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Back to Featured Interviews >> MEET TERRY PIERCE
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| Terry Pierce |
Playing outside and reading. My favorite childhood memories are from when I lived in the Seattle area. On days that it rained, I enjoyed reading and playing in my room (I had even made up my own library where I let my family and my many stuffed animals check out books). When it was sunny, I loved playing outdoors. I spent hours exploring the surrounding woods, climbing trees to bird watch and racing my bike through mud puddles. I know this is one reason why I love writing about nature and science—it feels very natural.
Was your first book accepted immediately? or did you experience a number of rejections?
Heavens no! I’m proud to say that I had received 160 rejection letters before my first book acceptance (I did have some small magazine pieces come out during that time though). Why am I proud of that number? Because I had the perseverance to overcome all of those “no’s” and keep working hard and believing in myself until I got a great big “YES!” Achievement is a good feeling.
What kinds of things inspire you to write?
I find many things inspiring but I’d say what motivates me the most is nature. Whether I’m at the beach, in the sea, the mountains, the desert, the woods or walking on a volcano, I find ideas churning in my mind. There’s something about the fresh air, the sounds of nature and feel of the outdoors that frees up my mind and stimulates my creative flow.
What gave you the idea for Blackberry Banquet?
My family vacations near Hood River, Oregon every summer. We have a small camper-trailer we use and one day I had a taste for fresh blackberry pie. As I was approaching my favorite blackberry bush to pick berries, in the woods near the Columbia River, I stepped on a twig. It snapped and a flurry of animals scattered from the bush. I chuckled and thought, “I guess I’m not the only one who likes this berry bush.” Then I started thinking that it would make for a cute children’s story; except rather than me, I’d use a big bear to startle the animals. I began writing the story immediately, but it took a year for me to figure out that I had to write it in rhyme—it was just one of those stories better told in rhyme. About a year later, Sylvan Dell Publishing acquired it.
What are you working on now? When do you expect to start submitting it to publishers?
I’m working on a few things right now. First, is a novel revision. It’s my first novel so it has taken me quite some time to get a handle on it (this is going on its fourth year). I’m not sure when it will be ready to submit, as I’ve already thought it was “finished” a couple of times already. I’m also working on an easy reader series about marine animals and I have a bedtime picture book manuscript I’m chipping away at. I’m guessing those won’t be ready for submission until later 2009. As you can see, they’re all very different kinds of stories, which is why I like working on more than one project at a time. The different kinds of stories require different ways of thinking and writing, which I think is good for me. It’s like having a balanced diet, except with writing.
Do you write every day and do you have set hours that you work?
I do have set hours, which are from about 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM, which happen to coincide with my husband’s teaching schedule. I don’t write that entire time though. I typically try to write anywhere from one to three hours in the morning, when my mind is at its freshest, then I work on the “business” side of being an author the rest of day. That would involve email correspondence, book promotion, working on my website and blog, preparing for any upcoming speaking engagements, etc. Oh, and of course, stopping now and then to pet and play with my two cats (an author has to have a little fun, right?)
Do you like to include humor in your stories? Or adventure? Or mystery?
Absolutely! In fact, my first book was a joke and riddle book (I have four published joke books altogether, all with Sterling Publishing). I love making kids laugh and find myself wanting to incorporate humor into my writing all the time. My recent book, Blackberry Banquet is a picture book that had a lot of humor added to it via the illustrations. I’m always hearing kids comment about how funny the facial expressions are of the animals. Illustrator Lisa Downey did a terrific job!
When you do school visits, what question do children ask you most?
Kids always ask me where I get my ideas—and it’s a good question. I think young readers imagine that ideas come to authors in extraordinary moments like beams shining down from the heavens; but I tell them that ideas come from everywhere. I always share a story about how I got an idea for a picture book one morning while lying in bed staring at my ceiling fan. Yes, a ceiling fan inspired me to write a story about ocean animals, of all things! (have you ever noticed how a ceiling fan and a starfish have the same shape?) I tell kids that ideas are all around them, they just have to open their minds to see what’s there. Look at things from a different perspective. Use their imaginations!
What do you most want the students to get out of your school visits?
My school visit motto is “Writing is FUN!” I want to reach those reluctant writers (and readers). Students who are already excel at reading and writing will benefit from my visit, but if I can light a spark under just one of those reluctant students—those kids who cringe when their teacher says to pull out their pencils and paper-- then I can feel great at the end of the day. How do I do this? I show kids some different kinds of things that they can write, such as riddle-writing (not necessarily what they’re learning in a classroom). I also talk to kids about what it’s like being a writer and how the story/book creation process works. And one final thing I like to discuss with students is rejection. I let them know about my 160 rejection letters, and other big name children’s books that were turned down multiple times before their acquisitions. It’s important for kids to see that everyone experiences failure but that’s no reason to give up. You just have to figure out how to improve, keep trying, and believe in yourself.