Frequently asked questions from kids

Question: What's it like being an author?
Answer:
It's like this:

^ This is what I wrote and drew on the way back from meeting
my new publisher in New York, in Feb, 2006. I still feel the same
way: I'm in love with my job of being an author and illustrator
of kids' books.

Question: Do you live in a mansion?
Answer: No. If you were my next door neighbor you'd know that.

Question: Where do you get your ideas?
Answer: I take an emotional truth from my real life, something
I experienced myself or saw someone else experience, and I
build "What if?" questions and ideas around it to make something
that isn't truly autobiographical but that has a germ of truth to it.

More simply put: I get my ideas from life around me. I change the
ideas so they're not copies of life, but more imaginative than the
real thing. Ellie McDoodle is a version of me, but more imaginative
than the real me and the real experiences I had, growing up.
I keep track of my ideas in my sketchjournals and also in lists,
in my Ideas Notebooks. I have a new Ideas Notebook for each
book I write. It helps organize my thoughts so I don't lose them.

Question: How'd you get so good at drawing?
Answer: Like every kid, I drew pictures when I was very small.
My mom didn't buy us coloring books. She gave us paper and
crayons to draw with. I think this boosted my creativity.
All kids like to draw when they're little. Unfortunately some of
them, at some point, get self-conscious and stop drawing because
they think they aren't good enough at it.
Funny thing about art: The more you do it, the more your self-
confidence grows. Those kids would probably be happier with
their art if they did it more, instead of giving up.
Every artist has a different style, every writer has a different
voice. There is not one perfect way to do art. What you do is
right for you. What I do is right for me.
I'm good at my art because I've been doing it a long time.
I practice every day.
If you try drawing a lot, and put those papers away, someplace
special, and pull them out and look at them again in a year, you'll
see your art improves over time.
The artists I respect the most keep working at their craft. They
keep trying to improve. But they're nice to their art -- they don't
rip it up and throw it away just because it isn't perfect. Perfection
is rare. Maybe in art it doesn't even exist.
I used to worry my art wasn't good enough. I tried hard to make it
perfect. Now I don't worry about that anymore. I just try to make
my art the best I can. My best is good enough for me.

Question: Do you have any advice for kids?
Answer: Well, my advice is NOT this: You can be anything
you want to be. And this is the reason:

This really did happen.
My young son really was upset with me.
I guess the lesson for kids is, just because you want something
really bad and work for it really hard doesn't mean you'll get it.
Life isn't fair. Things don't always happen how you want them to.
It's good to work hard. It's good to have big goals (but they have
to be reasonable goals too).
Do your best in school and try to go to college, too.
I don't know if there are any wizard colleges.
I'll let you know if I find one.

Question: Where can I get my own work published?
Answer: Go to this American Library Association website
to find a list of websites where you can publish your work.
Write a blog -- on Blogspot.com it took me exactly two
minutes to set up my blog. I've seen children create
blogs of book reviews. With a scanner you could upload
your art or photography to your blog.
Check for magazines that print student work.
Start your own newspaper or magazine and help other
kids who are writers and artists get published too!