Stone Soup author Aiwen Desai, 12, talks about her favourite authors and her writing technique, including character development, along with some helpful advice on getting published. Aiwen had a poem, “Nature’s Plea” (July/August 2014) and a story, “A Secret Freedom” (September/October 2014) published in Stone Soup. Here’s a list of the questions she answers in this video. 0:20 — How did you begin creative writing? 0:33 — How did you discover Stone Soup? 0:45 — What was your reaction to getting published in Stone Soup? 0:55 — Who are your favorite authors? 1:18 — What are your favorite things to write about? 1:27 — Describe some of your writing techniques 1:47 — How do you create your characters? 2:06 — Describe your writing process. 2:39 — What advice would you give to others who want to get published in Stone Soup?
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Stone Soup Author Interview: Richard Ma, 12
Stone Soup author Richard Ma, 12, talks about how he finds his ideas, what he likes to write about most, and how being published has made a difference to his writing. Richard has published a poem, “Goes the Ball” (September/October 2014) in Stone Soup, and reviewed two books for us: the biography of Steve Jobs (July/August 2012) and Temple Grandin (May/June 2013). Here’s a list of the questions he answers in this video. 0:33 — How did you begin creative writing? 1:06 — What do you like to write about? 1:34 — Where do you get your ideas for stories? 2:03 — Describe your writing process. 2:48 — What was your reaction to getting published in Stone Soup? 3:55 — How has being published in Stone Soup benefited you? 4:15 — What advice would you give to others who want to get published in Stone Soup?
Stone Soup Author Interview: Shyla DeLand, 13
Stone Soup author Shyla DeLand, 13, talks about how she writes from personal experience and the influence of her favorite authors. Sharing tips on making writing readable and easy for readers to visualise – accomplished through drafting and revisions – she talks about her relationship with Stone Soup as a reader and a writer. Four of Shyla’s stories have appeared in Stone Soup: “Fern, the Queen of All Hunting Dogs” (July/August 2011), “The Scarlet King” (January/February 2013), “As a Family” (July/August 2013), and “The Hero” (May/June 2014). Here’s a list of the questions she answers in this video. 0:20 — How did you begin creative writing? 0:32 — What do you like to write about? 0:42 — Who are your favorite authors? What have you learned from them? 1:10 — Describe your writing process. 1:39 — Have you won any awards for your writing? 1:47 — How have your friends or family influenced your writing? 2:04 — How did you discover Stone Soup? 2:31 — What was your reaction to getting published in Stone Soup? 2:42 — What advice would you give to others who want to get published in Stone Soup? 3:00 — How has being published in Stone Soup benefited you?
Stone Soup Author Interview: Lily Strauss, 12
Stone Soup author Lily Strauss, 12, talks about how she got started in creative writing, and gives an insight into how she has learned her craft in the process of writing her stories. Lily has two stories published in Stone Soup: “Missoula of the Mountains” (November/December 2012), and “The Interference” (November/December 2014). Here’s a list of the questions she answers in this video. 0:25 — How do you begin creative writing? 0:45 — What inspired you to write “The Interference”? 1:25 — Describe your writing process. 1:45 — What did you learn in the process of writing this story? 2:10 — What advice would you give to others who want to get published in Stone Soup?
Stone Soup Author Interview: Mathilde Fox-Smith, 11
Stone Soup author Mathilde Fox-Smith, 11, talks about how she develops a story over time and the process of editing and revising – including encouraging us not to be afraid to seek and take advice, and how writing for publication has helped her evolve as a writer. Mathilde’s story “The Crownweaver” (November/December 2014) is published in Stone Soup. Here’s a list of the questions she answers in this video. 0:25 — What attracts you to creative writing? 0:30 — What inspired you to write “The Crownweaver”? 1:00 — Describe your writing process? 1:40 — How has being published in Stone Soup benefited you?
Stone Soup Author Interview: Katherine Tung, 12
Stone Soup author Katherine Tung, 12, tells us what she loves about creative writing and why she wants to do it, including some insights into her favourite authors and what she has learned that has helped her develop into a better writer. Katherine published her story “The Five-Dollar Bill” (July/August 2015) in Stone Soup. 0:12 — What attracts you to creative writing? 0:44 — Where do you get your ideas? 1:54 — Who are your favorite authors? What have you learned from them about writing? 2:28 — Describe your writing process. 3:13 — What has helped you improve your writing?
Stone Soup Author Interview: Tatum Schutt, 12
Stone Soup author Tatum Schutt, 12, talks about how she has polished her craft as she learned to write fiction, and shares some of her plans for the future. Tatum has published two stories in Stone Soup: “In the Woods” (May/June 2014) and “My Grandmother’s Earrings” (September/October 2014). Here’s a list of the questions she answers in this video. 0:10 — Describe some things you’ve learned about writing good fiction. 1:35 — What do you want to be when you grow up? 2:11 — How has being published in Stone Soup benefited you?
Stone Soup Author Interview: Ennya Papastoitsis, 11
Stone Soup author Ennya Papastoitsis, 11, tells us about what kinds of writing she enjoys, from poems to short stories to novellas and now a novel, and how she developed her short stories in a writing club. Ennya’s story “Baking Cookies” (November/December 2014) was published in Stone Soup. Here’s a list of the questions she answers in this video. 0:33 — How did you begin creative writing? 0:44 — What kind of things do you like to write?
Author Interview: Patricia Newman, author of Plastic Ahoy! talks to Stone Soup blogger Lukas Cooke
Lukas Cooke, our young blogger interested in nature and the environment, recently had the opportunity to read one of Patricia Newman’s books, Plastic Ahoy!: Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and then talk to the author about her books, her writing process and being a published author. Read the interview below! Patricia Newman Plastic Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Sea Otter Heroes Zoo Scientists to the Rescue Lukas Cooke: What inspired you to become an author, specifically to write about saving the natural world? Patricia Newman: My husband’s mother first suggested I try writing. I remember the exact moment. I was reading picture books to my one-year old son and four-year old daughter on the sofa. Before that I’d never considered writing as a job. My first books had nothing to do with the natural world. I wrote about railroading slang in Jingle the Brass and fighter pilot slang in Nugget on the Flight Deck. I also wrote several books that editors asked me to write. Through all that writing and researching, I hiked, visited nature centers and zoos, recycled, composted, and saved water, and yet it never occurred to me to write about our environment. An article in my local newspaper planted the initial seed. I read about a group of young scientists who set sail for the North Pacific to study plastic. I was hooked! LC: Did you always dream of becoming a writer? If not, what did you originally plan to be your career? PN: Not at all! I knew I wanted to work with kids and I taught math for a while. Then I wrote computer code for a software company. I also worked for Cornell University, my alma mater, raising money, talking to high school students, and meeting alumni. Although my various jobs required that I communicate through writing, I’d never thought of it as a career. I think I was afraid to share. You see in fifth grade I was bullied. At the time, sharing stories seemed like painting a target on my back. Something about becoming an adult and a parent made the bullies of my childhood powerless. I’m glad I changed my mind, but I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out. LC: What is your favorite tip for new or aspiring writers? PN: Read. All writers are readers. It’s how we soak up the elements of good dialogue or a page-turning plot. It’s how we discover what annoys us about certain stories. (Have you ever read a book where you disagreed with how the character acted?) Reading improves our vocabulary so we can describe settings. It helps us understand that people are complicated so we create characters with complex emotions. Reading stimulates ideas and exercises the imagination. We uncover fascinating aspects of the world. I read because I’m curious. There’s no limit on knowing. Pack it in and let it shape who you will become. LC: It seems like a lot of research went into writing your books. Can you describe the process of how you do the research for a book you’re writing? PN: My books start with a kernel, such as the article about scientists sailing to the North Pacific to study plastic (Plastic, Ahoy!); my daughter’s job as an undergraduate with the Elephant Listening Project at Cornell University (Eavesdropping on Elephants); or a group of girls in a Kenyan village who can’t go to school (Neema’s Reason to Smile). From there I read—online, books, magazines, newspapers—anything my library or the Internet spits out on my topic of choice. I watch videos. I listen to speeches about my topic. I want to be sure the idea is book-worthy and will appeal to kids. I also look at published children’s books to see if anyone else has already written about my topic. Next, I contact the people I’d like to interview. In the case of Neema’s Reason to Smile, I interviewed two women closely involved with a school similar to the one in the book. In the case of my science nonfiction, I interview scientists. These people have jobs to do so they don’t have an unlimited amount of time to spend with me. If they don’t have the time or the interest in working with me, the idea dies. I know that sounds sad, but believe me, there are plenty more ideas to take its place! For Neema’s Reason to Smile I conducted several hours of interviews and watched video of real life kids who go to the school I was writing about. I also reread my travel diary from my long-ago trip to Kenya to remind myself of the smells and colors and light of Africa. I wrote the entire picture book before submitting to publishers. But my environmental science nonfiction is longer. Instead of writing the entire book, I write a proposal to sell my idea to an editor. The proposal includes an overview of my idea, a chapter outline with a brief explanation of what I plan to include in each chapter, and a section on the competition—what’s already out there on the subject and how my book will be different. Once I receive an editor’s go-ahead, I begin researching in earnest. Sometimes I travel, sometimes I don’t. For Sea Otter Heroes my daughter, Elise, and I went to the Elkhorn Slough near Monterey Bay in California. Brent Hughes, the scientist I interviewed, took us on an amazing boat trip down the slough. We saw a lot of marine life, including sea otters, seals, pelicans, herons, jellies, and crabs. I interviewed Brent and some of his colleagues. Elise took photos and asked her own questions. For Zoo Scientists to the Rescue photographer Annie Crawley and I visited three zoos in the US. We interviewed the scientists and took behind-the-scenes tours with them. We touched a rhino and watched an orangutan baby climb all over her mother. Traveling is a blast AND hard work. Scientists are extremely busy and can
Interview with Stone Soup Author Olivia Stoltzfus, age 12
https://youtu.be/iL0yooSG3nA This interview by Stone Soup author Olivia Stoltzfus, 12, is part of a series of interviews with Stone Soup authors in which the interviewee talks about writing and also about being published in Stone Soup. The questions asked and the locations of those questions within the video are found below. These videos are intended for viewing by our Stone Soup readers and writers. If that is you, then I hope you find Olivia’s interview inspiring. If you are a classroom teacher, you can use the videos to stimulate classroom discussion on a variety of issues relating to the writing process in general and creative writing in particular. Olivia conducted this interview for us when she was 12 years old. Her story “Free” was published in the November/December 2014 issue of Stone Soup. Here’s a list of the questions she answers in this video. 0:29 — How do you begin creative writing? 0:47 — What inspired you to write “Free”? 1:54 — How did the experience of writing “Free” benefit you? 3:00 — What advice would you give to others who want to get published in Stone Soup?
