Today’s Author Book Tag is with Lorna Schultz Nicholson, a children’s middle grade, and YA author with 50 books to her name and counting. Check out her answers to my questions along with her latest children’s book, What to Bring.
Why do you write in the genre(s) that you do?
I write for children – all ages – because I like kids and think writing for them is a challenge but also fun. They are so receptive and tell you what they think. They may also read your book over and over. That’s kind of cool. Lots of people think it’s easy to write for kids because the books are sometimes shorter, but it’s not.
Do you keep a notebook of ideas?
I do keep a notebook. It’s messy because I just jot notes down when I think of them.
Do you have a muse?
Not really. This is an interesting question that has made me think. Do I have a muse? I would say just my own mind.
Are you a fan of the Oxford comma?
Yes. I like it. But in children’s literature, I work with voice and sometimes I will have run-on sentences to fit in with the characters voice. An example of this is when I wrote Behind the Label in my One-2-One series. In this book I have a character with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), and she can talk a lot and in sentences that ramble so sometimes there are no commas in her dialogue or even in her thoughts.
Fill in the blank: People will like your book if they like stories about…”
Since I write children’s picture books, middle grade, and YA, plus non-fiction, I will answer this question with my latest picture book, What to Bring, which is out in March 2023. By the way, it is my 50th published book.
To fill in the blank, I would say …Kenta and the Big Wave by Ruth Ohi. This is a book about a little girl name Malia, and she and her family are evacuated from their home because of a forest fire. This actually happened to me. So, the book is based a little on my own experiences.
What are your thoughts on typewriters?
Oh boy, what a question. My mother always used a typewriter to write her poetry and I remember the white-out. I am very comfortable with a computer.
Would you rather own a bookstore or run a library?
Run a library. But I’d want to be the buyer.
How do you name your characters? Or, if you write non-fiction and had to change names, how did you change the names?
I do a tremendous amount of school author visits and when I sign books for the students, I make mental notes of names that I like, or that might work. I also write non-fiction and I don’t think I would change a name. Then it might not be non-fiction?
What is your favorite social media platform?
Instagram. Then Facebook. Twitter is my least favourite, but I do it.
If Hollywood bought the rights to your book, would you want it to be turned into a movie or series?
Depends on which book. My latest picture book would be a movie or more likely an animated story. But I have books that are series, and they could be turned into series. And I have stand alone novels that could be movies.
Who is your dream audiobook narrator?
Reece Witherspoon. Of course, that probably will never happen.
How many words or pages do you typically write in one writing session?
If I’m writing a novel, I try between 750-1,000 words a day. If I’m writing non-fiction, 500 is enough because you do so much research as you write.
With picture books I just a sit down and write, and often I can get it done in a day. Although, I’ve thought about the book for weeks and months. The story structure has been circling over and over in my mind while I walk my dog. But the editing is extensive, and I change words all the time, trying to find that perfect one. So, I go over and over a picture book before it gets sent to my agent.
Do you have any writing rituals?
I like to get up early and write in the morning.
What do you like to read? How often do you read?
I read all the time and always have. I read current children’s books, including middle grade and YA. But I LOVE thrillers. They are like decadent chocolate to me. I love Lisa Jewell and Mary Kubica. I also just like a good book – I recently read The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne and loved it. I’m an eclectic reader and also love a good memoir. So really, I read all different genres.
Have you made any public appearances to promote your book?
Over the years I have done so many public appearances. I’ve done book launches, book readings, book signings, book-whatevers! I do a lot of school visits and they are sometimes 5-6 presentations a day and I love to read at the end, before the Q&A period. I have been doing public appearances for over 20 years.
Who would you most want to read your book?
Anyone who wants to. Lol. Children, parents, school librarians, teachers, city librarians. Oh, and Reece Witherspoon so she can make it into a movie.
Who is an author who you love to follow on social media or read about in interviews?
I follow a lot of authors so I can’t pick one here. I’m a bit of an author follower as I love reading what other authors are writing and doing to promote. I get promotional ideas from other authors.
Is there a book that somebody gave to you that helped you pave the way to becoming a writer, or is there a book on writing that you recommend all writers read?
Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg was a book that really helped me.
Is there a piece of writing advice that you learned in school or in a class that stuck?
Write what you know and if you don’t know do your research. Also, you can’t fix a blank page was something that stuck with me, and I often use that line when I’m teaching writing workshops. It’s so true. You have to get something on the page to be able to fix it. Sit your butt in the chair and do it.
Is there an idea that a non-writer pitched to you that you have considered writing?
I have enough ideas of my own. When someone gives me an idea, I usually tell them that they should write that story. It’s their idea.
Do you like to physically write on paper?
I write on my computer. But I jot down notes on paper.
What is your ideal writing space?
I just need a desk or a counter or a chair. I’m not fussy about space. But I do like quiet. I’m not a writer who listens to music when writing, and I know some that do.
Have you ever gone away to work on a piece of writing? If not, where would you go if you could?
I haven’t ever done a writers’ retreat but if I could, I would go to Banff, or some house in the woods. Or maybe Greece or Italy. But then I’d eat too much gelato and pizza.
What is an annoying thing that a non-writer has assumed about writers or the act of writing?
That it’s easy. This is especially true with picture books. There are so many people who think they are easy because they’re short, but they are hard. The voice is critical and has to speak to a child. And novels are incredibly difficult as well, and the non-writer has no idea how many edits a writer does to get the words right.
How do you measure the success of your book?
Good question. Society measures success in terms of dollars. And I have a hard time not thinking like that. Did it sell on Amazon? Is it selling in the stores? How many have sold? But then…I get a letter from a kid who says, “I loved your book.” Or… (one of my favourites) “I read your book three times.” So, when I hear from someone that my book resonated with them, then I look at that as a measure of success. That is my biggest measure.
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