About Me – Lauren Thompson

An Interview with Lauren Thompson

laurenthompson — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 06:32:05 +0000

An Interview with Lauren Thompson

What do you like to write about?

I like to write about the way I remember responding to special times when I was a child. I like to try to recapture that feeling and share it with children today. Those special times include holidays, but also big moments like jumping into the pool even though I was afraid to, or the sparkling magic of a starlit winter night.

Where do you get your ideas?

I find ideas everywhere in my daily life. The trick is to pick which ones are right for me to work on. When I worked as a children’s book editor, I read lots of stories every week, and I talked to authors about their ideas every day. But most of the time, these ideas, great as they may have been, just didn’t seem right for me. I still read lots of other authors’ books and come across ideas that way, too, ideas that aren’t quite right for me. But one of those ideas might trigger a memory from my childhood, or something I see in my son, and then I might be on to something. The ideas that matter to me are ones that remind me of something special in my childhood, some private joy (or pain) that I thought, at the time, hardly anyone else would understand. Now I know lots of people would understand, so I try to get that experience down in words. That way I can share it at last.

Do you write your books with pencil or pen and paper, or with a computer?

Every story goes through many drafts and forms through the process of writing it. Most of the time, I start on a pad of paper, or in a notebook. I like to use pencil, and I know I’m excited about an idea when the pencil point wears down but I don’t want to take the time to sharpen it. When the pages get messy, I might copy the story over in pen, to have a nice clean start. By the third pass, I’ll go to the computer and type it in. I hardly ever start on the computer, and that’s because part of the pleasure for me of writing is the physical act of writing. I’m very choosy about my paper and notebooks, my pencils, erasers, and pens. I like them to have a certain smoothness, to feel a certain way in my hand. I don’t get the same happiness from a keyboard or mouse. But it certainly is faster to write and revise on the computer.

Do you illustrate any of your own books?

No, I don’t. As a picture book writer, I have pictures in my mind as I write, but I can’t draw or paint those pictures well enough to meet the high standards of a publisher. But I enjoy drawing and watercolor painting just for the fun of it.

Do you tell the illustrator what to draw?

No. What usually happens is that when the illustrator turns in sketches, which are rough drafts of the paintings, the editor of the book will let me take a look at them. Mainly, he or she wants to give me a chance to catch any errors that everyone else missed. And sometimes the illustrator has drawn something that looks wonderful even though it doesn’t match my words perfectly. Then the editor may ask me to change my wording, which I am usually happy to do if it makes the book even better. Mostly, though, I try to stay out of it. I’m always amazed by what the artist sees in my words. Illustrators bring levels to a book that I never imagined, and I find that very exciting.

How did you first start writing for children?

I’ve been writing since I was a child, but I might not have started writing for children if I hadn’t started working in children’s publishing. Once I started reading lots of children’s books, I got the itch to try it myself. I think my first manuscript was an attempt to retell “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” in rhyme, which didn’t quite come off. I took a few classes so that I could get some feedback on my writing. I wrote steadily for about seven years before I wrote anything strong enough to be published.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Sometimes it takes a few weeks, and sometimes it takes a few years. I worked on Mouse’s First Christmas for two years before it “clicked” for me. Because of all that work, I was able to write Mouse’s First Halloween in a month or two. Sometimes I write a first draft for a story, but I’m not sure if I like it or not, or I’m not sure what I should do to make it better. In that case I put it aside. Then I come across it later (sometimes years later) and I see at last what the story is really about. Then I will start working on it again.

What are you working on now?

I have a number of picture books on my desk that I’m revising. (But I don’t know if any of them will ever become a published book!) I would also like to write a chapter book or novel, and I jot down ideas for that when I have them.

Do you have any advice for children who want to be an author when they grow up?

My advice is to read a lot, write a lot, and try not to worry about making your writing “perfect.” By reading, aside from enjoying the book, you are absorbing different ways of telling stories, different ways of seeing things, and adding lots of words and phrases to your vocabulary. Words are the primary tools for a writer, and you want to have all types handy when you are writing. Also, try to read different kinds of books. Try fantasy, historical stories, humor, and science fiction. Read different kinds of poetry. Read different kinds of informational books. Read comics, too! Read what you really enjoy, but stay open to other things, too.

Write as much as you can, too. This might mean keeping a diary, or having a journal to write poems and thoughts in. If something you write captures something very important to you, try revising it to see if you can capture it even more precisely. No matter what you write, remember that no one else has to read it unless you want them to. You may worry about being embarrassed about what you write, but don’t let that stop you — just write. Maybe later you’ll realize that you used a word incorrectly, or that you have changed your opinion about something. But that’s okay. All writers make changes to what they’re writing. That’s called revising, and it’s the secret to good writing.

The Story of My Life (So Far)

laurenthompson — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 06:23:04 +0000

The Story of My Life (So Far)

Once upon a time, in 1962, I was born, and my parents named me Lauren Anne Stevens. I was their only child for about a year, and then my sister Carol was born. We lived in Oregon at that time. When I was three, we drove across the country to Massachusetts. My earliest memory comes from that trip: I remember seeing the colorfully lit signs of a motel or restaurant as we pulled into the parking lot after dark. Once we were in Massachusetts, my brother John was born, and, when I was five, my youngest brother Douglas arrived. The four of us kids did most of our growing up in Holden, Massachusetts, near the city of Worcester. My dad was a psychology professor and my mom was a nurse.

When I was eight and when I was ten, my family lived for a year in the Netherlands. We went to Dutch schools and both times I became fluent in Dutch. Unfortunately, I have forgotten most of what I learned, except how to count (een, twee, dree) and basic phrases like “My name is Lauren” (Ik heet Lauren) and “I like it” (Ik leuk).

I always liked school, and I was pretty good in every subject. I loved to read and wrote a lot of stories and poems, but I enjoyed math and science, too. When I went to college, at Mount Holyoke College, I focused on math, though I took lots of courses in English and creative writing. Then I went to Clark University to get a masters degree in English. All in all, I was in school for twenty years.

I always thought I would grow up to be a teacher, and when I was at Clark University I taught English and composition classes. But I also got interested in the publishing business, and in 1988 I moved to New York to work in the editorial department of a children’s book publisher. I worked as an editor for eighteen years, helping writers and illustrators to make their books as good as they could be. I was also writing my own books and getting them published. Finally in 2006 I decided to spend all my time writing.

I live in Brooklyn with my wonderful husband, Robert, who is an English professor, a poet, and a musician, and our son. We live near a park where we can ride our bikes, play tennis, go for walks, and even cross-country ski, when there is snow.

So that’s the story of my life so far. What will the next chapter be?

Giving Back

laurenthompson — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 07:44:28 +0000

Giving Back

Ways to give back to our world

When I write a book about a polar bear, or girls with disabilities who love to dance, my ideas don’t just spring out of my imagination. I’m responding to wonderful things in the world around me. So I feel it’s important to give back to the world that gives me so much. Polar bears give me joy, and I want to give my support back to them. The five young ballerinas I met in writing Ballerina Dreams bring me much happiness, and I want to find ways to help them, and children like them, find happiness, too. For each of my books, I try to find ways to give back, through informing myself, writing letters or taking other small actions, and giving financial support.

If you enjoy my books, I hope you will consider giving back to the world that makes it all possible. Here are some organizations that I believe make a difference:

To help polar bears and other endangered species

There are many organizations doing research on and advocating for wildlife. Polar bears are endangered primarily by global warming; many groups are working to inform people about how to slow global warming, and every little thing we do to use less electricity and fuel makes a difference. National Geographic and the World Wildlife Fund are just two of the organizations that provide information for kids and adults.

To help children

In many societies, the best way to help children have healthier and happier lives is to help their mothers have healthier and happier lives — especially where it is difficult for girls to go to school, and for women to earn and keep their own money. Where women cannot take out traditional loans from banks, organizations like the Women’s World Banking help women start up their own very small businesses. Through their own banks, women can take out micro-loans to purchase a few goats, in order to sell their milk, or a portable stove in order to make and sell tortillas at a market.

Another way to help families and children is through Heifer Project International, Inc., which uses donations to give a cow, goat, or brood of chicks to families in need around the world.

The Seva Foundation works in the US and around the world, building safe water supply systems, providing preventive medical care, and helping communities to be self-sufficient. These services help children and their families have better lives.

To help children with disabilities

Dancing Dreams is the dance program of Joann Ferrara, the physical therapist and dance instructor featured in Ballerina Dreams. Visit her website to learn about her work and how you can help.

Children who have visible or invisible disabilities can gain much hope and encouragement from seeing others like them doing what might seem impossible. The Axis Dance Company, based in California but performing across the country, features several dancers who perform in wheelchairs.