4RV ~ December - January 2007 Newsletter Page 2
Holly ... continued
was 'the school's job to teach me how to read.' They asked, 'What were we supposed to do, put the books under lock and
key?'
"When I was a kid, my favorite toy was my imagination. Playing make-believe, acting out fairy tales, devising and
directing my own stories – you know, writing fiction is just a socially acceptable way for older kids to go on playing with
their imaginary friends. When we say, 'The characters speak to me,' we mean that quite literally."
I looked at the next question. "Tell us something about your educational background that has made you a better, or
more caring, writer."
"I had a teacher in middle school who taught us to write essays. I'd take my dog for a walk down by the lake, sit on
an old log, and write. Mrs. Thorsten read every word. She wrote suggestions in the margins, in bright red ink. She and
my mom – they never hesitated to give honest, constructive criticism. But they read every word – they didn't skim and
say, 'Oh, how nice.' I never liked writing in a diary. I've never been one of those writers who says, 'I write only for
myself.' I don't. I write for readers like my mother and Lee Thorsten. They showed me that writing was one side of a
dialogue – a partnership between a reader and a writer. Writing is communication.
"I started taking college classes when I was twelve, just for fun. My mother was working on her Master's degree at
Kent State, and I wanted to see what it was she did all day. Surprisingly, they let me. And I kept taking classes, mostly
electives, while attending Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth Grades. So, going into my Junior year, the only subject I could
declare a Major and still graduate in two years was English. I majored in Rhetoric & Writing at the University of Tulsa.
Creative Writing workshops – I hear people say, 'Oh, those are hard!' and I laugh. To me, it wasn't hard; it was heaven.
Write stories, make copies, pass them out and read them to a captive audience, then let them tell you how fantastic
your writing is and what they might have done differently – or what worked especially well. It doesn't get much better
than that!
"It's scary, even thinking about being a full-time writer. But I've been lucky to build a career that uses my skills.
I've worked as an English teacher, teaching English as a second language. I've worked as a waitress, a systems
engineer, a role-playing game designer, a freelance writer, a technical writer, and a project manager. After I'd been out
in the working world a while, I went back to the university to earn my Law degree. But I realized something shortly
after graduation: I loved writing. And I'm good at it. I'm comfortable with it, but it still challenges me."
I sipped my tea before asking, "Please fill us in on your hobbies, interests, or activities you participate in during your
leisure time."
"I don't believe in writer's block. I believe that there are times when we writers need to do something, anything, but
write. We may want to write, but the words won't flow. Or the words are there, up in our heads, and we simply lack the
energy or desire to get them out on paper. Sometimes, I'll doze off in the middle of writing a draft; I'll dream the rest
of the story, watch the ending in my sleep, and wake up feeling like I've just watched the movie. If I don't want to
watch it again, right away, that draft may never be finished. Laziness, exhaustion, boredom – but not writer's block.
Every time I've felt 'blocked,' I have had an urge to express something, to create something – photographs, altered art,
sketches, scrapbooks, digital photomanipulation, a Web site - that's when I know I'm not blocked, I just need to take a
detour and explore other creative outlets.
"I am still an avid reader. And I love good children's books – books that aren't 'dumbed down' for kids. Books like
Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, or C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. I love books that my kids and I can enjoy
together, like J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels, and books that are written by people who haven't forgotten what it is
to be a kid, like Bruce Coville.
"I would especially like to know what keeps you writing."
"I write for the people who enjoy reading what I write. And I write to clarify what I think and feel for myself, but only
because I think – I know – that I'm not alone. And I think people like to know that they're not alone out there, either."
"Who are your favorite authors and why?"
"Whoever I'm reading right now is usually high on the list, just because my head is filled with their story, their
characters, and their voice. Lately, it's Nelson DeMille, James Patterson, and Sara Gruen. Other authors I have
enjoyed, over the years, include Michael Crichton, Anne Rice, Ayn Rand, Madeleine L'Engle, Aristophanes…oh, they're
too numerous to name if I start going back that far!"
"What is your most recent book, and what inspired you to write it?"
"When I wrote Trockle, I wasn't thinking about writing a children's picture book. I was frustrated and I was all out of
monster repellent. I'd sprayed the last of it in my son's closet, under his bed, in his toy box. It wasn't enough. I thought
it might never be enough, but rather than let him lie there in the dark, worrying about the monster under the bed, I'd
write him a story – maybe it would help, but regardless, he'd be reading. He had just started learning to read on his own,
so I printed the story, flicked on his light, and handed it to him. 'Let me know what you think.' A few minutes later, he
was out of bed. I think he was five or six at the time, and he was offering me edits. Good ones. I revised the story,
printed it off, and handed it back to him. He liked it. He went back to bed, and I never needed another bottle of monster
repellent."
"Monster repellent? Now, that's interesting." I glanced back at my list. "Do you have a particular writing process or
technique that you use, if so, what?"
"Not really. I try to listen to the characters in my head, and let them take the lead. It's like a dance, and the author
can't force the characters to follow. The author has to learn to watch and listen and record." Holly chuckled.
"I understand the characters in the head bit. I have them, too" I joined her laughter. "How do you feel when you
complete a book?"
"Satisfaction, relief, exhaustion – and a brief moment where I think, 'I don't ever want to do this again!' that's almost
immediately followed by, 'I can't wait to do this again!'"
"What are your writing achievements and goals?"
"I haven't yet won a Pulitzer or a Caldecott or a Newbery, if that's what you mean… I guess my greatest
'achievement' to date is being able to earn my living writing. Technical writing isn't as glamorous as writing a New York
Times Bestselling Novel, but I'm lucky; not everyone gets to work in a field that lets them do something they love
doing. My goals? To communicate – to inform, educate,help, and above all, entertain others with my writing.
"I wouldn't turn down an award, if I won one. I'm still hoping to win the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. 'It was a
dark and stormy night..."
"I have a feeling that Trockle will be entered in at least two competitions, but I digress." I returned to the scripted
questions. "Are you a member of any writing groups? If so, how do they benefit you and your writing?
"I'm a member of the Society for Technical Communications (STC), and the Society of Children's Book Writers and
Illustrators (SCBWI). Networking is the primary benefit of any professional organization. Both offer great programs for
new writers, as well."
"Does writing help better you as a person? How?"
"That's a tough question, and I'm not sure. I'm a situational extrovert, meaning that one-on-one, I come across as
being outgoing, but solitude and quiet are as essential to me as air and water. I think, sometimes, that the stereotype of
the writer, holed up with his typewriter for days or weeks on end isn't that far off. On the other hand, if we allow
ourselves to be too introspective – if we don't get out and do things, and experience life, we have precious little to write
about."
"What advice would you have for a new author?"
"Read Rita Mae Brown's Starting from Scratch. Learn to love constructive criticism, and to take from it what you can
use – accept it, if it can help you to become a better writer – and discard the rest. Knowing the difference is a challenge,
but with practice you can get good at it. Learn to let go of rejection. The only cure for the sting of rejection is to keep
sending your work out, and to distract yourself by throwing yourself into the next writing project."
"What writing do you have planned for the future?"
"I'm working on another children's story. After that, I'd like to write a young adult novel."
"I'm sure anything you write will be interesting since everything so far has been. Okay, almost finished. Where do
you see yourself ten years from now?"
"Let me just dust off my crystal ball… I see myself doing the happy dance, because my son is about to graduate from
college and my daughter has just landed her dream job in New York City. My husband and I have an evening to
ourselves, and we are planning where to go for our thirty fourth wedding anniversary. I'm thinking Tahiti…which,
given the early reviews in the New York Times, is quite doable on the royalties from the book I've just had accepted for
publication!"
We both laughed and finished our drinks. Hmm ... royalties from the book just accepted for publication. Wonder who
the publisher could be?
Review ... continued
The kids learn inner strength as they face the doubts and challenges of playing in the playoffs itself, as well as
handling the fears and uncertainties that the harassment creates. We see them continuing to do their best in the
face of adversity. We see positive role models in the coaches and other grownups in the story, teaching and
mentoring the team to help them process their fears and feelings. We even see some negative role models and
how the kids respond to them.
The grownups in this story do a great job of guiding their charges through valuable life lessons-facing adversity,
showing compassion, doing the best they can even under less than ideal situations, critical thinking, and most
importantly, having fun.
Kids will like the story-baseball, playoffs, and adventure. Parents will appreciate the way V. Gilbert Zabel has
presented some of the challenges of growing up and showing how to react with integrity, compassion, and
perseverance. I can only hope that my son will have coaches and fellow players such as those found in the Case of
the Missing Coach.
Susan Thompson, Novelspot.net
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