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Back to Featured Interviews >> MEET TRACY TRIVAS
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| Tracy Trivas |
Inspiration to believe in their own dreams—whatever they may be. The larger message of the book, beyond the mystery and drama of Mariah’s curse and the blossoming relationship between Garrett and Griffin, is not to let the Wish Stealers of the world make a child ashamed for trying or going after a dream. If even one child reads my book and feels a little more fortified against naysayers and a little more hopeful after reading about Griffin Penshine’s path, then the book has succeeded.
How long was your process for writing The Wish Stealers, and what were the highlights along the way?
A long time! I wrote at least five different drafts of the book each one building on the next one. It sounds cliché, but writing really is rewriting. Going back and finessing a scene, making it tighter, clearer, and more fluid is the fun part. The hardest part is always the first draft. A huge highlight during this writing process, and a powerful shift for me happened when I changed my main character’s name. Griffin Penshine is the book’s protagonist. Griffin’s name in my first draft was another name, a name that was not working for some reason and did not feel right. When I renamed my character Griffin--things clicked. I also realized that the name Griffin has a double meaning. The mythological creature in alchemy, the Gryphon, is the one who finds the gold. Griffin’s last name—Penshine--just popped into my head. I later realized that maybe my subconscious had been working overtime; Penshine—is “penny shine” or “shiny pennies.”
Are the characters you created for The Wish Stealers based on anyone you know?
Everyone in the book is entirely fictional, but there are threads of influences from many people. For example, Grandma Penshine definitely has traits of my grandmother whose house really did have soft cushions and jellybean jars on the tables. After I finished a draft, I asked many people to read my book and give me brutally honest feedback. I asked children, parents, adults, and teenagers--everyone who had new eyes and a perspective I did not have. One reader, a little girl, said I had to bring Garrett into the story earlier. She said everyone in 6th grade “for sure has already heard about the cutest boy” on the first day of school! Another little girl said kids use the word “amazing” or “awesome” but not “excellent” as much, so I took that word out when Griffin describes her wishes. To honor the children who gave me feedback, I will often try to put her or his first name in the book somewhere. An aspiring teenage writer named Audree read my book and gave me fantastic notes. I named one of my characters Audree to inspire her--for the day I go out and buy HER book!
Your first book, A Princess Found, was a successful, critically acclaimed nonfiction title; did you learn any lessons from that experience that helped you with THE WISH STEALERS?
I wrote the first draft of THE WISH STEALERS before writing A Princess Found. They were very different processes as THE WISH STEALERS is fiction and A PRINCESS FOUND is non-fiction and required hundreds of hours of interviews and fact checking. The editing processes were similar though. For both books when I was working on a rewrite, I would always ask how can I tighten a chapter, and how I can end it with a more alluring hook so readers will want to keep reading.
Tell us about your writing process. When do you like to write, and do you spend time each day writing? Do you believe in outlining?
I like to write in the morning. I do write every day. I absolutely believe in outlining. I may not know the whole story before I sit down, but I must know the ending. For The Wish Stealers I knew it would end with a celebration. When I taught a gifted and talented program with young students, we buried time capsules outside on the school grounds. Then we released balloons into the sky filled with notes. I had this one beautiful photo of all the children’s colored balloons floating away in the blue sky. I kept that single photo on my desk as I wrote THE WISH STEALERS —it was like a psychic road map of where I needed to end. The funny thing was that when I finally wrote the last chapter, I had learned that sadly and regretfully, releasing twelve balloons into the air all those years ago was harmful to the environment. Even though it made for a great visual ending—all the balloons floating away with wishes—it was bad modeling for kids and against the message of the book about caring for the environment. So my outline and photo helped me find the ending –but then I had to rewrite it.
Do you allow anyone to read your work before you submit it? Who helps you the most with your writing?
My husband and my manager both really understand STORY. My manager used to be an executive at Disney green lighting films or saying no to stories that were not working. Her notes are so finessed, so specific, that having her as a reader on a first draft is a lot like having someone pass an infrared light over my work and find the weak parts, so I can make them better. My husband, a teacher and writer himself, is incredible with the energy of a story. He will read a draft and circle the parts where he loses interest as a reader. He knows where the story becomes boring or shoots out on a tangent. He will point out what might be very pretty writing--but does not serve the overall story.
What research did you do for THE WISH STEALERS?
When I write I like to do a lot of research before I start. For The Wish Stealers I read many books on alchemy, Carl Jung’s MYSTERIUM CONJUNCTIONIS, and MADAME CURIE: A BIOGRAPHY by Eve Curie. I researched wishing customs all over the world. During the writing process I fact check anything that I don’t know. For example, I wanted to look up the stars that Griffin sees in her backyard in Kansas. I used Google to look up colleges with planetariums in Topeka, Kansas. Then I called one university’s astronomy department to make sure the stars that my character sees in Kansas are accurate. The littlest untrue detail can throw a reader out of story. I try to get the little and big details as truthful as I can. If someone in this busy world is going to take the time to read my book, I need to show him or her the respect of getting the little details correct.
What first inspired you to be a writer?
“Tis the good reader that makes the good book,” is a saying by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I have loved to read my entire life--so much so that my mom would tell me to stop reading and go out and play when I was little. When someone really loves to read, finds it a great comfort, solace, and joy, then I think, at least for me--writing is the natural next step. I have always loved words and often when I was younger, without knowing why, I hand-copied favorite lines from books down in a notebook—as if trying to preserve their beauty or even absorb them in my fingertips.
Who are some of your favorite current writers?
Barry Lopez’s—WINTER COUNT is one of my favorite books. I love Ray Bradbury. I love the pounding vitality in Sherman Alexie’s writing. Richard Peck’s A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO is fantastic for kids. I enjoy non-fiction as well. I could not put down DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Erik Larson. I am fascinated by developments in neurobiology and read all of Dan Siegel’s books—his latest, MINDSIGHT about the mind, meditation, and rewiring our minds is next on my list.
What was your favorite book(s) as a child, and why?
My favorite book as a child was the Anne Of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. I read this series over and over again. I loved Anne’s sprit, confidence, and determination. Her character really seeped into my soul and had a profound affect on my attitudes and beliefs about girls and women’s empowerment.
What advice do you have for young writers?
Read read read—then write write write. In elementary school we had a wonderful program where every morning to start our day, students would write a one-page journal exercise. The teacher would write a topic on the board like “My vacation” or “What I do before school” or “My favorite food.” We’d spend a half hour writing and the next day we'd receive the journals back with a tiny comment from the teacher--and very few corrections. I loved it—and often would write 7-12 page adventure stories. The best part was that it really was uncensored writing. It was never about perfect vocab, grammar, or punctuation. It was about creative ideas and the love of expression. That early writing combined with little censorship was so important. There is a time for grammar and punctuation, but a child must enjoy the process first.