Inklings: Questions Answered

For the next few Inklings installments, I'll be answering writing questions that I've been asked by students on my school visits. Today, illustrator Daniel Vogel and I visited Mrs. Robinson's fifth grade class. We had a great time and the students asked some fantastic questions. I'll tell you all about it in a couple of days. One of the questions they asked was How long does it take to write a book?

That's a difficult question. It really depends upon the book--each one is different. For example, The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel took six years of off and on writing and rewriting for me to finish it, while The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion took a little over a year.

The best answer I can give is  this--until it's done. When you start out on the journey of writing a book, you may have an idea of when you want to finish it, but the truth is until you get it written, and rewritten you never know for sure exactly how long  it will take to complete it.

The worst thing you can do is try to rush it so that it fits into some predetermined time frame. You have to give a book the time it needs to unfold and the time you need to help it do so in a way that makes for a readable story. In short, don't worry about what time you'll arrive at your destination, concentrate on the journey! If you do, you'll find the trip is a lot of fun.

It's May and the next meeting of the Character Book Club (CBC) is coming!!

The exciting thing is, it will be hosted right here! Eric and Stig will be interviewing Millie from Millicent Marie is Not My Name!!

Check back here on May 17th for the scoop from Millie!!