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MEET DEBORAH UNDERWOOD
by Bonnie O'Brian

What books influenced you most when you were growing up?

Deborah Underwood

I particularly loved HARRIET THE SPY, THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH, the Narnia books, MRS. COVERLET’S MAGICIANS, and a lovely book (unfortunately out of print now) called CATHIE RUNS WILD. I also liked more old-fashioned offerings like THIMBLE SUMMER and THE GOOD MASTER. But basically I read anything, fiction or nonfiction. I ordered stacks of books from the Scholastic book club and devoured them. Everyone in my house read constantly, even at the dinner table. You could tell which books were my very favorites—they had wrinkled pages from being dropped in the bathtub.

When did you begin writing stories?

I took my first creative writing class in college—but I almost didn’t. My teacher gave us an assignment to bring to our second meeting. I did the assignment, but I was utterly terrified of showing it to anyone. Instead of going into the classroom, I hovered outside in the hallway, trying to decide if I should drop the course. I heard the teacher call my name as he was taking attendance, but I just stood there in the hall. A minute later somehow I got up the courage to go in. I’m very glad I did. I learned a lot from that class, including not to be so scared about sharing my work.

What was your first job when you graduated from college?

My first job was as a street musician in San Francisco. I played guitar and sang folk songs down at Fisherman’s Wharf. My degree is in Philosophy/Music, so in a way it was a logical career move! I met all kinds of people from all over the world, including military people, homeless men and women, artists, even the chairman of an oil company. It was a good job for a future writer.

How soon after that was your first book published?

I spent years doing other jobs before I began writing for kids in 2001. I signed a contract for two fiction picture books in 2003, a little less than two years later. Believe it or not, that’s pretty speedy! Some people write for years and years before they sell a book, so I feel lucky. However, neither of those books has come out yet. The first one will be published in 2009, which will be six years after I sold it. I sold PIRATE MOM in 2004 and it was published in 2006. A number of my nonfiction books came out before that.

Do you focus on fiction or nonfiction? Which do you prefer?

I write both fiction and nonfiction, and enjoy both. I learn so much when I write nonfiction books. I often get to connect with interesting scientists or other experts that normally I’d never get to meet. And I love writing fiction because I don’t need to spend hours checking facts—I get to make everything up!

What kinds of things inspire you to write?

Two of my biggest inspirations are my nieces who live in Scotland. I love them very much, and I wanted to have a way to connect with them since they live thousands of miles away. I’d hoped to have picture books out while the girls are picture-book-audience age, but that was before I knew how slowly the publishing industry moves. However, my seven-year-old niece is proving to be a terrific test audience and copy editor for my manuscripts, and I won’t be surprised if her younger sister follows suit.

Have any of your fiction stories been about real people or events?

One of my picture books was inspired by Babe, a pig I met at a farm animal sanctuary. I visited her a number of times and fell in love with her. Pigs form close relationships, and I was touched by how devoted Babe was to her best friend Tracy. Babe’s great capacity for friendship moved me to write the story.

Have any of your books earned special recognition?

PIRATE MOM was recently awarded the Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award (Transitional Fiction category).

What do you most want the students to get out of your school visits?

 I’d like them to understand that writers need to work hard at writing just like everyone else. If kids have trouble writing papers or don’t get their stories right the first time, that’s completely normal—they shouldn’t give up! I show them the huge folder of drafts one of my books went through and tell them how many rejections I’ve gotten. If just one kid perseveres through a tough time because she remembers the writer who came to her school and told her not to give up, I’ll be happy.