Francis S. Poesy (a.k.a. Tim Canny) - Children's Author and Serial Doodler

Francis Slipshod Poesy was born on Slipshod Island, off the northwest coast of Ireland, in 1961. At the age of 7, he moved with his family to the mainland of Ireland, after Slipshod Island inexplicably returned to the sea. As the island of Slipshod was an old fishing village, most all residents escaped the calamity in fishing boats. The remaining population sank into the sea with Slipshod Island. This wasn't very much of a tragedy as it sounds, since they were all selkies who reverted to their seal form and swam to safety. Mr. Poesy writes stories for children that some say are characterized by a misguided sense of whimsy.

Francis S. Poesy is the pen name of a guy who thinks Francis has a more interesting backstory than being a technical writer who lives with his wife and son in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

1. What did you like to write and read as a kid?

To be honest, I didn't write a lot when I was a kid, but I read voraciously, which is to say I read books the way Cookie Monster eats cookies. I went through phases that included historical biographies of native Americans, mysteries, science fiction, the comics section of the Sunday paper, and Mad Magazine books. If there were no books, I would read whatever was around. The newspaper, cereal boxes, whatever. It was something of a compulsion. In other words, I couldn't help myself.

2. How do you come up with titles for your books?

In most cases, I come up with the title first, which is basically a seed of the idea, which I then elaborate on in my head. Sometimes they are just phrases that strike me as interesting, and other times they are something I misheard that seems funny.

3. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

Because I think it is funny, I like to say the most valuable piece of advice I've been given about writing is "Use the alphabet." But really, the most valuable advice came a bit too late for me. The advice was "don't wait to start writing". I put it off because I thought I was inexperienced and had nothing important to say. But the truth is, even if you are inexperienced and have nothing important to say (which is rarely the case, by the way), putting words on paper is a habit that makes you a better writer over time. The more you write, the more you learn what works for you, and that is how you find your voice.

4. What are the essential characteristics of a hero you can root for?

For me, a good hero is a character who is willing to sacrifice themselves and what they want for others. While a good villain is a character who is willing to sacrifice others for what they want. When I first figured that out, I then started to see that dynamic in every good story with a hero and a villain. 

5. Do you write more than one thing at a time?

Yes, but I'm a somewhat lazy writer since I don't depend on it to make a living. I have three longer stories that I've been writing for years and many shorter stories, mostly for picture books, that I finished almost in one sitting (though, I always go back and revise, revise, revise).

6. Do you carry around a journal to note inspiration?

I have always carried around a notepad and pen for as long as I can remember so I can write down ideas when I have them. I even make notebooks and notepads now as I've taken up bookbinding as a hobby.

7. How do I know what to do on the white paper?

I am a big fan of doodling. There is research that shows doodling while listening to someone speak allows for better retention of information. Not that you'll necessarily be allowed to doodle in school. But, doodling on a blank page is great because it gives you permission to just play with making marks and trying things, shapes, whatever. Just have a lot of paper on hand so you can doodle more. Scribble a shape and see what it makes you think of. And have an extra sheet available to draw on if a doodle inspires you to draw something specific.

8. What was your favorite subject in school?

It is probably a tie between art and English. Which explains my penchant for doodling and writing, I guess.

9. What kinds of children's books do you like the most?

I'm a big fan of nonsense children's books. My two favorite children's books are Chicken Soup With Rice and To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street. They are flights of fancy and nonsense with heart. They aren't trying too hard to teach me anything except maybe to embrace nonsense.

10. What inspired you to try children's literature?

Most likely, the two books mentioned above along with many, many others. That said, it wasn't until I knew I was going to be a grandfather that I put my head down and decided I would write, illustrate and publish my own books, rather than wait around for a publisher to pick me out of thousands of other authors. And I think that the number one lesson I have learned, is that you don't have to have commercial success to be a writer or an illustrator. You just have to work at being the best you can be at writing and drawing and go from there.

Thank you so much for the encouraging insights into your writing process and journey, Francis! Please follow him on social media and check out his whimsical picture book, Birb Goes Twerp, in our Bookshop. Keep shining!

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/timcanny

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fspoesy.bsky.social

IG: https://www.instagram.com/timcanny/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/tcanny