I guess it would be that you are never too old to achieve your dreams. All my life, I was a "nobody" who dreamed of doing something that "counted" in life. I wanted to leave behind something more than just my children and grandchildren. I wanted to make a difference somehow in the world we live in. I didn't start writing until I was a grandmother, but I feel that I have achieved that goal of making a difference.
SR: What is the best writing advice you ever received?
VK: It was this statement: The main difference between the writer who is published and the writer who is not published is not necessarily the quality of the writing. It's that THE PUBLISHED WRITER NEVER QUIT!
SR: What advice would you give to new writers?
VK: NEVER GIVE UP if you truly believe in yourself and what you are writing. This is not an easy business to break into and there are many "rocks" along the way. You have to persevere if you want to succeed. Learn your craft, and practice what you have learned over and over again. Learn to market what you write, so that your stories are being sent to places where they have a good chance of getting published. Join SCBWI (the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators) and attend as many conferences as you can. Get to know other writers and learn from them. Keep your sense of humor and believe in yourself and your dreams CAN come true.
SR: How do you overcome procrastination?
VK: There's a little article on my website about finding the time to do things when you don't have the time to do them. It's my motto, and it goes like this:
1) Decide what needs to be done. 2) Don't sleep. Just do it.
But I'm not perfect, and once in a while a few things just get put off until they no longer need to be done. (Of course, unfortunately the dishes, laundry, and my husband don't fall into that category.)
SR: What do you dislike about school presentations? What is your favorite part of these presentations?
VK: Hmmn. That's a toughie! I can't think of anything I don't like about doing school visits, unless it's going to a school that really isn't prepared for me. Once I was to give a 45 minute presentation, but the school was so disorganized, that by the time they turned the microphone over to me, I only had five minutes left of my time.
