Author Lisa Graff moved up to hero status in the Bailey household recently when she answered a last minute plea for help with one of Ben's school assignments. We loved her book, The Thing About Georgie, and after checking out her blog, she seemed like just the sort of cool person who might respond. She did! Her answers were too good not to share, so check them out below...they're smart, straightforward and often funny, just like her book!
1. What is your typical day like? If you do not have one, what are some things you do on a regular basis?
Many writers have other jobs besides being a writer, and I'm one of them. On a typical day I wake up about 7:30 and go to my full-time job, which is working as an editor at a publishing house. There I help edit other people's books, as well as read submissions from authors and agents to find new stories my company should publish. I also do things like finding illustrators to work on picture books, and writing flap copy (that's the description of the book that appears on the inside part of the jacket—or "flap"—of the book), along with many other things, some of them exciting and some of them very dull. I write my own books whenever I get some free time—usually after work or on the weekends.
2. Besides writing, what does an author do?
Most authors (including me) spend more time revising a book than they do writing it in the first place. Once I get feedback from my editor about a draft of a book I write and re-write again until both she and I think it is just right. That usually takes about three or four tries.
I also spend a lot of time researching for the book I am writing. For example, for The Thing About Georgie I did quite a bit of research about dwarfs and dwarfism, and I interviewed a friend of mine who was a dwarf. I also go to schools to talk to children about writing, and speak to other writers at conferences. And I read as much as I possibly can, both to give me ideas and to know what kinds of stories are being told, and the ways other authors have found to tell them. And then there are times when I REALLY don't want to write at all, so I find something else to do, like bake cupcakes or play with my cat or even clean my toilet. But mostly, writers write.
3. What are some special skills needed to get into the author field?
You need to like reading a LOT. And you need to be creative. But another very important skill to have is knowing how to take criticism, so that you can listen to an editor and know when you should change something to make it better. And it's also very helpful if you are good at saving money, because writers typically do not make very much of it.
4. What are three interesting facts about your profession?
- You can write in your pajamas.
- You are always working, because everything you experience helps you create your stories.
- When people make you mad you can get back at them by putting them in a book (although I tend to disguise them so they don't know I'm doing it).
5. What kind of education should you have to be an author?
Unlike most professions, there's no education you have to have. Some published authors are PhDs, and others are twelve-year-olds in middle school (there aren't many, but there are some!). I think what makes an author really great is having interesting experiences, and often (but certainly not always) that comes with education. You definitely don't have to study writing to become a writer, though; I think you should study whatever interests you, and if you are a natural writer your stories will come out on their own.
6. What would you recommend I do before college if I want to become an author?
The two most important things I can recommend are the two most obvious ones: Read and write. The more you read and write, the better a writer you'll be. Another great thing to do is to keep a diary or a journal. So many writers (even the ones who write for adults) decide to write about their childhoods, and the best way to remember what it was like to be a kid is to read what you wrote when you were one! I have several diaries I kept when I was little, and every once in a while I'll go back and read them when I feel like I need inspiration.
7. What made you want to become an author?
I didn't grow up thinking I was going to become a writer; I always wanted to be a doctor. But I always wrote stories—mostly because my older brother did it, and I always wanted to be just like him. When I was in college I realized that I liked writing children's books much more than I liked studying chemistry, so I decided to see if that was something I could do for a living. And luckily for me, it was!
8. Describe your perfect writing environment - location, music, snacks...whatever it takes!
I am usually so busy that the only thing I need to write is time. I can write with a crayon on the back of an old napkin on the subway if that's the only way for me to get an idea down. But ideally I like to be sitting on my couch with my laptop and a warm cup of tea, and my cat curled up next to me (preferably sleeping soundly, and not meowing incessantly like he normally is).
Be sure to check out the co-review Ben and I did for The Thing About Georgie — it's a terrific book. Thanks again Ms. Graff for your great (and quick!) feedback.
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