School Visits

When I get home from a school visit, I try to remember some of the questions the students ask me during the presentation. Time goes by so fast that most of the time I forget to write things down and then go on to do something else and I forget. But during a recent one, I wrote some of the questions down as soon as I got home. They went like this:

Q.: Do you only write picture books? A: No, I’m working on a middle-grade novel right now.
Q: When did you decide to become a writer? A: I’ve always been a writer at heart.
Q: Where do you get your ideas for a book? A: Sometimes articles in the paper, a life experience, a conversation, visual images, etc.
Q: Are you rich? A: No.
Q: Do you make a lot of money from your books? A: No.
Q: Then why do you write? A: Because of my love for writing.
Q: Do you draw the pictures in the book? A: No. The illustrator selected by the publisher does that.
Q: Do you get to meet famous authors? A: Yes. At conferences and workshops. 
Q: How old are you? A: Old enough.
Q: You used to work with airplanes. Why don’t you write about airplanes? A: Maybe I will.

These are just some of the few questions I get asked. What are some of yours?

"My never-fail secret to getting your book published ... Write it." -- Stephanie Gordon Tessler

Every year around this time, we get warnings about computer viruses. This year was no different. Although I already have anti-virus software installed on my PC, I still worried. What to do? I backed up my files, just in case. I've worked too hard on developing the characters in my stories, working on setting, plot, character emotion, etc., to lose it all. It just makes sense to backup your files on a regular basis not just when there are computer virus warnings. Happy Writing!

The kites in the picture were created by students of Jose Escandon Elementary, Mission, Texas, during one of my school visits. My book, Lupita's Papalote, is about a little girl and her magic kite.

Reading Rock Stars

I'm back from the Reading Rock Stars school visits in the Rio Grande Valley. It was a great experience sponsored by the Texas Book Festival, Region One, and the University of Texas Pan Am (UTPA). The children enjoyed the story about The Woodcutter's Gift and asked really good questions at the end. They always want to know where a writer gets the idea for the book, how the process works, how long does it take for a book to be published, etc.

I tell my audience that a writer is a storyteller. Everyone has a story. A writer just writes it down so that others may enjoy it. During my Power Point presentation, I showed them where I got the idea for the book, the writing process from idea to final product (publication), and what I used to do before I became a writer. Events such as these rejuvenate my spirit and make me glad I am a writer. I not only enjoyed the children and the school visits, but I met other writers as well. One came from as far away as Puerto Rico.