Q. What made you decide to be an author? A. I've wanted to be an author ever since I could read. I have always loved books. There's nothing more wonderful than getting lost in a great story. So when I was kid, I thought, "This is what I want to do." However, it took me YEARS to finally see my dream come true.
Q. Before you were an author, what other jobs did you have? A. I've had lots of different jobs, but all involved words. I was an advertising copywriter, a journalist, a creative director, a television writer, and more."
Q. Where do you get your ideas? A. Wow, that's really hard to say. I guess they come from everywhere. Some just hit me on the side of the head when I least expect it. Others might be brewing in my brain for weeks, months, or even years. I like to observe whatever's going on around me. I watch. I listen. I take notes. And often the germ of an idea will sprout from that.
Q. Why did you write MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS? A. I was interested in writing about a girl who was lonely. I also wondered what it would be like to be 11-years old and a senior in college. It took me over six years to write Millicent's story. I actually wrote two versions of the novel that I completely threw away, keeping only the main character.
Q. How did STANFORD WONG FLUNK BIG-TIME come about? A. My daughter was 10-years old at the time the idea came to me. She hated boys. So I thought I would write a book about a boy to show here that they are human, too. Then I remembered Millicent's arch enemy and it was like BOOM! That's it! I will write a book about Stanford, it will take place the same summer as Millicent's story, only it will be entirely from Stanford's (very different) point of view.
Q. And SO TOTALLY EMILY EBERS? A. A lot of fans asked for that one, and it made sense to me to complete the trilogy. Same summer, once more, but this time for Emily's point of view. I should point out that the books stand alone. By that I mean, you can just read one or two or all three, they are not dependent on each other. And it doesn't matter what order you read the books in.
Q. Will there be more books about Millicent Min, Stanford Wong, or Emily Ebers? A. Right now I have no plans for any sequels.
Q. What are some of your favorite books? A. Oooooh, I have sooooo many!!! You can Click Here to see some of them.
Q. I want to be an author, too. Any advice? A. Read, read, read, write, read, write, write, and then read some more. Really. In order to be a good writer, you must also be a good reader. By reading as much as possible, you can start to see what types of stories draw you in the most. You'll also start seeing patterns in terms of what kinds of characters you identify with. Usually, this is the type of story you yourself may want to tell. And then you have to write. A lot. The more you write, the easier it becomes.
Don't make things too hard on yourself by saying things like, "I will write a bestselling book!" How about bite-sized goals, like "This month I will start a story and write five pages."
Unfortunately, I cannot read any writing that people send to me. However, I would encourage you to share your ideas with your teachers and librarian. They can give you advice and steer you toward books and magazines about writing.
Q. What's the SCBWI? A. That's the acronym for The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. With about 20,000 members, this professional organizations holds conferences, writing workshops and more for anyone who is interested in writing or illustrating books for children and young adults. You can find out more by Clicking Here.
Q. What else have you written? A. I've written a historical novel for American Girl. It's called GOOD LUCK, IVY and is about a girl growing up the 1970s. Ivy Ling's best friend has moved and her family is too busy to pay much attention to her. The only place Ivy feels at home is at gymnastics. When the big tournament is schedule on the same day as the annual Ling reunion, Ivy wrestles with a difficult choice.
Q. What are you working on now? A. I'm finishing up a young adult novel tentatively called DEFINITELY MAYBE. It's about a girl who's sort of goth. Her mother runs a charm school for beauty pageant contestants. When some bad things happen, Maybe (named after Maybelline, her mother's favorite mascara) runs away to Hollywood to find the father who doesn't even know she exists. This is a book for teens.
The other books I'm working on are part of a series called JUST BOBBY. It's about
a very sincere, very accident prone, fourth grader. These are chapter books for
grades 3 - 5.
