FLR: You've said that Just Grace is the girl you wish you had been when you were eight years old. Did you lack her spunk?
CH: I think I had internal spunk but I never had the confidence to, "Let the Spunk Out!" I was pretty shy and quiet as a child, at least at school. At home I was singing, dancing around, being a goofball and generally driving my parents crazy. I think I was a friendly kid trapped in a shy kid body. I distinctly remember that I wanted to be different, I wanted to be outgoing – I just didn't know how to get there.
Who has inspired you?
CH: Lots of people have inspired me. Every time I walk into a bookstore I think, "Wow, I can't believe how many great books there are here." It's kind of humbling, intimidating and exciting all at once. In general I am really inspired by other authors and illustrators. I love finding something new, I love those I-would-have-never-thought-of-that moments, but if I had to pick one person, that I knew personally, it would have to be Amy Krouse Rosenthal. We have been friends for ages. She has this great can-do outlook on life. Being her friend is like drinking a cup of coffee - she gets me creatively moving.
Inventors and scientists inspire me too. I think they should be like rock stars.
If you are looking for a list of my favorite authors here are a few:
- M.T. Anderson
- Petra Mathers
- Yumi Heo
- Henrick Drescher
- Laurie Keller
- Dav Pilkey
- Jerry Spinelli
- Jon Scieszka
And so many others.
FLR: What is your advice for writers?
CH: Read and write. I don't think you should necessarily do both at the same time, but read a ton of different books. At some point you will decide you have read enough, and you are now ready to write. So then you sit down and work and work, until you finally feel as if all the words are in the exact perfect order. The tricky part is getting to the chair, and staying in the chair.
FLR: What is your goal in writing for children?
CH:
To tell a story and have fun - fun for the kids to read and fun for me write.
To be encouraging.
To soften life's hard edges with humor.
FLR: Do you write the stories before you draw the pictures?
CH: Yes. I write the stories first. But sometimes if I draw a character I really like I'll think, "Hey, I should make up a story for this little guy/gal." Unfortunately this just never seems to work out for me. I don't think my brain works in a picture first kind of way. My studio is an orphanage of cute characters with no homes. But sometimes, such as when I'm writing the Just Grace books, I'll feel as if something I'm trying to say works better as a picture, a cartoon, a chart or a graph, and that seems to come easily. If I'm in the midst of a story I seem to be able to jump back and forth between images and words, and I really enjoy using all those elements to help me tell my story.
Q: Where do you enjoy writing and composing your thoughts and ideas?
CH: I'm always jotting down ideas on little scraps of paper that I later usually lose. I love the idea of keeping a journal or a notepad, but I just can't seem to pull it off. My two best idea-generating places are standing in the shower, and sitting in the passenger seat of my car (not while it's parked –that would be crazy, but while my husband is driving.) I think this has something to do with my other job - the job where I'm on call 24/7 – the job where I'm called Mom.
I can work anywhere that is quiet. Now that I have children, I just can't wait for those perfect moments when the creative urge suddenly takes over my soul. My perfect moments have to be between 9 and 3 when they are in school. I take the kids to school, come home, make coffee and then I sit and write. I have this fantasy about taking my laptop down to the park and sitting under a tree, but the truth is I probably get more done sitting in my studio. Sometimes I'll write at the kitchen table after they go to sleep, but I can't write while sitting in bed. I just get sleepy!
FLR: Do you have a ritual that you follow when writing?
CH: Coffee and quiet. I can't write and listen to music.
Browse our list of titles written by Charise Mericle Harper.
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