But this brings up a funny twist. In my book, North Woods Poachers, I deal with some pretty high-tech computer equipment. Even though I work in a technical field, professional video production, I'm not good at the technical side of things. My gifts would skew more toward the creative and the artistic. Yet, one of my reviewers wrote about how gifted I was in the realm of technology. That made me smile. In my opinion, a writer becomes sort of like a chameleon. We adapt and change depending on the plot, the setting, and what our characters are like. Another aspect I've observed in the writing process is that we often develop characters that are like we might wish we could be.
6.SR: Do you write your books with a character in mind first or a message?
MEA: In the past 2 ½ years, I've written 30 manuscripts for this set of books. In every case it was a title that came first. The title then suggested a setting along with plot ideas and potential characters. But I write in a free style. That is, I don't heavily outline before I begin. So long as I know the beginning, middle, and end, that's all I need to know before starting a new book. From there, the story develops almost before my own eyes. For me, it's a bit like watching a movie unfold. And as it does, the characters develop, the conflicts develop, and it is in this context that a message theme develops. In other words, the message becomes a normal, natural, integral part of the story and the characters' lives.
I also like to use mood appropriate music when writing. If a sequence is dark and scary, I have CD's that reflect this. While I was writing RECKLESS RUNAWAY, a story that contains several circus scenes, I cranked up some Sousa.
Props help, too. When writing FOREST OF FEAR, I went out in the back yard and caught a chipmunk, placed him in an old hamster cage, and set it on the desk in front of me. At the end of the day I let the little guy go. The next day I caught another one and did the same thing, although he looked a lot like the critter I'd caught the previous day.
Props and music help me to set the mood for the books I write. Hopefully they translate into believable stories that kids will love.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Sue Reichard's Writing for Children topic, please visit the Discussions page.