Wendy Mass: Super Non-fiction Writer for Young People
Please visit Wendy's Website for more information on her and her great books.
1. SR: When you were young was there an adult who encouraged you to read and/or write?
WM: My parents were always big readers, so I grew up in a house filled with books. I remember in third grade my teacher held a contest to see who could read the most books. My friend and I got into a fierce competition over it, and I think from then on I've been hooked! (She won, but I think she cheated! :o)
2. SR: You are fortunate to have worked in the entertainment business, at least that is my opinion. Was this part of your writing career as exciting as one might think? How did it help your writing career?
WM: When I graduated college I really wanted to write for television. I moved to Los Angeles and worked for different literary agents and producers, but I think I was just too shy to be as pushy as you have to be in the film/TV industry. You have to want it more than anything else. That's how I feel about writing novels, too. In order to do what it takes to get something published, you have to be so focused on the goal that all the competition and rejection doesn't keep you from pursuing it. I've since managed to dabble a bit in television, and have a story credit on an episode of the TV show MONK. (I'm not as shy anymore!). Working in film/TV reminds you that all stories (including novels) need to be cinematic, in that the reader needs to be able to clearly picture what's going on. I also think learning about story arc, conflict, and character development helped me when I started writing books. And yes, the entertainment business was very exciting, very fast paced.
3. SR: You mentioned in a previous interview that once you entered grad school you quickly discovered that you wanted to write for children and young adults. How did you come to this realization?
WM: I always knew I wanted to write in some capacity, and in grad school we had to hone in on one genre that really excited us. I loved all the coming-of-age books I read when I was growing up, and I knew that's where I felt most at home. 4. SR: Your award-winning book, A Mango Shaped Space, you tell the story
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