I grew up in the 1970s and 80s in the small town of Princeton,
Minnesota alongside my older brother and older sister. My parents were
Kennedy generation, Peace Corps alums who believed strongly in
education and exploring the world. Beyond regular schooling, I learned
about life through road trips, video games, wiffle ball, marching band,
basketball, good movies and good books.
I have been a fan of stories for about as long as I can remember,
but I did not start writing down my own stories until I was well into
my 20s. I currently work as an elementary school librarian in a
Minneapolis suburb and have a great life hanging out with my wife and
two kids, taking vacations with them whenever I can, and writing as
much as time allows.
Common Questions I Get from My Readers
Common Questions I Get from My Readers
How did you find an illustrator for Lost?
Marcus Smith drew the illustrations for Lost. I think he did just a fantastic job! I did not, however, choose Marcus, nor do I even know him. The publisher of the book was the one who chose Marcus to illustrate my book. That made my life much easier. I was able to just write the story and let the publisher find a talented artist like Marcus Smith. In the world of children's books, this is often what happens. Authors and illustrators often do not work together. Instead, it's the publisher that finds a good match between the words and the illustrations.
How long did it take you to write Lost?
Kids ask this question a lot. I'm not sure why, because I don't think the answer is too particularly interesting. I wrote the book mostly over the course of several months one summer. Much of the writing was done at my family's cabin in the Minnesota woods. This made for a very inspiring setting.
How did you come up with the idea for Lost?
The idea, actually, came fairly easily. As a young boy I took many trips to the Boundary Waters with my dad. I always loved exploring the woods and I always wondered what would happen if I got injured or lost in that rugged wilderness. Some of my best memories of those trips were hanging out with my dad and reeling in walleye after walleye while the sun set across the lake. If you don't know what a walleye is, you must not be from Minnesota. Look it up!
Do you have any advice for kids who would like to be published?
My biggest advice would be just to write, write, write! There are plenty of writing contests and even some magazines that publish stories written by children, like Stone Soup for example. But I believe the most important thing at your young age is not getting published, but learning how to write. Take classes, write a lot, read a lot, and think a lot. I'm a firm believer, too, in the fact that life experiences lead to good writing. Get out there and do stuff! Writing is awesome, but don't spend all your time cooped up in your house writing and reading. The people you meet and the activities you do will inspire you to write good stories later!
Marcus Smith drew the illustrations for Lost. I think he did just a fantastic job! I did not, however, choose Marcus, nor do I even know him. The publisher of the book was the one who chose Marcus to illustrate my book. That made my life much easier. I was able to just write the story and let the publisher find a talented artist like Marcus Smith. In the world of children's books, this is often what happens. Authors and illustrators often do not work together. Instead, it's the publisher that finds a good match between the words and the illustrations.
How long did it take you to write Lost?
Kids ask this question a lot. I'm not sure why, because I don't think the answer is too particularly interesting. I wrote the book mostly over the course of several months one summer. Much of the writing was done at my family's cabin in the Minnesota woods. This made for a very inspiring setting.
How did you come up with the idea for Lost?
The idea, actually, came fairly easily. As a young boy I took many trips to the Boundary Waters with my dad. I always loved exploring the woods and I always wondered what would happen if I got injured or lost in that rugged wilderness. Some of my best memories of those trips were hanging out with my dad and reeling in walleye after walleye while the sun set across the lake. If you don't know what a walleye is, you must not be from Minnesota. Look it up!
Do you have any advice for kids who would like to be published?
My biggest advice would be just to write, write, write! There are plenty of writing contests and even some magazines that publish stories written by children, like Stone Soup for example. But I believe the most important thing at your young age is not getting published, but learning how to write. Take classes, write a lot, read a lot, and think a lot. I'm a firm believer, too, in the fact that life experiences lead to good writing. Get out there and do stuff! Writing is awesome, but don't spend all your time cooped up in your house writing and reading. The people you meet and the activities you do will inspire you to write good stories later!