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Back to Featured Interviews >> MEET ALAN SCHROEDER
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| Alan Schroeder |
I liked to read and write. I also swam a lot.
What books influenced you most when you were growing up?
The short stories of Jack London -- I thought they were fascinating.
Did you write stories when you were growing up? at school? Or at home as a hobby? As a young child, or as a teenager, or both?
I've been writing for as long as I can remember.
When you were a child did you ever have moments when you decided that you were going to be a writer when you grew up?
I was pretty sure that I would become a writer, but I didn't know what kind of writing I wanted to do (fiction? journalism?) At one time I wanted to be a playwright.
What audience did you have in mind for your career as a writer - adult or children?
Older children and adults.
When you went to college, were you already pursuing a writing career? (or a career in illustrating? or just art in general?)
Yes, I majored in Creative Writing at UC Santa Cruz.
What was your first job when you graduated from college?
Selling tickets for the Colorado Springs Symphony.
How soon after that was your first book published?
My first book was published five years later.
When was it published?
October of 1989.
Was your first book accepted immediately? or did you experience a number of rejections?
It had been rejected 17 times before Little, Brown picked it up. The book was RAGTIME TUMPIE.
Do you focus on fiction or nonfiction? Which do you prefer? Do you find one easier than the other?
I write both fiction and nonfiction, and I find them equally challenging. Good writing is always difficult.
What kinds of things inspire you to write?
People's stories -- finding out what makes them tick.
Where do you get your ideas?
From the library, mainly.
What really triggers your imagination?
A real-life child facing an obstacle.
Have any of your books earned special recognition?
Parents' Choice Award; Bluegrass Award; ALA Notable; Christopher Award; Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration.
Have any of your fiction stories been about real people or events?
About half of my stories are about real people. Real-life situations intrigue me.
Do you enjoy researching or do you prefer working totally from your imagination?
I enjoy researching, but the Web is full of errors, and that makes it hard.
Do you work on more than one book at a time?
Occasionally. But you've got to work hard to keep the tones separate.
Which of your books did you most enjoy writing?
CAROLINA SHOUT! was a lot of fun. But researching it was a nightmare.
What are you working on now? When do you expect to start submitting it to publishers?
A biography of Ansel Adams. I should be done with it in a couple of months. I'm still trying to figure out the ideal form for it.
Do you write every day and do you have set hours that you work?
I try to write every day, but I don't always succeed.
When is your next book going to be in book stores?
2010, I think -- the publisher hasn't told me. It's an ABC book about Benjamin Franklin.
When you do school visits, what question do children ask you most?
"How old are you?" and "Why do you write about black people?"
What do you most want the students to get out of your school visits?
A feeling of confidence that they, too, can achieve their dreams. But only if they are willing to work hard.
Is there anything about yourself that you’d like to share - hobbies, where you were born, special talents other than writing/illustrating.
I love BIG jigsaw puzzles. The one I'm working on now has 18,000 pieces
What other jobs you had before you became a writer/illustrator?
I worked as a telemarketer selling coffee. And for years, I was a professional Santa Claus. I'm not fat, but I can "Ho-Ho-Ho!"