What Author?

When I was a student at Manz Elementary School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, we never had an author visit our classroom and talk about writing. We never had an illustrator come in and talk about the process of drawing or painting or creating a book. This didn't happen for me at Central Junior High School or Memorial High School either.

As a result, I grew up thinking that books came from some place far away. I didn't see anybody in the town I lived in making books. And, partly as a result, I never imagined being an author when I grew up. 

One of the reasons I like going into schools and talking with students so much now is because I never had this experience. I want to demystify the process of writing and making a book and show them that it can be just some guy writing about driving at night or playing basketball. I am amazed how much many students  know so much about the writing process and book making. This comes from teachers and librarians and parents making it a priority to bring in authors and illustrators to schools. It's wonderful for the students and it's wonderful for us.

And yes, sometimes I think about what would have happened had an author come to my elementary school. I would have been fascinated. I would have imagined what it would be like to be an author and see your name on the front of a book. And I'm pretty sure I would have found my way to writing books sooner than I did.