Ask us a question! We’ll answer it. In this feature, a question about writing is posed, and each of us answer it. We love it when readers send in questions!
by Brian Rock Jamie Michalak: “Just write the damn book.” –my dad Am I allowed to say that one? Whenever I get stuck, procrastinate, or make excuses, I hear my dad’s advice. It’s especially helpful when writing a first draft of a longer work. Turn off your inner critic, get the words down, and revise … More Ask An Author: What’s the Best Writing Advice You’ve Ever Received?
(Edited by Brian Rock) This month we’re asking children’s authors… What children’s literature character are you most like? Jamie Michalak: Amelia Bedelia. I think those who know me would agree–I can be a bit of a disaster. Jamie is a former editor and author of over a dozen children’s books including THE COZIEST PLACE, SO … More Ask An Author: What children’s literature character are you most like?
(Edited by Brian Rock) This month we’re asking children’s authors… What author inspires you most? Kenn Nesbitt: I have been inspired by many, many different authors, but I suppose Jack Prelutsky has had the biggest influence on my writing. Kenn is the National Children’s Poet Laureate: author of BIGFOOT IS MISSING, THE BIGGEST BURP EVER, THE … More Ask An Author: What author inspires you most?
Answered by Steven K. Smith I’ve always loved history, but when I moved to Richmond from New Jersey four years ago, I didn’t know much about Virginia. I knew it was ‘For Lovers’ but barely knew UVA from VCU. I knew more about George Washington crossing the Delaware than about Mount Vernon, more about Gettysburg … More Ask An Author: Tell us how you got the idea for one of your books.
Some people think being a writer sounds glamorous while others might think it dull. The truth is that writing is like any other job: it has exciting moments and mundane moments. Today we’re sharing exciting moments (we’ll keep the dull bits to ourselves). Lana: About three-fourths of the way through writing FREAKLING, I was in … More Ask An Author: What is your most exciting moment as a writer?
Why an author writes for the age group s/he chooses is a question that comes up often at seminars and workshops. Why do you write picture books? Middle grade? Young adult? Reasons are as varied as writers themselves. For myself, I often decide what form the work will take from the voice that brings me … More Ask An Author: Why do you write for your chosen age group?
Hazel: This is a difficult question for me because I’m rather like the child who names as his best friend whomever he has just been playing with. Lately I’ve enjoyed Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series, Rick Riordan’s The Olympians series and Christopher Paolini’s The Inheritance Series (can you see a pattern here?). But my favorite book(s), at the … More Ask an Author: What’s your favorite children’s book?
Today we have exclusive, untouched, never-before-seen photos of real writing spaces. Have a gander . . . Here’s where Brian writes. He calls it the Fortress of Squalitude. Hazel takes advantage of the view from her window, perfect for day-dreaming and asking herself “what if?” While she most often writes at her computer, she also … More Ask An Author: Where do you write?
Today’s question is: How do you come up with a plot?Hazel: One of my favorite ways of developing a story line is to ask “what if?” I use this anytime, anywhere, in response to something I see on TV or from my window, read in the newspaper, or observe while sitting at a café drinking … More Ask An Author: How do you come up with a plot?
Richmond Children's Writers 