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MEET Q. L. PEARCE
by Ann Stalcup

What did you most like to do when you were a child? 

Q. L. Pearce

I was born in Ontario, Canada, and my family moved to Barranquilla, Colombia, South America when I was an infant. My earliest memories are of listening to my parents read from the books that they brought from England. The ones I remember best are Noddy books by Enid Blyton, WIND IN THE WILLOWS, and THEJUNGLE BOOK.

When I was about four years old we moved to a small island in Florida. It was in Tampa Bay, close to the Gulf of Mexico. I spent all of my free time swimming, exploring and building sand castles.

Because we moved around a lot, I didn’t have many close friends, so I was often alone. I loved nature and I spent as much time as possible outside, usually with a book in hand.

About seven years later we moved to Palm Springs, California. I loved the surrounding desert and my favorite activity was horseback riding.

Did you write stories when you were growing up? at school?

I have always been a writer at heart. In elementary school my favorite topics included horses, dogs and ghosts. Even then I liked to write what I thought were nonfiction stories but I would just make everything up. I guess I hadn’t yet understood the point of nonfiction. I enjoyed writing essays in middle school and I won a number of writing contests. I remember winning a fifty-dollar savings bond for an essay entitled, “What It Means to Be An American.” Not bad for a Canadian!

Was your first book accepted immediately? or did you experience a number of rejections?

In my teens and twenties I wrote short stories, mostly spooky ones, and submitted them to magazines. I received many rejections, but over time they became less impersonal and more encouraging. My first published book was a nonfiction activity book about dinosaurs. It was a work-for-hire project that led to several others. Since then I have had a series of both acceptances and rejections. Thankfully, I’ve had more of the former than the latter.

Do you focus on fiction or nonfiction? Which do you prefer? Do you find one easier than the other? What are the topics of some of your books?  

Fiction is my favorite. I do love nonfiction and I write more of it, but I don’t think one is easier than the other…just different. I have recently completed several books in a nonfiction series about young heroes. It was such a privilege to interview teens who have tackled incredible challenges, from slavery to homelessness. I’ve also completed two different series about monsters and mysterious encounters. My most successful fiction thus far has been a series called Scary Stories for Sleep-Overs. 

What kinds of things inspire you to write? Where do you get your ideas? What really triggers your imagination?

For nonfiction I write about things that pique my curiosity. The world is so full of mysteries to be solved and amazing stories to be shared. I love writing tales about the triumph of the human (and animal) spirit over adversity.

When I write fiction I find ideas everywhere! A visit to an antique store definitely triggers my imagination. I’ll find an interesting object and make up a history for it. As I mentioned earlier, I love ghost stories and I have written many. To find inspiration I also visit “haunted” houses and even stay in “haunted” hotel rooms. 

How did your life change when you got married? and had children? Did it make it easier or harder to find time to write?

My husband is a medical researcher. He has always been very supportive of my work. Because he writes grants, he understands when I have to meet a deadline. When my daughter, Kaitlyn, came along, at first it was difficult to squeeze in time to work. As she grew I was able to write while she was at school and still make time to be a room mom. Now she is a teen and she critiques my manuscripts! I think that having Kaitlyn and her friends around has made me a better writer.

Do you work on more than one book at a time? Do you write every day and do you have set hours that you work?

I work on several books at a time. I am usually researching one or two, outlining a couple, and writing one or two. I try to work four or five hours every weekday, but I don’t have set hours. Even when I’m out running errands, I’m looking for interesting characters and settings. Every day I see or hear something that makes me think, nowthat would make a great story.