skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Kids' FAQs (frequently asked questions):
- What’s your favorite color?
Fuchsia—a purpley pink.
- Do you have any pets?
Two short-hair cats. Smudge, who is gray and tan, and Skippy, who is gray-striped with white chest and paws. They’re both girls.
- Do you have any children?
Yes, a son, Jesse, and a daughter, Gretchen. They are both now adults. Jesse is married to Sherie, so she now counts as my child, too!
Jesse, Sherie, and Gretchen in NY's Central Park
- Where do you live?
In southern New Hampshire, just 45 minutes north of Boston, Massachusetts.
Boston, home of the Red Sox
- How old are you?
I was born in 1949. Quick, how old does that make me?
- How many books have you written?
I’ve written about 50 on my own, but only 5 have been published. (I'm in the middle of a long-term project with The Write Sisters that will result in many more books!)
- What was your favorite book when you were young?
Eloise In Paris by Kay Thompson, illustrated by Hilary Knight. My parents went on a trip and brought back the book for me as a gift. I loved it because Eloise was a little naughty, and she spoke French, which I thought was very exotic! I also liked Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag.
- What’s your favorite book now?
My favorite book is a children's book, Star Mother’s Youngest Child by Louise Moeri, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. It’s a lovely book about what’s really important in life.
- What’s your favorite book of the ones you’ve written?
I think Run, Turkey, Run! is a lot of fun, and, I love the delightful illustrations that Laura Rader did!
- You’re a writer, does that mean you’re rich?
I wish! Children’s writers don’t usually make lots of money (an obvious exception is J.K. Rowling). Let me tell you how it works. Say for instance, I have a picture book that sells for $15.00. For every book sold, I get a 5% royalty. Five percent of $15.00 is 75 cents. How many books would I have to sell before I became rich? I’ll let you figure it out! I have two jobs. My main job allows me to make enough money for food and to pay for my house. My job as a writer allows me to be creative, and, to share my stories with you! And, if I’m lucky, I’ll make a little extra money, too!
- What is your main job?
I work as a librarian in a public library. That job keeps me busy 35 hours a week. After work hours I’m a writer—usually on the weekend, since I’m too tired most weeknights. Fortunately, a large part of writing is "prewriting" where I think things through. Prewriting can be done anywhere at any time. Driving to and from the library is a good time for prewriting!
- Where do you get your ideas?
This is often the most asked question of all! I get my ideas from everywhere. I read a lot. I listen to public radio a lot. I listen to people talk—and not just to those who are talking to me! Writers do a lot of listening to strangers’ conversations. Then they try to imagine a background story. A fun part of writing is playing the "what if" game. Make believe you found a five-dollar bill in the street. What if it belonged to someone who couldn’t get home because he lost the money for his bus ride? What if the bill was wet and covered with seaweed? What if it wasn’t a real bill, but was counterfeit? What if you went to pick up the money and uncovered a tiny fairy? What if you picked it up and it turned to dust? See what I mean about the "what if" game? It’s easy to come up with ideas if you ask "what if" and use your imagination!
- Are you working on any projects now?
Yes, I’m writing profiles women for the Women of... series published by Apprentice Shop Books. I’m writing it with a group of friends. We call ourselves The Write Sisters. Our editor gives us deadlines, so I’m trying hard to get my profiles done in time. I actually like having deadlines. I hate to disappoint people, so I generally finish things that I’ve been assigned.
Lately I've been creating haiga. Haiga are haiku (short poems) that are illustrated. It's probably easier to show you a haiga than it is to explain it.
- Do you have any advice for writers?
Yes, plenty! Get a good dictionary. My favorite is the American Heritage Desk Dictionary. A thesaurus is another must-have book. I use Roget’s Super Thesaurus. Another good reference book to have is a rhyming dictionary, but you don’t need one if you don’t write rhyming poetry!
The most important piece of advice is to read! You can’t be a published writer if you don’t read. That’s the truth.
I’d also recommend having a critique group. A critique group reads your work and honestly tells you where you need improvement. The Write Sisters started as a critique group. We also help each other with marketing advice such as which publisher to send work to. If you don’t have a group, a parent, a teacher, or a good friend can read your writing and help you improve it.
- Can you come to my school for a visit?
Since I have a full-time job as a librarian, I don’t often do school visits. I am able to visit public libraries and bookstores in the New Hampshire/Massachusetts area in the evenings or on weekends. I can do readings, booksignings, and writing workshops for kids. I’ll post upcoming events on the right-hand side of the page. I can’t visit your school, but ask your teacher if he or she would like to set up an email visit. Have your teacher contact me!
