October 23, 2009

An Author's Advice

TFK talks to best-selling author Patrick Carman

By TFK Kid Reporter Clara Wicoff

Read a thousand books to find your voice. Tell stories. Carry a journal. Use it "not as a place to go to work, but as a place to have a good time." This was advice from best-selling author Patrick Carman when he talked with TFK Kid Reporter Clara Wicoff during his visit to her school in Iola, Kansas. Carman is the author of the Atherton series, The Land of Elyon series and the latest book in The 39 Clues series. Read the rest of Clara's interview below.

LISA WICOFF Author Patrick Carman signs books for students at Iola Middle School in Iola, Kansas.

TFK:

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?

Carman:

I was always looking for an artistic outlet. I tried drawing, I tried sculpting, I tried a lot of artistic things. But I couldn't find the right thing. I began writing and I started to think about how creating and crafting a story is very similar to creating a painting. It felt very natural for me. I was always in pursuit of the right creative outlet, it just took me 35 years to figure out that writing was the right one.

TFK:

What did it feel like to see your first book in print?

Carman:

Scary, because I self-published my first book, which means that I didn't have a publisher, I just paid to have it done myself. That was The Dark Hills Divide. I printed 3,000 books. They took up my wife's entire parking space in my garage. It was scary to look at that pile of books. When The Dark Hills Divide was actually published by Scholastic, I was just excited.

TFK:

Are your works based on someone you know or events in your life?

Carman:

The two cats in The Land of Elyon, Sam and Pepper, those were our cats. Having them turn out to be evil did not go over really well in our house. But I felt strongly that they were evil from the start. The dog in Stargazer, Ranger, is totally based on our dog. She is obsessed with chasing things. If you were to throw a ball to her, she would chase it until she died. That's where that idea came from.

TFK:

Do you ever suffer from writer's block?

Carman:

No, I have the opposite of writer's block, which is I just can't stop.

TFK:

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in writing your books?

Carman:

That I can do it. I'm not any different than you. It does seem kind of impossible. At least it did to me, when I was younger. But I think that it is encouraging for young people to realize that if you really want to, work really hard at it and if you have a story in you, you can do it.

TFK:

Are you currently working on any projects?

Carman:

Yes, I am. We are going to do Skeleton Creek Investigations. They are kind of like Nancy Drew with a camera.

TFK:

Is there anything else that you want to share with TFK readers?

Carman:

I would love for kids to know that from my vantage point, everybody wants to reach out and provide stories that kids really, really want to read. That's all I ever hear. We really want to get kids excited about reading. If you haven't gone and looked for a book in awhile, go look for one. I bet you'll find something that will turn your wheels!

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