Janice Nissen - Lizbeth, the Little Lost Golf Ball

Janice Nissen shares her journey from childhood reading Nancy Drew to writing a children's golf book aimed at inspiring young girls and boys to get into golf. She discusses her career, the inspiration behind her book, the creative process, and plans for promoting golf among children.

https://lizbeththelittlelostgolfball.com/

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:07

All right, welcome to That's Good Pick It Up, a podcast mostly about golf books. We're here this week with Janice Nissan to talk about her book, Liz Beth, A Little Lost Golf Ball. Janice, thanks so much for joining us.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Hey, this is my pleasure. I really appreciate the opportunity to uh to reach some of your listeners, which I know you have a great deal of them.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

I hope so. All right, let's let's start by talking about um your background, where you where did you grow up, and tell me a little bit about what role um reading first uh played in your childhood.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Yes, uh, thank you. Um so I actually grew up in Chicago, in the city of Chicago. And um, you know, at the time it's it's a great uh it was a great place to to grow up because there was lots of kids around and lots of opportunities to be outside and playing sports, um, you know, playing softball, playing football. Um, and reading is always something that I thoroughly enjoyed um as a child growing up. And even today, um, I belong to a book club. And so that continues in it into uh my life today.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

Are there books um or authors that stand out that grabbed you when you were a kid or you know, whether in school or out of school?

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Right. So I'm gonna really date myself on this one, but what I really enjoyed reading when I was growing up was Nancy Drew.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Love it. Love it.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Yeah, Nancy Drew, because there was, you know, a whole series of books that you could be tapping into, uh, which I greatly enjoyed. And and so did my friends as well. So we, you know, have good discussions about about the books. And then and then after that, like when I had children, then I really got into the Harry Potter series. Um, you know, absolutely loved, loved those books. Um, and uh, you know, and then today it's more of New York Times bestsellers, um, a lot of uh biographies I really enjoy reading as well.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

And how about writing? Was that something you enjoyed when you were a kid?

SPEAKER_00 2:25

Well, uh actually I was the editor of our uh yearbook um when I was in high school. Um so there was a you know fair amount of writing that went along with that um at the time and uh and a little bit of creativity as well in terms of you know how you were going to lay out certain pages and things like that. Um so uh that was that was also uh something else that I really enjoyed and I think is somewhat related to you know what we're talking about today.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

Sure. Where did life take you after high school?

SPEAKER_00 2:59

So after high school, um I went to college and I actually am a nurse by degree. So I have a bachelor's of science in nursing um and worked in pediatric, medical, and surgical ICU at the children's hospital in uh Chicago. Um, but did that for about three years, and I was newly married at the time, and there was a lot of shift work, so I would have to do a month of days, a month of nights. And so I actually applied for a job and received it at Abbott Laboratories to be what they called a nurse clinician. So I used to go to people's homes and uh that were discharged from the hospital that maybe were on like IV therapy or tube feedings. Yeah. And I would uh visit them and make sure that they were okay and they knew how to operate their pump and that they were progressing well. Um and that was the business of Abbott that actually then um they they changed that business and and actually uh disbanded that group. And then I went into pharmaceutical sales and spent 12 years working at Abbott Laboratories. Um, and then after that, we moved to Pennsylvania because I joined Merck, and that's where I worked for 25 years in commercial roles, marketing sales operations, corporate communications, um, and lastly patient engagement, um, which was trying to bring the patient perspective into how Merck made decisions about the products they would develop and how they would package them, and um how they would provide resources to patients on their products.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

So in a variety of different roles that you played there, it seems like you know, all of them were rewarding, um, probably in their own right, huh?

SPEAKER_00 4:53

Yes, indeed. Um it was a great experience. It was a wonderful company to work for. Um and I I really liked the idea that even though I wasn't a nurse directly helping patients, I was still indirectly helping, you know, millions of patients with the decisions and that and and products that Merck would would bring forward. So um I really liked that aspect of it. And then today I still work part-time for the National Institute of Health Foundation. So they're a group that brings together the FDA, NIH science, um, academic centers, um, and patient groups to speed up biomedical innovation. So, all that being said, my career was very much technical and technical writing, if you will. Um, it was probably becoming a grandmother and retiring and spending more time golfing that got me interested in writing a children's book.

SPEAKER_01 5:55

Very cool. Um, that leads us to to golf. And tell me how golf came into your life.

SPEAKER_00 6:02

Yes. So uh, you know, growing up, we would periodically play at a public golf course in Chicago. Um, but I really didn't start to play um it routinely until I retired and I could take lessons, and um, and that's been now three years. So um I would describe myself as a high handicap golfer, and uh, but it is something I thoroughly enjoy because you're outside, you're exercising, you're seeing nature, and you know, it's it's a game that's all about, you know, really the friendships and then just competing with yourself.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:43

Um so I I really love that aspect of it.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

And when did the idea for uh this golf book pop into your head?

SPEAKER_00 6:52

You know, I actually know the exact moment. I was doing what they call an open day. So uh Gap Association of Philadelphia, the women's group. Um, we can play at seven different um private courses. And I was playing at Philmont with a friend, and I I hit a ball and it went in a creek. And so, of course, you know, went to find it. Yep. And I didn't find it, but I found another ball, and I thought to myself, boy, I wonder where this ball has been and what adventures it might have had, or who had it. And it it started there. Um, and uh that that was really the germ of the idea.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

So then where did it go? Where did it take you from there?

SPEAKER_00 7:37

Well, from there, you know, I started to kind of put together a story. And there's a woman that I met on LinkedIn, actually, who reached out to me and said, Hey, have you ever thought about writing a book? And at the time I said, No, I haven't. And then I went back to her and I said, Hey, I have thought about writing a book. Um, and she has been in publishing for like 30 years. So she served as my editor and kind of like thought partner. And so um, she really taught me how you do character development. And obviously, you wrote a book yourself, so you you know a little bit about this. Yeah. Um, but really, you know, how could I make this idea of a lost golf ball uh something that would be fun and whimsical um to children by creating the characters? And what what we um came up with was we're actually animating the golf clubs. So, you know, there's Delilah Driver and Freddie Fairway and Putter Pete and et cetera, et cetera. And there's a rape that's animated. Um, and in that way it was something that would appeal to children. I once learned that little girls playing golf were naming their clubs. And so I thought, well, this is what I need to do then, yeah, if I'm going to appeal to little girls. And so um it was really a two-year process then of um really can continuing to iterate on the street, um, developing the characters, you know, developing the kind of arc of the story, um, and um, and putting in what would be the important lessons for children um as well. And, you know, the lessons I think we you know really tried to bring out were, you know, curiosity, you know, friendship, you know, resilience, and you know, things like the important of practice and and managing through adversity since Liz Beth, the little lost ball golf ball, does get lost in a pot at one point in the story.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

Um what during that two-year process, were there times where you just were throwing your hands up in the air and thought to yourself, like, how can I, you know, see myself getting to the finish line? Or did you enjoy the process of kind of um reworking it, you know, a few different times?

SPEAKER_00 10:00

I I did enjoy the process, but I will tell you that what I wasn't familiar with was writing a book where you're doing dialogue.

SPEAKER_01 10:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:09

Um, yeah. And and and I find I found that that to be a real learning experience. And at times I felt like I was a little frustrated with it. Um, so I think that was probably the biggest, biggest challenge that I had um in in writing the book.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

Well, the dialogue is really, really strong, and it definitely, you know, carries the reader through the story. So you did a great job with it. Oh, thank you. Um, tell me about the target audience. You know, when you sat down to write it, did you know that you wanted, you know, to focus mainly on girls, although obviously it's a story that any kid can enjoy?

SPEAKER_00 10:49

Yes. Um, you know, I I've really been struck by the fact that um, you know, there's a huge difference between PGA and LPGA in terms of, you know, the number of people that are involved in pro golf on ice each side, and you know, the number of women and the number of women in the US actually, um, it's it's not a big number. Um, and so um I've I've always been um eager to want to encourage more girls to get into the game. Um and and again, knowing that especially right now, we're very concerned about really all kids, boys and girls, the amount of time they spend on their devices and the phones. And you know, I I like to come up with this saying that you know, I'd like to get people interested in golf and children in golf because they can get off their screens and onto the grid.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

Oh, I like that.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

Yeah, it kind of rhymes, but it's really true. And um, you know, again, especially as I said, the girls, because there's big opportunities, I think, to get more a bigger LPGA, you know, a bigger um cadre of of women golfers out there, and you know, it starts with with really the girls starting that. And it's funny, I also volunteer at First Tease, and there's a there's a young girl there, and she's I think she's like 14. She's a very good golfer, great swing. Um, and she tells me she's the only girl on the golf team. So she's playing with a bunch of boys. Yeah. And you know, that's fine, and she gets along great, but you know, where's where's the opportunity to have a little bit more comrade comradeship, comradeship uh among other girls? So, you know, it just uh I think there's a big opportunity. I will though the book does appeal to boys too, and that's why I really uh try to to bring in the idea of her getting lost in the pond and then meeting, you know, Teddy, which is a lost golf ball who loves living in the pond, yeah, um, who becomes her friend, and then also Genji Gator, because I thought that those were, you know, a couple of characters that would appeal a little bit more to boys.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

For sure. And um, you know, one of the things that I really focused on with my book too is I wanted it to be an easy entree into golf for people who know nothing about golf. And I think your book does a great job of that. Um, can you tell me a little bit about how easy or difficult it was for you to, you know, introduce some of the um basic terms in golf, you know, but not go crazy down rabbit holes. Like if you wanted to, you know, talk to somebody about the rough, you know, how did you go about doing that, you know, when it was easy to go from rough to something else to something else to something else? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. Um and and that's where it was helpful to, you know, reach out to people who don't golf. And I actually showed them like early versions of the book to see if they would understand what I was saying.

SPEAKER_01 14:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 14:06

And in addition to that, Kathy, who I mentioned, who's the who's the editor, um, she doesn't know anything about golf. Um, and so, you know, at one point she mentioned to me, well, you know, I think you should talk about handicaps. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. I think that's way too complicated for a book for children three to ten years old.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

Yes, for sure. That was the right move. And um an another thing that's really, really strong is the illustrations. Can you tell me how you found an illustrator and how that process um came to be?

SPEAKER_00 14:40

Yes. Uh so I uh was aware of James Koenig, who is the illustrator, um, because he was the illustrator for a book that Kathy, our editor, had written called Stanky and CeCe. And I really liked the illustrations. I liked the fact that his his style was that the characters looked welcoming and you know, they had big eyes and you know, big smiles. And I I wanted that sort of warm feeling of the characters. And so I basically I didn't shop around, maybe that was a mistake, um, for illustrators, but I actually just went with him.

SPEAKER_01 15:25

And you had were were the illustrations in the book what he did initially, did you have to give do a little tweaking or give him a little guidance at all?

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Yeah, a little bit of tweaking, particularly on the cover. Um, because you know, the the first uh picture of Lisbeth's a little lost golf ball, um, you know, she had a really frightened look on her face. I'm like, well, I don't want to scare this. I said, I want a concerned look, you know. And so um there was some adaptation uh adaptation that we had to do there. Um, in addition, there was one time where there was an illustration where the faces were upside down because he was trying to do the clubs the way that they would look. And I said, Yeah, but we can't look at the faces upside down.

SPEAKER_01 16:11

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

There's a little bit of tricking here and there, but actually he really was quite right on with what I was looking for. You know, I also tried to ensure that we had a little bit of some like diversity in it as well, you know, with like Sonia looking more like, you know, a little bit more Hispanic looking.

SPEAKER_01 16:33

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 16:33

Um, you know, one of the golfers was, you know, was African American. Um, you know, the other characters are white. Genji is a Asian name. Um, so trying to be a little more inclusive in terms of um the characters.

SPEAKER_01 16:49

Uh is the illustrator a golfer?

SPEAKER_00 16:53

No, no, absolutely not.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Well, he did it, he did a great job. You had to been thrilled with the result.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

No, I was I was very I'm very, very happy with the results. Um, yeah, there was one time when um he was he was showing the tea box and it didn't have the markers, and I was trying to describe to him. And you're doing this all over email. Right. And he lives in like um Arizona. And um I said, well, here, let me take a picture of it.

SPEAKER_01 17:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:26

And I sent him a picture of, you know, this is what a tea box marker looks like, and that's really important that she's, you know, she you show that.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

So oh, I think I I gave you a little bit of feedback from my daughters. I read it to my 10-year-old and my six-year-old, and my 10-year-old um was upset when we finished the book without her. I don't know where she was, she might have fallen asleep on the couch or something. And we I read the book with my six-year-old, and um, there were a few nights where, you know, I was say I was gonna say to her, okay, we're gonna read two pages max, and she never wanted to stop at two pages, she wanted to continue. Um, but of course it was would have been past her bedtime. So I forced our I forced us to stop um after a couple pages, but um I'm assuming that you got similar feedback from kids that they really enjoyed um the book. It's a quick read, um, and it's you know a light read. It's not something where, you know, I think the reader has to stop and explain things in great detail to to the child.

SPEAKER_00 18:28

No, thank you um so much for the feedback. I loved when I got your email that they enjoyed it. So um that that's been wonderful to hear that. And uh I've you know done some Barnes and Noble readings as well, and it's really kind of fun when you can go through the book and and even do a discussion afterwards, like which character did you like and what was your favorite part? And that's really it's wonderful. And as an author yourself, you know you love to get that feedback.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

For sure. Um is do you have a plan on this golf season of getting it in the hands of uh kids with any groups?

SPEAKER_00 19:08

Yeah, so uh as I mentioned, I volunteer at First Tease and they have used the book. Um, you know, they've put it in their library, and they also um have used it as prizes um at different events. So um, you know, sort of tapped into, and that's how I then became an assistant coach um at first tease. Um I've also reached out to, and that actually just yesterday, Brad Miller at um Valley Brook, and they do a big junior program as well. Um and I've tried reaching out to PGA Junior, um, but have not heard anything. I don't know if you have any contacts there. But um, but yeah, I'm really trying to um to focus on the fact that this can be uh a nice entree for kids in junior golf programs. Um I've actually thought about like writing almost like a user guide of how might you use some of these characters to maybe open up a lesson. Yep. Um just to keep kids, it just especially the really young ones.

SPEAKER_01 20:19

Yeah, it's a great idea. You know, I was just thinking, you know, it's definitely intimidating for many kids, you know, who that know nothing about golf. If, you know, if I'm a teacher and I hand a kid a seven-iron and I say, you know, hit this club, you know, at this flag, you know, and then I have to show you how to hold the club and show you how to aim and show you, you know, what to do with your feet and your legs and your back and you know your head and all those different things. But if you can use the book to break down, you know, the barrier, you know, make it a little less intense, less serious, less stressful, less scary, you know, I think it's a no-brainer.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

Yeah, no, I think I think you're right. Because it can get, and we've all taken golf lessons ourselves. Right. It can get real technical.

SPEAKER_01 21:05

Yeah.

unknown 21:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:06

Um, are there any plans to do uh another book?

SPEAKER_00 21:10

Well, it's funny that you should say that. Um because when I started writing this book, I had a well half a granddaughter. And so Jojo, who's the junior golfer in the book, um, she is my granddaughter. Um, and so since the time, that time, now we have a grandson, and he's 15 months old. Um, but he wasn't, you know, around when I started this book. So my son and daughter-in-law have said, well, what about Chase? Is he gonna have a book? So um I've been thinking about that. Um, but also want to make sure that I get Lisbeth's uh the little lost golf ball off to a really, really good start.

SPEAKER_01 21:54

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 21:54

And um, but I do have an idea for for a book as well.

SPEAKER_01 21:59

How old is Is uh Jojo your granddaughter?

SPEAKER_00 22:03

She is uh turning five next week.

SPEAKER_01 22:06

Um what does she think of the book and that she's featured in it?

SPEAKER_00 22:11

She absolutely loves that. Um she of course she can't read. So we've we you know we started her with the book um really last fall. And so she can't read yet. She knows some sight words. Yep. But literally, I probably read her back book one time, and the next time I actually got a video from my son where she was reading it, and there were certain sentences that she was repeating.

SPEAKER_01 22:41

Oh, very cool.

SPEAKER_00 22:43

It was I was very, very impressed with that. Um but when I asked her, I said, Well, what do you like? Who's your favorite character? And so instead of saying, I I I like Jojo, which was her, she says, I want to be Lisbeth.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

Wow, interesting.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

Which, you know, kind of tells me she she wanted to be more of the center of the story.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Well, that's a good segue. Um, give a quick uh synopsis of the story.

SPEAKER_00 23:11

Yes. Uh so this is a story of uh Lisbeth, um, who is a brand new golf ball. Uh, and then she's purchased by a junior golfer Jojo, and the two kind of set out to play. Along the way, they meet a number of characters: Delilah Driver, Fairway Freddy, Rachel Rake, um, just to name a few, and they teach her about the game of golf, you know, and all is going well until Lisbeth accidentally is hit into a pond, and she is absolutely crushed because she's lost contact with Jojo. So even though she has this turn of events, Lisbeth is helped by new friends in the pond. Teddy is a lost golf ball, and he loves living in the pond, which is why he's all disguised with algae and dirt. And he has a sidekick, Genji Gator, and they really teach her how to hold on to hope. And with their support, she does get returned back to Jojo and to her golf course friends, and she comes back being a little bit wiser and certainly much happier. Um, so some of the key themes that I tried to put in the book for children are, you know, the power of having friendship, um, being optimistic, having a sense of adventure and curiosity, yeah. Um, which are really, you know, good lessons for children.

SPEAKER_01 24:40

Sure. Um, and where can people find more information? The the website is a great resource, right? And has some uh coloring pages for the kids.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

Yes, exactly. So the Lisbith a Little Lost Golfball.com is the website. You can get coloring pages there and happy to also email people a PDF of the coloring pages as well. Um, and you can find it on Amazon, uh, Barnes and Noble, uh, Walmart, or Bookshop.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

Awesome. Um well, Janice, this has been great. I really appreciate the time, and I'll do everything I can to promote the book because as a father of three daughters, um, I think it's important to get to get girls into golf, like you mentioned before, and anything we can do um uh to do that is is awesome. And this book is a great way to get golf um going. And I appreciate your time, and thanks so much for writing the book and uh reaching out to me.

SPEAKER_00 25:42

Thank you very much. I appreciate your time and your insights and have enjoyed your book as well.

SPEAKER_01 25:49

Thanks, Janice.