Six Questions with Kimberly Horch

Kimberly Horch is an author and a self-proclaimed agent of joy. She runs the kindness-focused instagram @thedaybrighteningcommittee. She started writing for her 5 kids, and finds inspiration in their antics daily. Every wall in her house doesn't have mural on it yet, but it's getting there! She always has a dozen projects up in the air, and twice that many on the floor. You can find more about her, and her work at kimberlyhorch.com.

1. Do you ever struggle to come up with your next project? Or do you have lots of ideas and find it a challenge to narrow down your ideas? 

My son once peeked into a writing webinar and asked what the teacher was talking about. When I told him she was sharing strategies for coming up with new story ideas, he was floored, saying, "That's the easy part! The hard thing is picking one and sticking with it." I couldn't agree more.

While some people prefer to refine one project over a long period, I enjoy trying new things and working in a variety of directions at once. Often I find creativity in the conjunction. Staying open to these new ideas helps me remain receptive to the really great ones.

2. How do you know your idea will make a good book? 

I find that most stories are actually several ideas that collide together into something bigger: the premise, the character(s), twists and turns along the way. I keep a running list of thoughts and concepts on my phone—everything from a unique character trait to an interesting twist. I mull these over in the background until a few of them merge into something more fully formed.

The premise for Sawyer's Big Idea played in the background a few years before the first lines came together in a unique voice. From there the character more or less fell onto the page.

3. Do you work on multiple projects at the same time? 

Oh boy, am I a multiple project-er. Currently, I have a picture book preparing for submission, a middle-grade novel-in-verse under edit, and a dozen more projects (I love hyperbole, but this is a solid understatement) in various stages that range from a poetry collection to a middle-grade non-fiction. 

It may sound like a lot, but I've found this is the best way for me to stay productive. If I hit a roadblock on one project, I can shift my focus to one that's inspiring me. It's a system that helps me keep moving forward, even if it means some projects get set aside for a little while to make room for something great.

4. Where did you get the idea for this new book? What was your inspiration? 

The very first spark came from reading Ashley Spires' The Most Magnificent Thing with my 6-year-old son who struggles with perfectionism. When the character lost her cool, he had tears in his eyes because he identified so strongly with the her frustration. 

In that moment, I knew I wanted to create a book that would make kids feel that seen. Sawyer's Big Idea is my attempt to do that for children who, like me, don't think in a linear way and can be hard on themselves for what they don't finish. I wanted to them to see their process as the incredible thing that it is. 

5. Was this the book that landed you your agent?

No, but it's the book that made me wish I had one! 

I had opportunities to send an earlier version to two different editors. Both rejected initially, because the ending didn't feel right. After a few months of revisions I landed on the new ending— ironically, just the way Sawyer does in the book. I was able to resubmit to both publishers who BOTH made offers. Navigating that on my own was stressful! Eventually I picked Magination Press because I felt like they really understood my story. 

That whole experience made me double-down on my agent search, and I found the amazing Lisa Gouldy just a few months later with my next big idea. 

6. If you read this book to a room filled with kids, what message would you want them to leave with? 

I would want them to leave knowing that having ideas is amazing on its own—even if those projects never get finished. The book celebrates to the power of creativity and enthusiasm as superpowers in themselves. Ultimately, I want every child to understand that productivity looks different for everyone, and their unique creative process is amazing!