Interview with Author Emma-Claire Sunday (Nail Polish Is Too for Boys!)

What made you want to be an author?

I have been creating stories for as long as I can remember! I would cast my younger sisters in living room theatrical productions even before I knew how to write. Since then, I have gone on to be a poet, a playwright, a preacher, a screenwriter, and now an author. I can’t think of one thing in particular that makes me want a life of storytelling—it feels like something I was just born to do.

How did you get started / How did you get started in children’s books?

As a summer camp professional, I’ve spent a long time perfecting the craft of age-appropriate storytelling. I’ve learned how to tailor my stories to whomever is sitting around the campfire with me, and I’ve come to appreciate how vital accessibility is when discussing big, important topics such as how to dismantle gender roles. After a summer of having these conversations with campers—many of whom were boys who painted their nails for the first time—I found out about Sunbird’s open call for LGBTQ+ authors. I wrote the first draft of Nail Polish Is Too for Boys! in the camp office at night after the campers had gone to bed!

What is your advice for a beginning writer?

Some things that have helped me in my writing practice include sharing my work with trusted friends, reading as many books as I can, and having a day job that gives me enough free time to write and rest. The best thing a beginning writer can do, I think, is figure out which habits best nurture their own writing practice. I don’t write every day, but I know plenty of writers who swear by it. I get most of my writing done in the evening, whereas some people work best at breakfast. Keep trying different things until you find what fits!

What was the strongest influence you had when you were growing up (books, series, graphic novels, comics)?

I read so many of the classics that other late 90’s and early 2000’s kids grew up with—Junie B. Jones, Harry Potter, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Tales of the Frog Princess. The first book I read by myself was Dr. Suess’s The Foot Book, and the first chapter book I ever read was The Wizard of Oz, in second grade!

What’s your favorite thing to write about?

I love creating worlds where characters can be themselves, and where they can find joy outside of prescribed gender roles. I’m passionate about LGBTQ+ storytelling because it offers all of us—of any identity—the opportunity to reflect on who we want to be and what we want to try.

When you’re writing, do you prefer using a keyboard or pen and paper?

I have mostly been a laptop writer, but recently I’ve been using more notebooks and I hope to keep transitioning in that direction!

What was it like writing Nail Polish Is Too for Boys!?

Summer camp is an emotional, chaotic, and meaningful place. I would walk down to the basement of the camp office after a full day of singing songs, leading activities, and sharing in deep conversations, and I would write. I tried to take the joys and anxieties I had seen throughout the day and translate them onto the page. All of the scenes in Nail Polish Is Too for Boys! were inspired by real experiences from that summer!

What is your favorite page in your book?

Caitlin O’Dwyer is such a talented artist, and she really brought my vision to life with incredible vibrancy and skill. The first spread that’s in full bright color, where the campers are hiking and swimming and drawing with chalk and braiding each other’s hair, that spread really captures the transformative joy of camp so perfectly.

Do you like to paint your nails? If so, what’s your favorite color?

I’ve always kept my nails short for playing instruments, so I don’t have a lot to work with, but when I do paint my nails it’s always with bright, glittery colors! Currently my nails are an iridescent pinkish-greenish-silver. I will definitely be painting them for the various bookstore visits I have coming up over the summer!

If it’s not painting your nails, what’s your favorite form of self-expression?

Definitely writing! I express myself through poetry, sermons, and short stories. I just finished writing a novel, and I’m working on my second now. And I have so many journals at home that are filled with stickers and water color drawings alongside glitter gel pen entries.