Interview with Author Eric Sandler

Today I am hosting author Eric Sandler on my blog. Eric and I met at the SCBWI conference where we found ourselves engaged in a discussion of horror writing across the Golden Kite Luncheon table, of all things.

Hi Eric, I'm so glad to have you interviewing on my blog today! I'm curious to know, writers often say that they write because they have to write. Do you see writing as a hobby or a vocation?

Vocation for sure. It certainly started as a hobby back when I was 12-13, writing fanfiction for newsgroups. As the years went on I started developing my own characters and stories and became more serious about getting published. Now my one goal in life is to see my name on a book I wrote. After that's accomplished...I write the sequel.

Tell us about the world of your fantasy novel.

It's not so much 'world' as 'worlds.' One of the main characters has the ability to travel to other universes, and so it's about as far from Earth as you can get. Many of the worlds they visit are behind modern-day Earth in terms of technology and have entirely new species of animals and some varying laws of physics. Some worlds have magic, but that isn't used too much, so my apologies to the Harry Potter fans.

Where is your favorite place to write?

Outdoors. I tend to take my netbook and sit outside in the backyard, assuming it's not too hot (which it has been these last few days, so I'm behind!)

I’m with you on writing outdoors. But what do you do if it rains?

Fortunately, the deck has an awning that covers the whole thing, so I can write rain or shine!

Eric's outside writing place

What is your writing routine like?

I have two computers, a netbook and a desktop. The desktop is for general use, the netbook for writing. For proper work to get done, I get away from the desktop. Preferably to a place without wireless Internet. I usually play music while I'm writing. Anything with a good beat that helps me think is in my playlist, so I tend to have a mishmash of artists. Overall it's probably half Japanese music, half American artists.

What kinds of songs would you put on a playlist for your novel?

A mix of Japanese and American artists. Scandal, High and Mighty Color, m.o.v.e., YUI, Hamasaki Ayumi, Paramore, Evanescence, Bon Jovi, and several more scattered amidst individual songs.

You listen to Japanese music and speak Japanese. Have you ever lived in Japan? Do you use the language or culture in your novel?

Yes, I lived in Osaka for almost three years. I attended a language school there to study Japanese, and then taught English after graduating. I don't use Japanese so much in this novel, but I'm planning to use it in a middle-grade novel I'm currently writing. The main character is Japanese whose grandparents are from--of course--Osaka.

Did you like to read as a child?

I devoured books as a kid. Ender's Game and The Giver are two I read over and over. The latter I read a few years ago and was startled at certain parts that I could understand more clearly now as an adult. It made the whole thing much creepier. Ender's Game remains more or less the same, but I still find it entertaining to read.

I love Ender’s Game and The Giver. Do you have other books you feel influenced you as a writer?

Ender's Game is definitely a book I've read over and over. Bruce Coville and R.L. Stine likely are my biggest influences. I loved Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, and I read the Fear Street and Goosebumps series despite getting scared at Night of the Living Dummy. That one book will make me look askance at mannequins for the rest of my life...

Any thoughts about why kids like scary books?

When I was a kid, I read a lot of R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, etc. Despite sometimes scaring me into having nightmares, these books gave me a glimpse into the darkness that is our fears. I think there's a subconscious attraction to that fear, as it gives us a peek into the unknown.

Have you had any stories, articles or poems published in magazines?

Yes, I've had a short story published on welltoldtales.com, and that same story won second place in the West Side Story contest (now defunct) as well as an honorable mention by Writer's Digest in their Popular Fiction contest. So that one story's really gotten around.

That’s so fabulous! Do you have advice to other writers who are still on their way to see their words in print?

Start writing. You can't get published without putting pen to paper (or typing that first word). Follow through. Starting and finishing are the two most important parts of writing, because without that, you can't move forward. Be prepared to edit, a lot. And I mean A LOT. This is before you even find an agent or editor. Find someone to beta-read your work (not a friend or family member) after you've gone through and edited the whole thing 3-4 times. It helps so much to have a fresh, outside perspective. Be prepared to take a lot of criticism. Accept that you can't write it perfect the first time and will likely have to do several passes before it's even close to submission-quality. Joining a critique group can also help a lot, but I personally haven't had that experience.

Thanks Eric for visiting and answering my questions!
You can follow Eric on twitter at @EricSandlerYA

If you have any questions or comments to Eric, please feel free to comment below.

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If you're a writer and would like to be interviewed on my blog, please comment below, or send an email to stzoore (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Interview with Fabulous Writer Denise Harbison

 For a while now, I've been playing around in my mind with the idea of interviewing writers who are still seeking to publish their first novel. It seemed to me a fun (and fine) idea. After all, hardly anyone thinks to interview those still seeking publication. Having decided to begin, I, of course, asked Denise to be my first interviewee. I've known Denise for seven or so years now, and we've been meeting again and again in the same circle of conferences, each of us lugging behind her a novel, the subject of so many hopes and dreams. Thank you so much Denise for agreeing to this interview and giving me (and the readers) your time!

You and I met for the first time at the Big Sur Conference in 2005. Can you tell me a little about the path you followed to become a writer?

I can't say I've always wanted to become a professional writer. 7th grade was when I became intrigued with analyzing literature for metaphor, symbolism, etc. In high school, I had teachers praise my creative writing, which was sort of defiant because I didn't especially like being forced to write. In 9th grade I wrote a memorable horror story about ants. The teacher wondered if I'd plagiarized it; I like to think she thought it would take a lot of writing talent for a nice girl like me to come up with something that unsettling (ha ha). In 11th grade, for the required mock-epic poem, I took the "mock" aspect to it's full potential and wrote about the war between the Peanut Buddies and the Chocolateers. They ultimately joined forces--melting into one--playing off the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercials that say, "Two great tastes in one candy bar." In 12th grade, I got an A on a persuasive paper about the importance of lipstick. I went on to college and studied marketing and advertising, which requires a good deal of writing, creativity, and knowing your target audience. All these things eventually came together in writing for kids.

When did you know that you were writing for children rather than adults?

I never considered writing books for adults. That just doesn't seem fun.

I remember that your novel is located in Hawaii. Can you tell me about the background to choosing to locate the novel in Hawaii?

The Hawaii novel (I'm surprised you remember it!), for middle graders, comes from my unique experiences while living there as an outsider. I wasn't local, and I wasn't a tourist. It gave me a certain perspective. It's details from my backyard. It's about adapting and overcoming.

What is your writing routine like?

My sitting-in-front-of-the-computer writing time is when my 3 kids are in school. That is total submersion time--when I focus on the story, even if I take a break from the chair. Sometimes I think I hate summer vacation because everyone is around all the time, interrupting..., but the fun and excitement of it forces ideas to the surface. I love hanging out with my kids in the summer, and it's not like I don't like having fun, but I start feeling the muse poking me to get back to work. Then I can sit down and write some more. It seems like there is always a story working itself out in my head.

Which books do you most remember from your childhood?

Growing up, I really loved the Boxcar Children and Island of the Blue Dolphins. I'd dream and dream about what I would do if I were on my own--all the good, adventurous things. Not scary things, like battling ants. (ha ha!)

As a young child, I loved the book The Monster at the End of This Book, Starring lovable, Furry Old Grover. That book will live on my shelf forever. It tickled me the way Grover tried and tried to stop me, and I won every time, and he was so embarrassed...it still cracks me up. Though, for the record, my high-schooler says I'm really immature.

Do you have a favorite snack while you write?

I do snack when I write. Favorite mix for success: Goldfish crackers, pretzels, and chocolate. :)

You told me that you had an article published with Highlights Magazine. That’s so great! The road to publication can be long and depressing. Do you have an advice to writers who are still on their way to see their words in print?

It helps to know that my work has been chosen before, that it's been good enough for publication. But that only proves potential. I still receive rejections. And I still have a lot to learn. The only thing to do is keep working at it.

We're going to see each other in LA in less than a week! Yay! What are your hopes for the conference?

I'm looking forward to the social gathering in L.A.--seeing you and other writer friends from all over, supporting each other, and being energized by the excitement of the crowd.

Thank you Denise for visiting my blog and good luck in getting more articles, novels and stories published!

We love your comments! You can ask Denise any questions you'd like. You can also find her on Facebook under her name, Denise Harbison. Look for these interviews every Monday, and please comment and let me know if you are a writer who would like to be interviewed as well.

The Beauty of Making Mistakes

A few years ago, before I realized I was writing for children, I signed up for two writing classes at once. One class was at the art center near my house and was called “Writing and Illustrating a Picture Book,” and the other at Stanford, “Writing for Children.” I always loved writing, and I had children -- I felt it would be a perfect match.

I learned two new facts about myself in those classes. The first, that I love to make art and maybe could do something about it. The second, that I am writing for children, but not necessarily a picture book. Turned out that my fairy tale about the princess kidnapped in New York City by a wizard in a flying car who saves herself and marries a chimney sweep is really a novel. I lost the chimney sweep and the saves herself by screaming the wizard into oblivion, and now, a few years and lots of sweating (and some writing) later, I have a novel.

But my novel is far from perfect. Before sending it to agents, I always reread it, and I always find lots to fix. It is never finished, never enough, never perfect. But the book holds the (probably false) promise of potential perfection. If I tinker with it enough, if I identify every little mistake, surely I could make it flawless? But in paintings? There are mistakes which drive me crazy and can never be repaired. Like the too wide left wing of the dragon from the fairytale battle painting which I painted in high school, or the bicycle in the riding down the hill painting whose frame is a W instead of a triangle and really looks weird.

But, I wonder, does art need to be perfect? Brooke Scudder, a magnificent artist (whose art always seems to me to border on perfection) and the teacher of the “Picture Book” class mentioned above, thought otherwise. “Sigal,” she said to me, “the mistakes you make in your painting will often turn out to be the most unique and beautiful parts of it.” Wait, what? That makes it sound like mistakes are a good thing! That can’t be right. Right? And yet I believe her. I believe it is the mistakes in a story or a painting (or in life) that charm me, allow me to fall in love with the humanity of the creator and the creation.

This morning I read a quote by Alfred Sisley: “Every picture shows a spot with which the artist has fallen in love.” And I instantly knew what he meant. The spot that Alfred Sisley is talking about is the mistake, the place where the pen slipped, where inaccuracies occurred, where a drop fell as the brush withdrew and another red flower had to be drawn. And this spot, where the imperfections, the fallibility of the artist shine through, is what allows me to feel empathy, to recognize myself and fall in love. To feel the art through and through.