Writing Questions
Q. What is nonfiction?
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A. Nonfiction writers tell stories about real people, places and events.
Q. Why do you write nonfiction?
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A. It's fun! I enjoy the whole process of writing, including:
- Interviewing people about their lives and experiences. In many cases, I have the opportunity to travel to new places and to meet the people that I'm featuring in my book.
- Reading and collecting information from books, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, etc.
- Thinking through information that I collect and organizing it into a story that informs, entertains, and, in many cases, touches readers' hearts.
- Finding the right words with which to tell a story. Nonfiction allows you to write real stories creatively with exciting leads (beginnings), scenes, dialogue, quotes, flashbacks and many details.
- Collecting photographs to complement the stories in my books. Sometimes I ask the people that I'm working with for photos, or I take a few images myself. Other times I look for photos in libraries or newspapers. In some cases, I work with a professional photographer to capture just the right images -- it all depends on the subject that I'm working on and what's available.
- Watching the book blossom, as the designer pulls the words and pictures together.
- Celebrating a new book that's published and sharing it with others.
- Starting the writing process all over again with a new idea!
Q. Where do you find ideas for your books?
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A. Everywhere—talking with people, reading newspapers, magazines, and books; surfing the Internet; watching TV; playing with my dogs; and pursuing interests I love.
Q. How do you know when an idea is good?
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A. If an idea sparks my imagination quickly, I know I'm onto something. It's also important that I'm passionate about the topic. As I research a subject, the stories associated with it need to evoke strong feelings, such as joy, sorrow, curiosity, or inspiration.
Q. Have you experienced writer's block, and if so, what do you do about it?
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A. Sometimes I'll get stuck on a section of a book, and when I do, I usually move to another piece of writing for a day or two. I like to distance myself from my writing for a while, so that I have a fresh perspective when I relook at it.
Q. What part of the writing process is the most difficult for you?
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A. Writing the first draft! Taking all the information that I've collected and paring it down to just the right thoughts and words can be frustrating. It's sometimes difficult to decide what to leave in a book and what to edit out.
Personal Questions
Q. How many books have you written?
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A. THE ELEPHANT SCIENTIST is my twelfth book, and I have a few more in progress.
Q. Did you enjoy writing when you were young?
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A. I enjoyed reading in elementary school. It wasn't until middle school that I discovered the joys of writing and sharing stories with others.
Q. What book of yours do you like most?
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A. I'm really excited about my two new books: WHAT'S SO FUNNY? and THE ELEPHANT SCIENTIST. The first book explores some of the experiences that make us laugh, and the second follows the work of a scientist who studies African elephants at Etosha National Park in Namibia.
Q. What's been one of your favorite experiences while researching a book?
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A. A few years ago, I took my first real journey into a Kentucky "wet" cave with a microbiologist and some of her students. We spent six and a half hours crawling on our bellies and knees, sloshing through water, climbing rocks and searching for microbes that may someday help fight diseases. Very cool!
Q. How long does it take you to write a book?
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A..Generally, it takes six months to a year before the words and pictures come together just right. I work on several writing projects at a time to keep things interesting.
