The Bio
Terri Clemmons is a children’s book author. She believes stories build empathy and inspire us to create a better world.
An elementary education teacher for twenty-five years, Terri holds degrees in language arts, educational leadership, and gifted education. She is a lifelong Midwesterner whose favorite activities include playing games with her family, rooting for Chicago sports teams, rockhounding on the shores of the Great Lakes, hiking in national parks, baking, and reading stacks of books from the library.
Terri is represented by Tracy Marchini at Tracy Marchini Literary.
The Backstory
I’ve always loved reading and have vivid memories of my childhood library. I enjoyed writing stories, poems, and journaling, too. Unfortunately, I threw away my childhood writing at some point. Please don’t do ever that.
School was a mostly happy place for me, and I still love learning new things. In fifth grade, Mrs. Morgan read my story to the class, which gave me confidence that I could write. Many writers say a teacher inspired them to become authors, and teachers often say the same about becoming educators. I was inspired to do both.
I became an elementary education teacher and taught for twenty-five years. Children are the best of us and inspire such hope for the future. It was a joy and a privilege to be with my wonderful students. The greatest reward is hearing from them about where they are on their life journeys.
Being an author is a fulfillment of a lifelong dream. To reach that dream, I read thousands of books to shape my understanding of a good story. I wrote and revised—and revised again. I joined SCBWI and attended conferences, workshops, and webinars that honed my writing skills and understanding of the publishing business. My stories often include characters who wear hearing aids, like my children and me, because representation matters.
Rejection letters from agents and editors are part of any writing journey, but some had encouraging words about my writing. Each one spurred me on to become better. Connecting with fellow writers is uplifting and makes the journey meaningful. And the most important thing—I did not give up. It only takes one yes.
