Interview

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Q: Where are you from? How-if-at-all has your sense of place colored your writing?

SRM: I was born and raised in Jamestown, a small city in western New York State. Currently I live nearby in a rural village where, I like to tell people, we have more cows in the surrounding area than citizens. "Place" is so deeply a part of me it seems natural that my small town roots are reflected in my writing.

Q: When did you start writing with the goal of getting published?

SRM: Many years ago I took a week-long workshop on "Writing for Children" at Chautauqua Institution. My instructor wrote on the story I submitted, "This is definitely marketable." To make a long story short, it never sold. The point is I didn't give up. If I hadn't been so determined, I probably would never have gone on to write "Jay and the Newcomer" which became my first sale (Highlights for Children.) The adage, "What goes around comes around," must be true. Today I am on the visiting roster of faulty at the Writers' Center at Chautauqua where, over the last several years, I have led the Young Writers' Workshops.

Q: Do you outline before beginning a novel or a short story?

SRM: Often I know only the germ and I must actually begin to put words down on paper (or computer in my case) to find out what the story is about. If I knew ahead of time everything that was going to happen I probably wouldn't bother writing the story. It's the excitement, the thrill of discovery that keeps me moving toward the final chapter.

Q: Is there any one particular genre in children's literature that is more difficult to write?

SRM: Beginning readers is for me. All the elements of fiction must be present in the easy-to-read stories. Easy-to-read, perhaps, but hard-to-sell.

Q: Have you ever written about a situation of which you had no personal experience?

SRM: I write about things I am familiar with either through personal experience or through readings so extensive that I feel as though I have experienced it.

Q: Do you take notes for stories you will write later?

SRM: I occasionally jot down descriptions and bits and pieces of conversations I overhear. Often, though, I just store things in my head.

Q: When you see something interesting do you think, "That will be something I can use in my writing?"

SRM: Yes. As I said previously, I either write it down or make a mental note letting it settle into my thoughts. It's amazing what will percolate up from the subconscious when you least expect it. This is where the "diamonds" come from, the insights that give meaning and depth to a story or poem or an essay.

Q: Do you write every day, or just when you feel inspired?

SRM: If I wrote when I was inspired, the days would be as plentiful as the number of times I celebrate my birthday. Yes, I do make the time to write each day, even if it is only in my head.

Q: How do you choose the names of character in your stories?

SRM: Carefully. A good name should "fit" the character's personality. I have on my desk a booklet listing names, as well as facts about each name. Also, the telephone book is a good source for secondarycharacters.

Q: Do you model your characters after real people?

SRM: No, and I'm not speaking in terms of legalities here. The fact is, real people sometimes do inexplicable things -- they don't always make a whole lot of sense. But characters must ALWAYS make sense, even if it's in some crazy context. If they didn't, readers would feel betrayed. What I and most other writers do is borrow certain physical and emotional traits from people we know and use that to give birth to our own fictional characters.

Q: What degree of reality do your characters have for you after you have finished writing about them?

SRM: Reality comes when I have managed to make them broader than a coat of latex paint. In other words, three-dimensional.

Q: What books and other authors have had the most influence on your writing?

SRM: Heidi, Alice in Wonderland and The Topsy Twins series are my all-time favorites growing up. I can't tell you how often I read and reread them as a child. I also enjoyed other classics like Treasure Island and The Secret Garden along with every adventure, mystery and horse story I could get my hands on. My favorite authors today include Katherine Paterson, Lois Lowry and Barbara Robinson. They create such delightfully memorable stories that linger long after I have put the book away.

Q: Do you have an agent?

SRM: I do now, but I didn't when I sold my first book. The dilemma is that in order to find a reputable agent you must have a track record. Ofcourse, it helps if you are one of the lucky few who have a relative or friend who knows a literary agent. But even that won't do a lick of good if the manuscript isn't marketable. My advice to anyone starting out is to submit only your best writing and attend writing conferences where you can make contacts with others in publishing. Eventually you will find someone -- an editor/agent -- who will love your work and want to publish or represent it.

Q: Does writing ever get easier?

SRM: In some ways it does but in other ways, no. The more I wrestle with words the more I realize how little I do know.

Q: Is there a formula to follow?

SRM: I don't think there is a formula as such. But I can tell you what I do to improve my own writing. Since words are the foundation, I work on expanding my vocabulary by learning word meanings as well as their etymologies. When I am reading and I come to an unfamiliar word, I look it up. Also, I try to read a variety of books and magazines. That way I acquire a wealth of information, and I learn how other writers handle things like plot, flashbacks and transitions. And of course, I must write and rewrite.