Today I’m excited to feature an interview with Linda Oatman High!
Linda is an author of picture books, middle grade, YA, poetry, and plays. She lives in Lancaster County , PA MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College
One of Linda's latest books!
Question:
Did you always feel a passion for writing? What did you do to nurture your talents?
Answer:
I always felt a passion for reading, but never thought about writing until my 11th grade Creative Writing teacher told me that I should think about becoming a writer. That was the spark that became a fire when I was 25. I’d just had my first baby and had quit an office job in order to be a stay-at-home mom. I saw an ad for a local newspaper in need of a feature writer, and that was it! I wrote feature articles for a few years, then became interested in writing for children when my son was 2. I started with submissions to Highlights for Children magazine, and was ecstatic when a story was finally accepted. I really wanted to write books for kids, but wasn’t sure how to begin. The turning point in my career was when I won the John Crane Memorial Scholarship in 1993, which allowed me to attend the Highlights Foundation writing workshops at Chautauqua. In the year after Chautauqua, I signed 8 book contracts! It was a magical time. Attending the Writers Workshops at Chautauqua was one of the best things I’ve ever done to nurture my writing, and it kick-started my writing life. One of the best recent things I’ve done for myself and my writing was to become a student of writing. I graduated in July of 2010 with an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College Montpelier , Vermont
Question:
What was your first published book? How did that come about, and how long did it take to get published?
Answer:
My first book to be contracted in 1993 was the picture book Barn Savers, but it didn’t come out until 1999. The illustrator was the fabulous Ted Lewin, who was scheduled for years. It was worth the wait! When Barn Savers was published by Boyds Mills Press, we had a book release party in a Lancaster County
Question:
What comes first in a book for you? Do you feel a voice wanting to tell you a story, or a plot formulating...or something else?
Answer:
Well, it’s always something different. Sometimes it’s a concept, such as that of a granddaughter helping her grandfather tend to the honey bees in Beekeepers or a boy learning to shoe a horse in Winter Shoes for Shadow Horse. Sometimes it’s a place, as in my books Under New York and The Cemetery Keepers of Gettysburg. Other times it’s a rhythm, as when my kids were listening to a lot of rap music and I wrote the YA novel-in-verse Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip. Sometimes it’s a quirky historical fact that I learn, such as the fact that real cowboys rode the rails in Hell’s Kitchen, resulting in my newest picture book Tenth Avenue Cowboy. Sometimes it’s an image, such as the girl lying on her bed looking up at pictures of dogs taped on her ceiling, as in my middle grade novel Hound Heaven. Other times, it’s a voice, like the one at the beginning of my YA novel Planet Pregnancy. Sometimes it’s a combination of memories, like the time I remembered my dad’s dentures and a toilet incident, and I wrote the picture book Cool Bopper’s Choppers. I’m now working on my first dystopian novel, and the seeds of that manuscript was an image of two sisters who needed to escape the government in futuristic New York
Question:
What is your work ethic? Do you write every day? Do you write more once you get immersed in a story?
Answer:
I have a really strong work ethic, and I work 7 days a week, but it’s not always on the writing process or that of creativity. Sometimes it’s answering emails, or scheduling school visits, or designing a new Power Point presentation, or organizing upcoming travel. In addition to my own business, I also do the “office” part of things for my husband’s business The Barn Saver. (Yep, my book was based upon a real guy!) When I hear of writers who have scheduled writing times, I always wonder how that happens! My days are always so different that I can’t seem to fall into a routine. Now that I’m a grandmother, I’m involved with little kids on some days, which is actually great for a children’s book author! My grandson Connor, who is now 7 and in second grade, has given me several ideas, including a new manuscript now under consideration titled Pirate Baby.
Question:
Does the process get any easier for you?
Answer:
The process has never gotten easier. In fact, some days I think it has become even more difficult! Maybe if it’s ever easy, it’s time to quit? When I’m struggling with inspiration or whatever, a nap or a walk with the dog helps. Going out to lunch with friends is always a nice break, as is reading great books that inspire me.
Question:
What are five words you would use to describe the writing process?
Inspiration. Ideas. Excitement. Passion. Surprises.
The editing process: Accepting. Stretching. Struggling. Seeing. Shining.
More of Linda's books:
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