FAQs

Where do you get your ideas for stories?
How do you get all those scientists and other experts to agree to take time out of their busy schedules and be interviewed?
How long have you been writing stories?
Okay, what I really meant was how long have you been a PUBLISHED writer?
What advice would you give a kid who wants to become a published writer?
What advice would you give an adult who wants to become a published writer?
I’ve written a story, and I want it to be published. Where should I send it?
I’ve written a story, and I’d like some feedback on it. Would you be willing to read it?

Where do you get your ideas for stories?

An idea can turn up anywhere. For instance, one morning when my dog was barking at the garbage men, I wondered, “Does she think they’re stealing our garbage?” I recognized an idea, but I didn’t know the rest of the story at that point. I wrote it down, and a couple of years later it developed into “Stinky Treasure,” which won the Highlights for Children Fiction Contest. I wrote another Highlights story after my daughter’s friend told me she was afraid to start the new school year because her teacher had a snake in the classroom. I turned the snake into a lizard and wrote “Lizard Problems.”

With nonfiction, I sometimes jump on an opportunity—such as the time I saw a five-year-old boy ride in a dancing horse show at a fair. Afterward, I asked his parents for an interview, and the result was a Ladybug article called “Dominick’s Dancing Horses.” Other times, I plan ahead. When I’m going to travel, I research my destination to see if I can find any interesting stories, and I call ahead of time to arrange an interview and tour, if possible. Three of my Cricket articles came about in this way.

But I don’t always have to come up with ideas on my own. Often, editors call or e-mail with assignments about specific topics. That’s like getting a surprise package, because I never know what it will be.

How do you get all those scientists and other experts to agree to take time out of their busy schedules and be interviewed?

I just ask them. Most people are happy to share their knowledge, especially when kids are the audience. So I don’t have amazing powers of persuasion, inside connections, or a godfather who makes them an offer they can’t refuse. (Sorry if this disappoints anyone.)

How long have you been writing stories?

Since I was four years old. I remember sitting at the coffee table, drawing people and animals with balloons coming out of their mouths, and asking my mom how to spell every single word. (My mom is very patient.)

Okay, what I really meant was how long have you been a PUBLISHED writer?

Oh, well, you’ve got to be more specific. I started submitting stories to publishers in 1998 and sold my first story, “Sam,” to a tiny literary magazine in 2000. They paid me a whopping eight bucks and ceased publication a month after they ran the story in 2001. But an editor had liked my work enough to publish it and to pay me! That was the shot in the arm I needed.

What advice would you give a kid who wants to become a published writer?

Learning to write is like learning to play a musical instrument. You have to practice, practice, practice. So keep writing, and keep reading the type of material you’d like to write (which is probably also the type of material you like to read). Do anything you can to hone your writing skills, such as studying books and magazines about the craft of writing. If you can go to a workshop or take a writing class, jump at the chance.

But most of all, have fun with it. A musician who isn’t having fun will probably quit playing. A writer who isn’t having fun will probably quit writing. That’s why I recommend that young writers spend a few years writing whatever they want just for the fun of it without worrying about what anyone else thinks of their writing.

What advice would you give an adult who wants to become a published writer?

The same advice I’d give a kid who wants to become a published writer, with this added caution: If you’re writing stories for kids, don’t just pattern them after the stories you remember from your childhood. Immerse yourself in the children’s literature that’s being published today. Otherwise, you’re going to have a hard time finding an editor who takes you seriously.

I’ve written a story, and I want it to be published. Where should I send it?

There’s no quick answer to this one. But I’ll explain the process that I use to figure out where to submit my stories, and hopefully it will help you.

Step #1: Use a market guide to identify publishers who are open to the type of manuscript you’ve written. (People often ask me to recommend a market guide. As a children’s writer, I use Book Markets for Children’s Writers and Magazine Markets for Children’s Writers. But many market guides are available, and the one you use will depend on the type of material you write and your personal preference.) Now that you’ve got a list of potential publishers for your story, DON’T SUBMIT IT TO ANY OF THEM. At least not yet.

Saying, “I’d like to get published! I’ll send my story off to any publisher I see in the market guide,” is sort of like saying, “I’m ready to get married! Any guy who’s breathing will do.” Really? You mean you’d marry that self-absorbed guy who wishes he could marry his biceps? Or that sweet guy you love like a brother but who holds no romantic attraction for you? Or that creepy guy who sits alone in the corner of the coffee shop humming nursery rhymes?

No, I’m not suggesting that publishers are like that creepy guy in the coffee shop. But some of them are like that sweet guy you love like a brother. Their books are great—but they’re nothing like the books you’re interested in writing. And your book is nothing like the ones they’re interested in publishing. So don’t send your manuscript to just anyone. You’ve got to find the right match.

Step #2: Study the publishers’ catalogs. Nowadays, this is much easier, since most publishers post their catalogs on their websites. (And magazines sometimes post sample stories or lists of material they’ve run in past issues.) Browse through the descriptions of their published titles to get a feel for whether or not your story would fit among them. You’ll cross some publishers off your list and get excited about others.

Step #3: Read the actual books or magazines. This means a trip to a library or book store. If you’re interested in submitting to a magazine that isn’t on the shelf, go to the magazine’s website and order a few back issues. If you can see your story fitting in with what you’ve read, go ahead and submit.

Or you could reverse the process and start by looking for published books or magazine stories that are similar to yours, and then backtrack to the publishers’ websites and market listings to see if they’re open to submissions.

If this sounds like a long, time-consuming process—well, it is. If you want to do it right, there’s no substitute for spending hours of market research for each of your manuscripts. But it’ll be worth it if you find the perfect match and live happily ever after.

I’ve written a story, and I’d like some feedback on it. Would you be willing to read it?

My problem isn’t a lack of willingness, but a lack of time. I enjoy helping other writers, but I do most of my writing on tight deadlines, and that leaves little time for critiquing. Right now, I’m able to critique only when I participate in critique groups at conferences, or when a close friend asks me to swap manuscripts. Otherwise, I’d have to take time away from my family to read manuscripts and provide feedback, and I just can’t do that.

Here are a few options for finding feedback (all of which I’ve used myself):

Start or join a critique group. If you write for kids, join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and get involved with one of theirs. If they don’t have a critique group in your area, the members of your local SCBWI region may be able to help you start one.

Attend a writing conference that offers the option of a group critique or a one-on-one critique, or both.

Take a writing class so you can get feedback from an experienced instructor. The need for feedback was the reason I took a course from the Institute of Children’s Literature back when I was getting started. (And, by the way, I would HIGHLY recommend their courses.)