I grew up in the 1970s and 80s in the small town of Princeton,
Minnesota alongside my older brother and older sister. My parents were
Kennedy generation, Peace Corps alums who believed strongly in
education and exploring the world. Beyond regular schooling, I learned
about life through road trips, video games, wiffle ball, marching band,
basketball, good movies and good books.
I have been a fan of stories for about as long as I can remember,
but I did not start writing down my own stories until I was well into
my 20s. I currently work as an elementary school librarian in a
Minneapolis suburb and have a great life hanging out with my wife and
two kids, taking vacations with them whenever I can, and writing as
much as time allows.
Common Questions I Get from My Readers
Common Questions I Get from My Readers
What
is your favorite book?
I'm not sure I have a
favorite, but the answer I usually give if I can only name one book is Holes by Louis Sachar.
This book just blew me away when I read it. I've reread it as well and
enjoyed it just as much. My list of favorite books tends to change
frequently and is often based on what I've read most recently. But,
here are some of the books that I have loved and that have connected
with me the most over the years.
Holes
- Louis Sachar
Frindle - Andrew Clements
A Long Way from Chicago - Richard Peck
Hatchet - Gary Paulsen
Blackwater Ben - William Durbin
Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian - Sherman Alexie
The Fudge books - Judy Blume
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
Fever, 1793 - Laurie Halse Anderson
Mamba Point - Kurtis Scaletta
Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson
Project Mulberry - Linda Sue Park
Al Capone Does My Shirts - Gennifer Choldenko
The Book of 100 Truths - Julie Schumacher
Shredderman: Secret Identity - Wendelin Van Draanen
Swindle - Gordon Korman
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
Frindle - Andrew Clements
A Long Way from Chicago - Richard Peck
Hatchet - Gary Paulsen
Blackwater Ben - William Durbin
Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian - Sherman Alexie
The Fudge books - Judy Blume
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
Fever, 1793 - Laurie Halse Anderson
Mamba Point - Kurtis Scaletta
Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson
Project Mulberry - Linda Sue Park
Al Capone Does My Shirts - Gennifer Choldenko
The Book of 100 Truths - Julie Schumacher
Shredderman: Secret Identity - Wendelin Van Draanen
Swindle - Gordon Korman
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
How
did you find an illustrator for Lost?
Marcus Smith drew the
illustrations for Lost.
I think he did just a fantastic job! I did not, however, choose Marcus,
nor do I even know him. The publisher of the book was the one who chose
Marcus to illustrate my book. That made my life much easier. I
was able to just write the story and let the publisher find a talented
artist like Marcus Smith. In the world of children's books, this is
often what happens. Authors and illustrators often do not work
together. Instead, it's the publisher that finds a good match between
the words and the illustrations.
How did you come up with the idea for Lost?
The idea, actually, came fairly easily. As a young boy I took many trips to the Boundary Waters with my dad. I always loved exploring the woods and I always wondered what would happen if I got injured or lost in that rugged wilderness. Some of my best memories of those trips were hanging out with my dad and reeling in walleye after walleye while the sun set across the lake. If you don't know what a walleye is, you must not be from Minnesota. Look it up!
Do you have any advice for kids who would like to be published?
My biggest advice would be just to write, write, write! There are plenty of writing contests and even some magazines that publish stories written by children, like Stone Soup for example. But I believe the most important thing at your young age is not getting published, but learning how to write. Take classes, write a lot, read a lot, and think a lot. I'm a firm believer, too, in the fact that life experiences lead to good writing. Get out there and do stuff! Writing is awesome, but don't spend all your time cooped up in your house writing and reading. The people you meet and the activities you do will inspire you to write good stories later!
How did you come up with the idea for Lost?
The idea, actually, came fairly easily. As a young boy I took many trips to the Boundary Waters with my dad. I always loved exploring the woods and I always wondered what would happen if I got injured or lost in that rugged wilderness. Some of my best memories of those trips were hanging out with my dad and reeling in walleye after walleye while the sun set across the lake. If you don't know what a walleye is, you must not be from Minnesota. Look it up!
Do you have any advice for kids who would like to be published?
My biggest advice would be just to write, write, write! There are plenty of writing contests and even some magazines that publish stories written by children, like Stone Soup for example. But I believe the most important thing at your young age is not getting published, but learning how to write. Take classes, write a lot, read a lot, and think a lot. I'm a firm believer, too, in the fact that life experiences lead to good writing. Get out there and do stuff! Writing is awesome, but don't spend all your time cooped up in your house writing and reading. The people you meet and the activities you do will inspire you to write good stories later!