I don’t do critique partners. I will, on occasion, seek feedback from a trusted friend on a specific element in a manuscript, but for the most part, I trust that part of me that seems to be able to view several perspectives at once. I forged ahead with the attitude in writing DONUTS FOR EVERYBODY. I mean, come on… how bad could it get?

Well, let me tell you.

On completing the book, I sent it to a writer I admire and respect with the request to use a compliment they once paid me as a blurb on the back cover of the book. This person (who could it be, I wonder?), kindly agreed on the condition that they could first review the book in its entirety. I sent the PDF to this person knowing that there was only one area of concern. It’s a single line almost smackdab in the middle of the book. I knew it could be viewed as problematic, but, as I said above, I had considered the line from several perspectives and was willing to stand by it.

Guess what. I hadn’t looked at it from every angle. There were two I missed as I discovered in the Author-In-Question’s reply to me. Most notably, the book, for them, was something that could be shared with kids. I had been viewing the book for an adult audience, a coffee table book for kidlit people and other fans of children’s book illustration. This book raised, for the AIQ, a concern that I was cutting kids out of the picture.

This feedback was returned in the kindest, smartest, most thoughtfully deliberate way. The line wasn’t a dealbreaker, but they wanted some time to sit with it and the issues it raised. Not wanting this person to spend more time than necessary on this favor they were doing for me, I wondered if I should just change it. I balked initially so I quickly interrogated myself to ask why I was so attached to this line.

It’s clever, sure, and works on many levels but I had never actually tried a replacement. Could I think of something better? My mind suddenly went to that scene in Steve Martin’s ROXANNE where Steve Martin (playing the role of a modern Cyrano de Bergerac) gets called “big nose” by the town bully. Steve Martin turns the table on the bully by pointing out how basic that insult is and coming up with 20-something better variations.

I sat down and tried to come up with 20-something replies a donut might give to an interviewer in response to the question “Any final words for our audience?” Here they are, presented (as Steve Martin did) by theme:

TWO DOZEN DONUT ONE LINERS
by Jerrold Connors

OBVIOUS:
This hole thing has been a pleasure.

METEOROLOGICAL:
Let a donut be your umbrella on a dark and cloudy day.

CHIC:
If you’re not into desserts, we donuts make fashionable headwear. Try a Beret Beignet.

PERSONAL:
Embrace an eclair, cuddle up with a cruller, lay down with a long john. You won’t be sorry.

PUNCTUAL:
There’s never a bad time for a donut. Enjoy!

CIRCULAR:
My secret for success: timing is everything, always be around.

NAUGHTY:
If you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a hot cup of coffee.

NAUGHTY 2:
Eat me.

PHILOSOPHICAL:
Like a circle with no beginning or end, donuts are forever.

PUNNY:
I’m feeling a bit glazed, I donut know what else to say. 

#RELATABLE:
My biography The Hole Truth comes out this fall. I’d appreciate a Goodreads review.

CUTE:
As we say on the shelf, see ya ‘round!

MELODIC:
To paraphrase James Brown, “I taste good! You know that I would now!”

SYMPATHETIC:
I wish everyone could know the simple pleasure of being a donut. Maybe dip your buns in sugar for a taste.

COMPLEMENTARY:
What more perfect shape is there than the circle? Not to blow my own horn, but we’re perfect.

SCIENTIFIC:
Did you hear astronomers have discovered a donut shaped planet? It’s only a matter of time before we go galactic.

ZEN:
Find your center and stay true to yourself.

FRENCH:
As the French would say, “Vive la Donut!”

RELIGIOUS:
Don’t forget to give thanks to the lard next time you enjoy a donut.

LEGENDARY:
To paraphrase Louis Armstrong, “There’s two types of donuts, good and better.”

AROMATIC:
People talk a lot about the smell of success. I don’t know what that smells like but I know the smell of happiness. It’s me!

CONTEMPORARY:
This was more fun than my appearance on Hot Ones. My hole is still burning!

HISTORICAL:
Ich bin ein Berliner!

PARANOID:
Can you please stop looking at me like that? You’re making me nervous.

Maybe it was a type of penance for not exercising my creative chops, maybe it was a bit of grandstanding, maybe it was need to prove to myself that if I was going to keep the line, I did do my due diligence, but whatever motivated me to brainstorm these lines ultimately helped decide to replace “All cops are bastards”. I immediately emailed the Author-In-Question and ran my favorite lines past them. We agreed on a replacement and the rest is history.

What line did we ultimately pick? You’ll have to get the book to find out!

We’re back with another round of everyone’s favorite game!

If you caught our first installment, you’ll know why I wanted to include work from various authors. Today I’m going to talk a little about how these works fit into the book.

The book itself is divided into themed chapters. Each of these written works (there are ten in total, one is by yours truly) act as a transition piece between the themes/chapters. Slick, right? Well, that wasn’t my intention from the beginning. By pure serendipity Kate’s, Bill’s, and Jess’s works filled three holes I saw in the book: Kate’s went as an introduction to my kidlit-themed donuts, Jess’ served as a transition between “edible donuts” and “anthropomorphized donuts”, and Bill’s Big Bang became (appropriately) the opening to the entire gallery.

My next three authors had a harder assignment: they received a donut and a gentle suggestion at working within a theme. Was I worried adding a level of complexity would be creatively stifling? Maybe just a little bit. But how could I really worry with these superstars at bat? Naturally, they hit three home runs leaving me extremely thankful for their participation and, of course, their generosity.

THE GAME!

Below are three of the afore mentioned superstars, John Bray, CK Malone, and Maisha Oso. Below them are the three donuts I offered as creative prompts. Which donut do you think each author picked? Read their bios, look at the donuts and see if you can match them.

And here are the donuts:

What are your guesses? Which donut “spoke” to each author? Did the kaleidoscope donut refresh John’s memories of finding plastic prizes in boxes of Cracker Jacks? Did the tired donuts at the cafe resonate with CK’s end-of-a-long-day coffee in the teacher’s lounge? Does the exotic locale of the fairytale donut remind Maisha of her travels around the globe?

Put your guesses (and for bonus virtual points, your reasoning) in the comments below.

ps – If you want to see how their words connect to their various themes, you will have to get the book! Available as a pay what you want pdf download or in delicious paperback.

Did you figure it out? I dropped some hints yesterday. They were all red herrings, of course. But if you know me, you’d probably know that I’d know you’d know, but knowing that I’d know you’d know, I’d pull the Ol’ Switcheroo. But anyway, I will reveal the answers by giving you the projects’ titles. DONUTS FOR EVERYBODY will proudly feature:

SILVERSTEIN’S RECIPE by Kate Allen Fox

THE BIG ORANGE BANG by Bill Canterbury

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE by Jess Yoon

And now for today’s topic.

There’s a common perception that having an online platform will translate to publishing success of one type or another. Whether it’s turning a webcomic into a graphic novel series, or finding an agent through a pitch contest, or impressing an editor with your sharp with through a carefully-written-but-doesn’t-look-like-you’re-trying-too-hard tweet, yes, creators have in the past parlayed their social media presence into an actual paying project/career/whatever.

That said, I don’t know that it ever happens intentionally. Or, rather, you can’t fake it. Kate Beaton kept HARK, A VAGRANT for years before turning it into a series of books. Matthew Inman did the same with THE OATMEAL before running an 8.7 million dollar campaign on Kickstarter for EXPLODING KITTENS.

DONUTS FOR EVERYBODY is similar to both of those projects (though far, far more modest than either) in that I didn’t go into it aiming to make anything but a couple dozen donuts on Twitter. I can’t even call it an artistic experiment. All I wanted to do was make donuts for people, so I did.

So, if you’re looking for guidance on how to land a book deal by appearing like an interesting person online, I can’t help you.

But Jerrold, you ask, isn’t that a bit disingenuous? Isn’t your social media curated and didn’t I even see you post a thirst trap recently?

Okay, I’m not so naive as to think that an online presence doesn’t impact how you’re viewed as a creator. Sure, it’s a reality of the business. But I’ll say it again, you can’t fake sincerity. If you want to be known as a person who makes things, you have to start by making things. So, to that end, if you’re looking for advice on creating for the pure joy of it, on indulging in making without expectation of reward, or, in short, how to shenanigan, here’s my advice:

DON’T SELF CENSOR

Certain creative impulses can feel frivolous. Making donuts? When you’re supposed to be building a portfolio?? Writing rhyming couplets when you’re supposed to be revising your middle grade novel?? There’s no end to the excuses a person can make when inspired by something silly and it’s very easy to consider certain things beneath your notice. My advice? When something tickles your fancy, follow it. Just listen to that voice and don’t offer any criticism. If it suggests something, reply only with “Yes”.

DON’T WRITE TO AN INVISIBLE AUDIENCE

If you pass that first hurdle and actually allow yourself to start making something, a voice is eventually going to say “I bet (this person) would like this”. “This person” might be an agent, an editor, the buying public, or Guy Fieri. IGNORE THIS VOICE. You were drawn to that inspiration by a need to make real something that was inside you. You are doing this for yourself. No one else. And I don’t offer this as a touchy-feely “honor your inner child” type philosophy (though it kind of is). It’s more about letting yourself discover and develop your voice.

LET YOUR INSPIRATION TAKE THE WHEEL

There were a few donuts that completely surprised me. One was the Summer Sunrise donut, another was the Shel Silverstein donut. Some of that surprise came through discovering an unexpected technique, some of it was in uncovering a type of visual narrative. I don’t know if I would have had either of those experiences if I went into the project with a set of rules. Like making only “edible” donuts, for example. I let each request inspire me in its own way.

And the inspiration for some requests (the Podcast Donut, for example) took more than a few months to arrive. Did this cause me stress? I don’t think so. I did keep a list of unfulfilled orders, so they were on my mind, definitely. But I trusted I’d do them eventually. I guess it comes down to exactly that, trust.

GO ALL IN

I’m realizing a lot of what I’ve typed here basically comes down to trusting and honoring your own creative impulses. A great way to show your ideas that you honor and trust them is to go all in. Dedicate a weekend to making donuts? Sure! Make a picture book themed all donut advent calendar? Why not? Attach yourself to a twelve hour livestream and make one hundred and forty four donuts for no good reason at all? You bet! Spend a day interrogating your reasons for making donuts in the first place and then do a blog post about it and cross-post it across three social media sites? Sign me up!

I know there’s some privilege attached to this. We don’t all have the time or resources to dedicate an entire day (much less multiple days) to our creative impulses, but whatever time you have, celebrate it.

HAVE FUN

Finally, none of the above applies if you’re not having fun. I think a lot of creators feel bound, perhaps in an unhealthy way, to projects they start. If you see yourself in that statement, you might want to practice letting go. DONUTS FOR EVERYBODY for me was a joy start to finish. And I can say that honestly because there’s a finish, we’re approaching it. I couldn’t have kept making donuts on Twitter forever and I wouldn’t have wanted to. I’m happy moving on. If something stops being fun for you, thank it, let it go, and make room for the next thing.

IN CLOSING

All this is easier said than put into practice. I know I come across as a go-with-the-flow type, but I wrestle with many of these things I’ve talked about. I am very, very impatient and what’s more, I have the focus of a lighthouse (hyper-illuminated, sees a great distance, but is constantly moving). I have, however, done good in quieting my inner critic, and that’s made space for things to click. And when they do, my goodness, what a feeling.

Somewhere early in the project I had the idea I wanted to include some flash fiction in the book. That decision was purely instinct but if I was to break it down, it would probably be because #DonutsForEverybody was always a collaborative project: you gave me the prompts, I made the donuts. I thought a delicious twist on this would be for me to give authors a donut, and have them make a story based on it.

Another reason I wanted this to happen is that this would allow the book to offer something followers didn’t get from the online experience. Creating something new was also important to me. And so…

In hitting up the authors, I gave them a donut and asked if they’d like to write something (anything) inspired by it. I told them the only rule was that it had to be short because a) the project is based on spontaneity, b) the written work had to fit on a single page, and c) this wasn’t a paying gig. There would be no revisions (because who wants to do all that work?) and they were free to tell me to get lost. No one did. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all the author for their generosity, their willingness to play with me, and their enthusiasm for this experiment.

THE GAME!

Below are three of these fine humans, Kate Allen Fox, Bill Canterbury, and Jess Yoon. Below them are the three donuts they used as a creative prompt. Which donut do you think each author picked? Read their bios, look at the donuts and see if you can match them.

And here are the donuts:

What are your guesses? Which donut “spoke” to each author? Did Kate recognize humanity’s best-before date in Death by Chocolate? Did Bill recollect the heady LA nights he spent partying alongside Shel Silverstein? Did Jess realize that picking the Big Bang would give her a head start on alliteration?

Put your guesses (and for bonus virtual points, your reasoning) in the comments below.

ps – If you want to see their donutty words, you will have to get the book! Available as a pay what you want pdf download or in delicious paperback.

Jerrold, you’ve made FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR donuts, what could you possibly have left to do?

Besides the packaging and the shipping, there’s this:

It’s the Dozen Days o’ Donuts Book Release Extravaganza! The book is finished and I want to celebrate. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be uploading a series of “making of Donuts For Everybody” posts in acknowledgement of all the work that went into this mighty tome. Topics to be covered:

August 21 Guest Authors Part 1

August 23 How to Shenanigan

August 25 Guest Authors Part 2

August 28 On Revisions

August 29 Alligator What Now?

August 30 Foreword by…

August 31 Guest Authors Part 3

September 5 Blurb-arama

September 6 Hard Headed/Soft Hearted

September 7 Cover Reveal

September 8 BOOK LAUNCH!

There’s a lot here—some of it is fun and games, some of it is process talk, a lot of it is a celebration of community. If you want to immerse yourself fully in the story of this book’s making, you can purchase a copy here. It’ll also be available as a pay what you want pdf download.

But anyway, yeah, 584 donuts. Here’s what 144 of them look like when you put them side by side by side by side by…

Hey hey!

Did I tell you I have a book coming out? I have a book coming out. Look! ~~~

It’s my DONUTS FOR EVERYBODY art book, a 144 page celebration of children’s book illustration, community, goodwill, and, of course, DONUTS. It’s at the printer’s AS I TYPE and I’m looking forward to releasing the book in a few short weeks.

Before the book goes live, though, I thought it’d be fun to celebrate the project’s completion with a series of posts dedicated to the entire DONUTS FOR EVERYBODY project. Let’s start with that old chestnut, guess the number of jellybeans in the jar.

Except in this case it’s guess how many donuts I managed to cram into my 144 page book. I can give you some information. There’s about a million fewer than you’ll find in WHO NEEDS DONUTS? by Mark Alan Stamaty.

And maybe a thousand fewer than you’ll find in THE DONUT CHEF by Bob Staake.

Need some more clues? Well, those of you who followed the project will remember I did four donuts days over on Twitter with a dozen and a half donuts per day. There was the Twelve Days of Donuts in December, plus the 144 donuts I made on a livestream back in January.

Some pages hold more than one donut, though. The Strega Nona page, for example, holds six dozen.

Add to this the fact that I can get carried away in creative projects and the knowledge that I had an absolute blast putting this book together.

I think this should get you in the ballpark. Make a guess in the comments below! Closest without going over gets a virtual donut and my warmest regards.

Yours as always,

Jerrold