1. What made you decide to become an author?

Mary Quattlebaum: I had always enjoyed writing as a kid and used to make up stories and plays for my six younger brothers and sisters to perform. But it wasn't until I began working as a medical writer for Children's National Medical Center that I even thought about writing for children. While there, my husband (who had been a professional magician as a kid) and I started a volunteer project called Magic Words. Once a week we would visit one or two of the hospitalized kids and, through magic and poetry, encourage them to write their own stories and poems. What a range of emotions their work expressed — courage, curiosity, anger, fear, boredom, tenderness, love! Their example was truly inspiring and encouraged me to try writing for an audience of children.

2. What's a typical workday like?

Mary Quattlebaum: My favorite time of day is early morning when the world is quiet, dark and mysterious. I usually get up at 4 or 5 a.m. to savor these hours and work on a book or article for a newspaper or magazine. As a mom with a home office, I am able to work around my daughter's schedule. Once she has trotted off to school, I might continue writing or do some research or prepare for a class (I teach classes to adults interested in writing for children one or two evenings a week). I also frequently visit schools and libraries to talk about writing to kids and to lead writing workshops. I love the variety of my "typical day," which is often a hodgepodge of different writing projects, places, and people.

3. Where do the ideas for your books come from?

Mary Quattlebaum: All over! From family, friends, pets, my country childhood, current city neighborhood (I live in Washington, D.C.), research for a newspaper article, daydreams.

4. The Shine Man and Family Reunion were both written from your own personal experiences. You also write frequently for The Washington Post. Is it easier or more difficult to tell a "true" story through creative writing or in an article? How are the two types of writing different?

Mary Quattlebaum: I love journalism and creative writing but find the creative writing to be both more challenging and more deeply pleasurable. For The Washington Post, I usually cover exhibits and programs of special interest to kids and families. I get to jump around and learn about all sorts of things. For example, in one month, I wrote about poetry, libraries, a fairy garden, a museum exhibit on school desegregation and a woman who gives tours on a pirate ship. Before writing, I know the basic topic, length and form of the article. With creative writing, I often start with the vaguest glimmer of an idea, with just a hint of the characters and setting and some things that might happen. My task — any creative writer's task — is to use words to create a whole world and to determine the shape of that world: poem, picture book, or novel. Every word, every mark of punctuation is important. It takes me much longer to write and revise a creative piece than an article.

5. How much research do you do before you begin writing? Can you give any examples of unusual research for any of your books?

Mary Quattlebaum: Some books require more research than others. For The Shine Man, which is set during the Depression, I read a number of books and oral histories and tried to remember my dad's stories of growing up during the Depression. I wanted to make sure I presented the time period accurately. Of my twelve children's books, Family Reunion was the most fun to research. I drew upon childhood memories of reunions and good times playing with cousins.

6. Do you rewrite much?

Mary Quattlebaum: I actually do much more rewriting than writing!

7. Do you have any advice for would-be authors?

Mary Quattlebaum: The three R's: read (widely); write (frequently); revise (everything you write). Also look for opportunities to share your writing with others. Young people interested in publishing their writing can check my Web site to learn about a kids' page sponsored by Reunions magazine. The magazine welcomes short essays, descriptions, photos, and drawings by kids about recent family reunions.

8. What characteristics do writers need most?

Mary Quattlebaum: The professional writers I know seem to have a cluster of traits in common. They tend to be curious, patient, and disciplined (It can take months or even years to write and carefully revise a creative piece). They also enjoy the process of writing and love to play with language.

9. Can you tell us one thing people may not know about you?

Mary Quattlebaum: I was very shy as a child and teenager. Writing became my way of expressing myself, of finding a voice. Sometimes when I visit schools, a child will shyly approach to talk about his or her stories. I try to be helpful and encouraging. This young person is on the path to being a writer!

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