1. What made you decide to become an author?
Ruth Vander Zee: I began writing in 1995. I always loved stories but had never put any down on paper. As a matter of fact, when I was a young girl, I told my cousins stories that I made up. That was the way we entertained ourselves on holiday afternoons.
2. What's a typical workday like?
Ruth Vander Zee: Besides writing, I substitute teach in schools in Miami. Because I live in Miami, I also receive many visitors who like to escape the cold in the winter. So my days are often filled with teaching and hosting people in my home. I love writing late at night after the house is quiet and I can completely enter into my story. My office becomes a cocoon in which I can tap into all of my feelings and senses to enter into the essence of the story.
3. Where do the ideas for your books come from?
Ruth Vander Zee: All of my stories start with an encounter I have with people who come into my life for either a moment or for a longer period of time. From there I have to find the real story that wants to be told. Each story is sifted through my own experience so that it becomes a very personal experience for me.
4. Mississippi Morning and Erika's Story (Creative Editions) both deal with serious issues. Why do you feel they are important for children to read?
Ruth Vander Zee: I believe that the story-teller has a unique opportunity to tell children the truth. All story-tellers tell the story of life. I believe children want to hear the truths of life told in a way that give them hope and courage. If children and adults can talk about tough moral issues based on my stories, I am happy.
5. How much research do you do before you begin writing? Can you give any examples of unusual research for any of your books?
Ruth Vander Zee: Each book requires much research so that the story is authentic, the historical and sociological issues are accurate, and the feelings are genuine. I read many books and have had the opportunity to visit most of the places of which I write.
While writing Mississippi Morning my husband and I took a trip to Mississippi. I met amazing people on that trip. All I did was walk up to people and tell them I was writing a book. Then I asked if they could authenticate elements of my story. In the process, I met an artist who had his own story, which is worthy of a book, who could tell me what it was like to grow up working the fields in rural Mississippi. I met some men whose friend sold Byron de la Beckwith the gun which killed Medgar Evers [Read about Medgar Evers here.] I found the town, untouched by time, which became the setting of my story.
6. Do you rewrite much?
Ruth Vander Zee: Constantly. I usually have at least 25 rewrites before I send a manuscript off to the publisher. I don't see the problems in my manuscripts right away. I have to let them set for a while. I'm also part of a critique group. Our main purpose is to help each other produce the best manuscript possible. My friends see problems in a manuscript that I, as the author, don't always notice. Authors tend to love their words and have a hard time giving them up unless they are truthfully told!
7. Do you have any advice for would-be authors?
Ruth Vander Zee: Read. Read. Read. And listen to the stories around you. They are everywhere. Then put the pen on the paper and start writing.
Also, look for a good critique group.
8. What characteristics do writers need most?
Ruth Vander Zee: I write picture books. To write a picture book, writers need the ability to know the story, know the characters, and know the place. Then they have to let every word sing on the page so that the reader has a personal encounter with the story and its characters. Not one word can be wasted.
9. Can you tell us one thing people may not know about you?
Ruth Vander Zee: When our home was shuttered up for a month during the hurricane season last August, I guess I got a little stir crazy and painted the same wall three times, three different colors.
When I was a little girl, I rode my tricycle down a flight of stairs, cracked my skull, and broke my nose. So much for thinking before you act! I still have a “hole in my head” as proof of that bumpy ride.
Visit Ruth's website to learn more about her and her books!
