with a notebook and sharp pencil. Then, when I'm clear about where the story is going and have a sense of the voice, I transfer my work to my computer. I work on my story over and over, until I am ready to share it with critique partners (I rarely share just ideas I'm thinking of writing). After a few more rounds, or years, of revisions, I send it out into the world! One thing that helps me  tremendously is creating a possible pitch for my new story. I send this pitch to my critiquers, along with the manuscript. In creating a pitch, I am able to distill my story into a few sentences and see where it comes up short...and sometimes, I discover that my pitch doesn't actually match the story I've written! Oops! If I can't accurately describe my story in a pitch, I go back to figure out which needs changing, my story or my pitch. 

6.  What are you working on? What’s next for you?

I'm so grateful to do what I love--write for children. On March 31, 2026, my second novelty board book, Daddy's Little Burrito, releases from Highlights Press (it's SO cute), and a month later, two more nonfiction books in the Who Am I? riddle puzzle book series publish, Tigers and Other Big Cats and Axolotls and Other Amphibians. In 2027, my third novelty board book will be released, Mama's Little Cupcake, as well as my first picture book with IVPKids, Putting on my Jesus Shirt. Two picture book sequels have yet to be announced. I'm a lucky, lucky girl.