On Writing

Kids ask me all the time how they could know if they're going to be a writer. The first thing I tell them is this: "If you write for pleasure, you already are a writer." But that's not exactly the answer to their question, of course. What they really want to know is how to tell if writing is going to be their life's work. Not all writers know at an early age that that's what they're meant to be - I didn't know until I was in my forties - but some do. For those kids who think they might be going to be writers, I've devised a 3-question test:

1) Are you a reader? I have never known a writer who does'nt love to read.

2) Are you shy? Most of the writer's I know are shy, or at least were shy as children. I think there are two reasons for this. First, all people want to connect with other people and tell their stories, but shy people are not as comfortable doing this in public or to strangers. This can make them want to connect even more - writing, which is done in private, seems a good way to do this. Second, shy people tend to spend more time than others alone, thinking about things. Writers need to be able to spend a lot of time alone, thinking about things.

3) Do you love everything connected with writing? The feel of words gliding out of a roller pen, the smell of freshly-opened paper, the silky click of a keyboard, the sight of a desk messy or clean when you're ready to write? Does your pulse jump when you walk into an office supply store, bookstore or library?

If you answer yes to these things, you might be going to be a writer! But even if its not going to be your life's work, everybody needs to write!

Here are some answers to questions kids often ask about writing:

How can I get to be a better writer?
1) Read! Read the best books you can and lots of them librarians are wonderful at helping kids find wonderful books because just reading will automatically make you a better writer. When you finish a book you especially enjoyed, ask yourself why. What was your favorite thing about this book? Was it funny? Was it exciting? Did you want to turn every page because you had to know what happens next? Try to figure out how the author did that.

2) Write! A lot! Nobody in the history of the world has ever been a good writer immediately - its something that takes lots and lots of practice. Like all important things.

3) Pay attention! Train yourself to notice things, and make notes about them. Jot down the way the sky looked on the way to school, what color sweater your mom was wearing, what made you nervous, or excited or sad during the day.

Where do you get your ideas?
Sometimes it seems the problem is I have too many ideas they're everywhere. Train yourself (or allow yourself) to really watch and listen to people. Make up stories about them. Play what if? Sometimes good story ideas are hiding in the news: say there's a warehouse about to be torn down in your town - what if someone found a family of dogs living in that warehouse? Sometimes there's a story in something you learn about at school: try adding an interesting character to a place or event you learn about, like the first train ride across America. Keep a notebook for ideas jot down interesting things you notice or wonder about, even just a sentence or two.

How do you start a book?
Well, there's no right way or wrong way to start a book - in fact, in writing, there are no right or wrong ways about anything! Here's the way that works best for me

I start by making up a character. I make this character very real I imagine what she likes for breakfast, what he thinks is unfair in his world, how she fits in her family, what he loves to do most.  Then, when I feel I know and care about this character, I ask him or her, What's wrong? And I try to imagine what he or she might answer.

The reason for this is that books are always characters we can care about who have problems. Conflict, danger, misunderstanding! Generally I try to make the problems worse as the book goes on - this tension is what makes readers turn pages.

How long does it take to write a book?
Well, every book is different, of course. But in general, it takes a lot longer than you might guess. There's always some research to do, and a lot of brainstorming (Ive had some book ideas hanging around my head for years now that Im still trying to figure out!) and these things can take a lot of time, but the main reason is that books need a lot more revising than you might think. I want every sentence to be as clear as it can be, as interesting, as well-written, and as moving. I revise a lot - I rewrite everything at least twenty times! Each Clementine book, for instance, takes me close to a year to write. Which is okay, because I love writing and there's nothing I'd rather be doing.