Writing Advice from the Experts

by Hanna Buehrer



          Writing is a lonely profession. For every well-established, published author in the world, there are hundreds more that are still trying to make it. For the most part, writing is a solo endeavor that is fraught with difficulty- writer's block, the inability to clearly express one's thoughts, and a crushing sense of inadequacy. It can be hard for a writer to find encouragement. That's why it is important to have community with other writers, and to learn from their experience. The children's literature conference, for me, was an opportunity to do just that. My lens throughout this class and at the conference was that of a hopeful writer. As such, I loved hearing from these four authors; it was an encouraging and motivating experience for me. Each brought their own unique story to the table, and I loved how each of the four have had such varied experiences and careers. I'd like to focus on the advice each of these authors gave about writing and how it could help me in my own career.



          The first speaker, Brian Pinkney, was quite different from the other three. It struck me as interesting that although he has written several children's books, he doesn't seem to consider himself an author. He is better known as an illustrator, and his work is amazing. Although he comes from a family of writers, he didn't do that well in school in a traditional sense. I have always believed in the idea of multiple intelligences, and Pinkney is a perfect example. I also loved hearing his stories about a typical workday for him. He shared that he starts working on a project around five in the evening and works until two or three in the morning. This is exactly when I'm most productive as well! One of the advantages to being a writer is the ability to work at whatever time works for you. Another thing I loved about Pinkney's talk was when he was describing the way he draws. He said he isn't trying to reproduce a picture in his mind, but rather trying to find the picture on the page. My best writing comes in much the same way-- I am trying to reveal the words, the story, not necessarily just make them up in my head. He also talked about taking breaks in order to find ways to energize yourself- whether it be to dance, drum, draw, or whatever makes you feel alive, you should do it often.

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          The second speaker, Susan Campbell Bartoletti is such an inspirational author. She is a strong believer in the power of story and its ability to change and to make meaning out of chaos. I have always been a lover of books and words, and I too believe in their power. Though Bartoletti's work is mainly nonfiction, which is not my general interest, her advice is still valuable. Like Pinkney, she spoke a lot about the way she works. She does ridiculously thorough research and takes many, many notes, to “get the feel for the shape of the book.” I loved when she talked about how a gap in history to her is an opportunity for a story to be told, and that when you research, you should “research the edges” and look outward for a real story instead of a stereotype. I think this can be applied to other kinds of writing, too. If I can learn to look at life from another perspective, then I can find something to say that maybe hasn't been said yet, or at least find a way to say something a little bit differently. She begins her stories with questions, the way all writing should begin. They say “write what you know,” but perhaps the phrase should be “write what you want to know.” She writes about dark subjects- Hitler youth, the KKK, etc.- because she believes it is our moral obligation to tell the truth, and “the truth is seldom comfortable.” My favorite moment of her speech was when she was talking about going to a KKK meeting down in the south, and when she showed a picture of the burning cross, there was complete silence in the auditorium. What a powerful image.

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          Michael Grant has written such a variety of works, it's amazing. Right now his work is focused on middle schoolers/young adults, which is definitely an audience I'm interested in. I loved listening to him talk about his stories; he has created such amazing, in-depth worlds and characters. I was intrigued and I'm looking forward to reading his books. The advice he gave to aspiring writers was the remember that writing is a business, no matter how much you hate that fact. This was advice I didn't want to hear, but it's valuable nonetheless. If I want to be a writer, I'm going to have to deal with agents, publishers, advances, and lots of paperwork. I dread it, but it's worth it! I love that he pointed this out, as I think it's pretty uncommon to hear about that part of the career from established authors.

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          Katherine Applegate was probably my favorite speaker (though Bartoletti was a close second). She spoke a lot about writing as a craft, and I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. One of the first things she talked about was this notorious idea of writer's block. She poked fun at how it was such a “glorious affliction” among writers. The most important thing about writing, however strange it sounds, is that you actually have to write. Why is that so difficult? She pointed out that writing is such a public way to fail, which resonated with me personally. I can absolutely relate to being hesitant to write and hesitant to tell anyone my dreams, because it's almost embarrassing. What if I'm terrible? What if I never get published? What if I never finish anything? I loved that even such a profound, well-established writer feels this way too, sometimes, even with a brand new Newberry Medal to her name. There is hope for us little people! She also talked a lot about how she gets ideas and shapes her stories. She likes to ask, “What if?” and then she has a story. Sometimes it seems like the hard part of writing is finding a good idea, but Applegate points out, and I feel the same, that the hard part of writing is choosing the right idea. How profound! There is so much material floating around in my head, so many ideas, now it's time to figure out which one to pursue. The final piece of advice from her that I can't wait to apply to my life is a really practical tip- she said that it can be really valuable to take one of your favorite books and type it out, word for word. It sounds strange, but in doing so, you take the time to really understand why the author makes certain word choices and you really get a feel for their style. I can't wait to try this!



         I came away from the conference with a newfound appreciation for the craft and a desire to go home and work on my writing. Keeping motivated is one of the hardest parts of continuing to write, so it was an extremely valuable experience for me. The best piece of advice I heard throughout the conference was this- “When you read something and you think, 'I could've written that,' it doesn't make you a writer. Because you DIDN'T.” Such a simple but true statement! I believe it was Michael Grant who said this. I am definitely guilty of feeling this way about some stories I read, so it's a good reminder for me- if you can, then prove it by actually doing it. I feel this is one of the most important things for a writer to remember, it's not what you could have written that makes you talented, it's what you write. Work hard and eventually it'll pay off.









Author's note: Of all the pieces I wrote this quarter, upon reflection, I found that this needed the least amount of revision. I was happy with the way it turned out and I felt that for the most part, I said everything I wanted to in an interesting and succinct way. I did do a little revision on the conclusion, mostly expanding on my thoughts about things I want to remember from the conference.

Brian Pinkney playing the drums

Katherine Applegate shares her secrets