Iva-Marie Palmer, GIMME EVERYTHING YOU GOT
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[1:08]yourself. Everybody needs a treat without a long spring. PageOneBooks.com. Welcome to Day Two of the
[1:15]second week of the July Book Blast. This is the, I guess, seventh day in all of my 10-day
[1:22]July Book Blast with episodes I recorded throughout the quarantine, some quarantine related,
[1:27]some not, all of which deserve to see the light of day before the summer comes to an end.
[1:32]Today is Young Reader's Day. So I have a collection of children's books, a middle grade,
[1:38]and all sorts of stuff that your kids might like, and how interesting to hear from children's
[1:43]book writers, which is exciting to me because I actually sold two children's books to Penguin
[1:48]Random House that I'll be coming out in the next year or two. So I have a personal affinity for
[1:52]children's book authors. Enjoy these episodes. I have a Marie Palmer, is the author of the middle
[1:58]grade series Gabby Garcia's Ultimate Playbook, and the young adult novel is the end of the world
[2:03]as we know it, Romeo, Juliet, and Jim, the summers, and give me everything you've got. She currently
[2:09]lives in Burbank, California, with her husband and two cents. Welcome, Iowa. Thank you so much for
[2:14]coming on, moms. Don't have time to read books. Thanks for having me. And I'm sorry we didn't
[2:19]meet in person. I know we were supposed to be at the same event at some point, but because of the
[2:22]pandemic we have yet to meet face to face, eventually. I think it was at Sarah Melnowski's house,
[2:28]and I was like so excited to go, and as we know, Sarah might ask you the one who suggested that I
[2:34]start a podcast. So without her, I would not even have this podcast. Yes. How amazing is she?
[2:39]Like I have been reading her since she did like her red dressing books, which I adored. So like I
[2:45]when I got invited to an event at her house, it was like. I love it. Yeah. Now my kids had
[2:52]read upside down magic. We're not even knowing that who she was. Anyway, it's so cool. So yes.
[2:59]Anyway, you're back. Now we're talking about others in middle grade books. Tell me about
[3:04]give me everything you've got. Sure. So give me everything you got. It's my first young adult
[3:08]in a while. I was doing, I did, I had that middle grade series. And this one is about, I mean,
[3:14]it's set in 1979 in a high school, just outside Chicago in Chicago, December, similar to where I grew
[3:20]up. And it's post title nine and during like the women's ER, the, the ERA and everything,
[3:28]although the ERA doesn't get mentioned in the book, but it centers on a girl named Susan
[3:33]who is just full of lust and lusty daydreams and you know, normal teen girl like sexual fantasies,
[3:44]but she has no like outlet for them until Bobby McMahon comes to her school. He's going to be the
[3:50]coach of the first ever girl soccer team. And she focuses all of that energy on him because she's
[3:55]never seen a boy in real life that like was worth her focus or her, I guess her, her, her lusty thoughts.
[4:02]And so she decides to join, try out for the soccer team purely based on this crush, which it
[4:08]seems like everyone else who tries out on the, for the soccer team is similarly inclined to do. And
[4:15]you know, she finds out she's good at it and she likes it. And there's no, there's no like horrific
[4:20]like moment where he's like into it or even really realizes like what she's doing. So I will do
[4:27]that spoiler. But you know, she she tries to get his attention in a lot of ways, but but ultimately
[4:32]the story is about, you know, her kind of finding out that even though she did something for the
[4:37]wrong reasons, like the result is really empowering and an amazing for her between the friendships and
[4:44]just figuring out that she's good at something because I think a lot of times in YA,
[4:49]I wanted to write a character who was not didn't have it like kind of like a plan in place. There's
[4:55]often like characters who are very achievement focused. And she's, you know, in the seven in that
[5:00]late seventies, she's kind of like not sure what she's going to do after she graduates and stuff
[5:05]like that or or even like who she is or what she really wants. So that's really what this is about
[5:10]just figuring out what you really want. Awesome. And I'm sorry at the beginning, I said middle
[5:14]grade. I like you know, even I don't, this is one area. I'm really bad at it. I am constantly
[5:20]categorizing YA in middle grade because I just it's so I don't know. I don't know. The delineation
[5:26]seems sort of ambiguous for me sometimes. I don't know what at what age you can go in like I have
[5:32]two kids so we're going to be seven graders. Are they supposed to be reading YA or are they still
[5:35]middle grade? I don't know. What do you think about the category? We are because there are like
[5:39]there's middle grade where it's firmly like this is definitely for like eight to nine, ten,
[5:44]eleven year olds. And then as you get to like age 12 or so you have like young YA where it's maybe
[5:51]kids and then those are I guess harder to find in general like if you go to the young adult section
[5:55]like everything is about older characters like in my book she's 17 and my book is definitely a
[6:02]I think it's categorized as 14 up you know because of some of the content. But I think it is hard
[6:08]there's like almost like a middle ground between like tween and teen and it's like you're
[6:16]sort of a teenager but you're so you don't want to be reading maybe as much like the stuff for
[6:22]little our kids like even though it's great like you're kind of ready for something bigger but
[6:27]you're you're not quite like at the YA where it's dealing with kids who are about to graduate
[6:34]high school or you know are really like exploring some like near adult topics. And part of what
[6:41]I thought like the book might be good for moms and your audience is because it is you know like
[6:46]on the upper you know end of the age group and I did hear from a number of my peers who were like
[6:52]god this is a book I needed when I was like you know in my teens or whatever so hopefully it will
[6:57]touch on it will it will get to those teens too. But when I was like 11 12 all I wanted to read
[7:03]about was teenagers and people graduate from college and I know adults and you know I was like
[7:09]I didn't want to necessarily read about people my age. No I think and I think that's one of the
[7:14]the key to big readers they're always probably reading I feel like a little older than them like
[7:19]my son is nine and since he was about seven he's been reading about kids in middle school like
[7:24]so I imagine when he's in middle school he's not going to be as into still reading about kids
[7:30]in middle school you know and I think it all depends on where you are on the reading spectrum and
[7:34]like when you started and like how much you read but you know and and maybe like you know what
[7:38]you're into star but yeah I was the same way I read everything and by the time I was entering
[7:43]high school or you know in junior high like I was scouring the library for you know people who were
[7:50]on their way to college because I just wanted to skip over like everything. Right I too. Like I
[7:55]was the same way. I feel like that's why now I'm reading I'm starting to read all these books
[8:00]about aging I don't know. Not that like you know I now that the pandemic has made me confront
[8:07]how much grace in my hair I feel like okay well I am certainly aging in some ways so now I'm like
[8:12]finding myself reading about like you know 80 year olds and I like that I'm like always looking
[8:17]for a guide for what's coming next. I know what totally I mean I think I think I went through I
[8:22]can't remember the last book I read but it was similar to that where I was like that sounds nice.
[8:27]I know like look at all this wisdom and this like kind of like peaceful nature you know the
[8:33]the peaceful side not peaceful that the books still have conflict and stuff but the
[8:37]characters seem more self-possessed in the way they approach them and that's what I guess I
[8:42]look forward to about aging but yeah definitely the gray pandemic gray. I can be a new
[8:50]crayon color is that thing pandemic gray. So how did you get into this? How did you start writing
[8:56]for whoever age people I won't even call it anything? Sure no I mean I think so I think I actually
[9:03]because at the time when I when I really started writing out like I did not write books or fiction
[9:09]so much like in college I was I was very practical I was like you know I will get a journalism degree
[9:14]because you can get a job at journalism and have a career which as we know like is not the
[9:19]stableest place to reside and then it wasn't until like I you know I took some short story writing
[9:26]classes and stuff in college but nothing that was like oh this is going to be my career because I
[9:31]kind of always talked myself out of it. I always tell this story like at school visits but you know
[9:36]I thought I loved books so much and like someone in like Judy Bloom I assumed okay she had to be
[9:42]anointed somehow and magical and like not everyone can do that like you know I'm from this
[9:48]Chicago suburb like people from here know in my books and it was just I don't know it was bizarre
[9:54]how it was not even a consideration but then as I was reporting I actually like
[10:00]did a story on a screenwriting class that was taking place.
[10:03]And so then I really thought the class sounded cool
[10:07]and I took the class and I wrote a screenplay
[10:10]and I entered some contests in one of few prizes.
[10:12]And then I moved out to LA thinking like,
[10:15]you know, I mean, for a variety of reasons,
[10:17]not like off one prize, but you know,
[10:19]there were a variety of reasons.
[10:22]But as I was working on scripts and stuff,
[10:25]I realized I always really love books.
[10:27]And like why was I, I mean, I love movies,
[10:29]but why was I writing movies or trying to,
[10:33]if you know, so I didn't have to be out here in other words,
[10:35]but why was I trying to write movies?
[10:37]If I, if I, my books were my home,
[10:40]like where I felt the most at home.
[10:42]So that I did like a national novel writing month.
[10:44]And I think it was when I was working,
[10:46]I was a web editor at Disney and a friend
[10:48]had worked with book packaging company.
[10:51]And she knew I wrote and she hooked me up with people there.
[10:55]So I did some ghost writing of young adult like fiction.
[10:59]The books I had written for novel writing month
[11:01]were totally like chick lit and like they're still like
[11:03]not published and then a drawer and very weird
[11:06]and maybe someday I'll take them out.
[11:08]But I think they were just there to like get me started
[11:11]and probably really embarrassing if I read them now.
[11:14]So yeah, I did the ghost writing and then,
[11:15]and then I had a YA book come out in 2012,
[11:19]called the End of the World, as you know it,
[11:21]as we know it, which, you know,
[11:23]that's where we are right now.
[11:25]And I wrote another teen romance.
[11:28]And then I did jump over to middle grade.
[11:29]I had a meta editor when I was pitching a different book
[11:34]and that one didn't work out at the time.
[11:36]It was like, it's a YA that was comedic
[11:38]and that was when everything was twilight and whatever.
[11:40]But she liked my writing.
[11:42]So she asked me if I would ever be interested
[11:44]in creating middle grade.
[11:46]So I did middle grade.
[11:47]And then I found I really wanted to get back into YA
[11:50]and started hashing this idea out,
[11:53]just kind of based on, I was thinking about that scene
[11:56]in the best times at Ridgemont High,
[11:57]where like Phoebe Kate comes out of the pool
[12:00]and, you know, Judd Reinhold is watching her
[12:03]and that gaze, that sexual moment that he has,
[12:07]mine's not quite as explicit.
[12:09]But trying to picture the female version of that.
[12:12]So like this idea of this coach walking through
[12:16]the cafeteria for the first time and Susan
[12:18]who is so underwhelmed by like all of the boys
[12:21]she goes to school was seeing this guy
[12:23]and just literally like dropping her Yoo-hoo.
[12:26]And you know, it was just so much fun to me
[12:30]so it started from there.
[12:31]But yeah, so YA is where I've been.
[12:34]I've tinkered, I'm tinkering with adult stuff now too.
[12:37]But I'm really excited about this book
[12:40]because I feel like it so far,
[12:42]like everyone who's read it has really responded
[12:45]and a few people like who are older,
[12:47]like I didn't know you could do that in YA.
[12:49]And I'm like, no, we talk about like, you know,
[12:52]big things, it's just definitely for, you know,
[12:55]it's for teenager.
[12:56]And when I did, I did recently have a teenager
[12:58]who wrote and said like, she loved it.
[13:01]And I was so glad because I think the worry
[13:04]with you when you write something set in 1979 is like,
[13:07]do any kids like in 2020 want to read about the 70.
[13:11]But you know, I think it's sort of,
[13:13]it was really gratifying so.
[13:14]And what was a long time?
[13:16]No, that's fine, that was great.
[13:17]Why did you say, why did you set it in 1979?
[13:20]Well, because of Title IX.
[13:21]Oh, because of course, I think that's stupid question, of course.
[13:24]Yeah, no, no, no, not at all.
[13:26]I mean, I also, they call it historical fiction now,
[13:29]but you know, I think what I like about going into the past
[13:34]is get your free a little bit from some of the stuff
[13:36]like phones and, you know, social media and stuff.
[13:40]And you like, it was nice to think kind of purely about,
[13:44]you know, someone who isn't dealing, like the story
[13:48]doesn't have to be like as entwined
[13:50]with all of those things, which sometimes make it harder
[13:53]for me to tell a story anyway.
[13:54]Like I'm a terrible tech star.
[13:56]And I'm like, what if these people don't text?
[13:58]Like, it's not the only right historical.
[14:01]And I can definitely do texts and books and I have.
[14:04]But it was like a very, it was really refreshing
[14:06]to do that time period.
[14:08]And to literally think like, what did this person do
[14:10]when she went home from school?
[14:12]And there's like 12 TV channels and, you know,
[14:15]like, you know, listens to records.
[14:17]And I don't know, just waits for her mom to get home
[14:20]or whatever.
[14:23]Yeah. And there were a few more options for girls.
[14:25]So I definitely, I wanted to write something with that
[14:27]like bit of empowerment message going on.
[14:29]Did you play sports growing up?
[14:31]Were you on soccer team or?
[14:33]I was not, so my school did not have a soccer team.
[14:36]So that was one of the interesting things
[14:37]about telling the story set in a neighborhood like mine
[14:40]because soccer was sort of like, it was,
[14:43]we were like football.
[14:44]Like, so even the boys on the soccer team.
[14:46]And I hope if they're listening, they don't feel that.
[14:48]But it was like soccer was sort of like,
[14:51]you play soccer, like, it's your team.
[14:54]Like, it was a very, you know,
[14:55]it was like a working, more working class like suburb.
[14:59]And we had a soccer team and they were really good.
[15:02]But for boys, we did not have one for girls.
[15:04]And some of the schools and other areas did.
[15:07]So I didn't play soccer.
[15:08]I did play, I did swim.
[15:10]I did, I say I'm good at sports without equipment.
[15:13]And soccer though, I chose because I wanted to team.
[15:18]And I think for me like writing sports
[15:20]with what's good about me not having played soccer
[15:23]is the sport scenes don't feel overwhelming
[15:25]to someone who's not a sports person.
[15:28]Like, you know, I try to not make it feel like a play
[15:34]by a play where the language is like, I don't understand
[15:37]what it's like for me, if I read like a football book
[15:40]that's like really not that I'd ever probably read one best.
[15:44]But it's really like detailed but like yard lines
[15:47]because I'd be like, I don't know what they're talking about.
[15:49]So it's authentic and I like definitely like watched a lot
[15:52]of the women's world cup and you know,
[15:54]learned a lot more about soccer.
[15:55]But but I was just going from purely like,
[15:59]I was leveraging like my experiences with competition
[16:01]and being on a team.
[16:03]And that's what I layered into the story here.
[16:06]And just that sense of like what being competitive
[16:09]does for you like as a person or getting getting that chance
[16:13]to be competitive, which I thought was a big deal for,
[16:15]you know, a girl who really hadn't had a lot of goals
[16:18]like to suddenly, you know, figure out like that she felt good
[16:24]doing this, like that she wanted something
[16:26]that she actually wanted to win or be great.
[16:30]You know, it was fun.
[16:31]And that was kind of me too,
[16:32]because I was not a coordinated as a younger kid.
[16:37]So when I got to high school in suddenly,
[16:39]I'm joining sports teams and like actually pretty okay.
[16:43]I was like, it was great.
[16:44]It was like actually kind of a job.
[16:48]What about you?
[16:48]Do you play sports at high school or?
[16:50]And high school I played tennis and lacrosse.
[16:52]Okay.
[16:53]But I did play in like a little soccer league
[16:54]when I was growing up starting when I was like six,
[16:57]just in the summers.
[16:58]He's done these like games after dinner
[17:00]because we spent the summers out in like Ireland.
[17:01]And I don't know.
[17:02]It was like the head of the shoe store,
[17:04]like coached my team.
[17:05]And I don't know, it was like very, yeah.
[17:07]Very suburban-esque.
[17:08]And yeah.
[17:09]So but soccer, yeah, I really liked lacrosse.
[17:12]I was like super into that.
[17:13]Yeah. And at the similar like thing with the team.
[17:16]You know, I mean, I know different moves and, you know,
[17:19]playing but being on a team and whatever.
[17:22]I think it's just great.
[17:23]And even that the games get a little like rougher
[17:25]or whatever.
[17:26]Like just something you learn so much about yourself
[17:28]and what you can do when you play a sport.
[17:31]And I think it's just great for everybody.
[17:32]I'm not telling readers that they must go out
[17:35]and play a sport, but it's great to be part of a team.
[17:37]It's great to be a part of a team in any way.
[17:39]I mean, sports I think are one of the only ways
[17:42]to really be on a team at that age, right?
[17:45]I mean, now you can do it like through work
[17:46]or you can do it through some sort of community.
[17:49]But I don't know.
[17:50]I mean, anyway, I think sport teams are great.
[17:52]I think it's really neat to share goals with people
[17:54]and share victories and losses and all that bonding stuff.
[17:58]Yeah.
[17:59]But going back to like the crush aspect of this book
[18:03]and, you know, that's so funny that the Phoebe Cades
[18:06]judge Reinhold, they're like blast
[18:07]from the past actors and actresses.
[18:09]So like, when's the last time you had that feeling?
[18:12]Like, when's it?
[18:12]Is there a time in your life that you like harken back to?
[18:15]And you think about like having such a mad crush like that?
[18:19]I mean, like I, you know, I, in our teacher-wise,
[18:23]like I did not have one on a teacher.
[18:25]Like I'm sorry, it doesn't look like I don't,
[18:27]I didn't have one like that where there was a teacher
[18:29]in my school that I desperately wanted to impress.
[18:31]And that's not like some moral high ground.
[18:33]I just think our teachers like we didn't really have anyone
[18:36]like exceedingly cute.
[18:38]Like there was like one time I remember like everyone thought
[18:41]it was like super cute and he was, he was nice and cute
[18:43]and like, you know, but not a teacher crush.
[18:46]But I do, I did have, I think like in high school
[18:49]and this is where like Susan's feelings track
[18:52]is like where you're thinking about the person
[18:53]just all the time and like kind of a rationally.
[18:56]Yeah, I had a crush on a guy from a neighboring school
[18:59]and he sort of liked me for like a week.
[19:02]But like that week, like I spread out over like the course
[19:05]of a year, we both worked at the same mall.
[19:08]And like and every so often he dropped in my store
[19:11]and you know, you just, you would create like this whole
[19:15]mythology of, you know, like everything he said had
[19:19]so many more meanings and you know, you were definitely
[19:22]gonna wind up together even though like he would give
[19:24]no indication of them.
[19:26]Like literally frame like his girlfriend into the store
[19:28]or like I remember one time my friend asked for a ride
[19:32]to the concert and said like, oh, you know,
[19:35]John is coming to and I thought, oh, we're going
[19:38]the concert together.
[19:39]It's going to be the moment we get together.
[19:40]And then I picked them up and he had, I shouldn't say this
[19:45]because I want to save it for a book someday.
[19:46]But he had like brought his friend with and she was holding
[19:50]like balloons because it was their anniversary.
[19:52]So like they got into my little hatchback with like all
[19:54]these balloons and like I'm driving, I'm driving my crush to
[20:00]the concert like with his girlfriend of like three months and they're celebrating the anniversary and I'm just like
[20:06]And I was still like kind of like oh, he likes me better
[20:09]I think I still like this delusion all like
[20:12]Where you're just so like you can't believe that you would have picked someone who isn't into it
[20:18]So like you know, I mean, I think like for a while Susan's cruising on those feelings like you know
[20:23]He's only three years older like or whatever. However. I think he's five years older in the book
[20:28]You know, so she's like maybe not now, but like you know, there's definitely like anytime
[20:33]He like compliments her means something
[20:36]You know like I mean at one point. He tells her you have amazing potential like and she takes that like to mean
[20:43]He's gonna ask me to marry him as soon as school is over. You know, it's so yeah
[20:47]I've been there. I mean, I think everyone gets there. I mean some people actually end up dating their crushes
[20:53]But but that whole like obsession where you're like weaving stories
[20:58]And maybe that's part of being a writer, you know, you can leave this
[21:02]story about
[21:03]anyone and
[21:05]You know, so maybe writer crushes are actually worse if you have like any imaginative talent
[21:11]Really like waste a lot of time like just puzzling over every little move they make
[21:16]But I think everyone does it, but yeah, that was my big one was was was that guy
[21:22]And you know, I think I don't know
[21:23]I think I finally got a boyfriend and like got over it
[21:25]But I think even a while after I got a boyfriend like and we would be in the same place
[21:29]I'd be like, oh, he's so jealous and he wasn't paying like any attention to me
[21:33]Oh, like it was just like he's ignoring me because he's jealous. I have a boyfriend now
[21:38]How you sound delusional? No, no, I love it. It's it's really funny. It's just also so nice like I don't know
[21:44]Everything feels very heavy. Everything's very heavy right now in the world. So to like
[21:48]Have a minute to laugh about our old crushes. Like that's
[21:52]Okay, I had so many crushes my first crush was in seventh grade and I was so I think obvious about it
[21:59]Because I was so shy then and I would just like stare at him at dances and things like this
[22:04]And I don't know what if someone dared him or one of my friends who was more outgoing like
[22:09]Begged him to ask me to dance, but he asked me to dance at this one dance and oh, girl
[22:13]I have in my like diary at the time like I so danced with you know, this guy christ and it was like the most amazing thing of my time
[22:22]Anyway, of course nothing he like you know every after that like maybe a smile or two the rest of my life
[22:28]Anyway, I should really look at my but at this point
[22:31]Anyway, so you obviously have kids. I can kind of hear them in the background sometimes
[22:35]So just totally fine and totally fine. No, it's no
[22:39]I just hear the like happy hum of kids. When do you find the time to write like when do you do writing and do you do it at home or do you leave?
[22:47]I mostly do it at home
[22:48]I've tried leaving. I mean, I have one who is in
[22:51]Transitional kindergarten so he gets home earlier and the other ones in was in fourth grade this year
[22:57]And obviously this year like everything went like a little haywire and I
[23:03]I've been writing, but it's not to the same extent
[23:06]I used to get up before work and like right with my first books and since I've had kids
[23:11]I haven't been able to maintain that
[23:13]I did have a full-time job up until about 2014 and I still freelance
[23:17]So my day I usually try to write when they're at school
[23:21]Now that they're not at school like it
[23:23]I tell myself and I tell other people this too
[23:25]Like if they say they want to write and they just can't find the time like I sometimes have to do things and fits and starts
[23:32]Like I would love like a perfectly calm routine where it's like this is my writing time
[23:37]And I do get that sometimes and especially if I'm like in the heat of a project
[23:41]I have to do that
[23:41]But like when I'm just starting something or whatever
[23:44]And it's just me with if it's just me with the kids like it's much better
[23:48]Obviously if they are at school or in an activity
[23:51]And I'm starting a new project now
[23:53]So we're gonna see how this works
[23:54]But fits and starts is kind of how I do it
[23:56]I'll sit down and I'll like work a little bit and if it's 100 words there like
[24:00]You know, I have to come back to it
[24:02]And the thing that stinks is it's always like lingering in your brain and you haven't like
[24:07]Hit that target that you want
[24:09]But it does you do chip away at the work and then and then you have something on the page even if like you have to do a lot of
[24:17]revision but definitely when I when I'm
[24:20]Deep into like either you know, I have to finish this draft or I have to get this revision done
[24:25]That is when you know like like my dad helps with our kids a little or and my husband is home now
[24:32]So like we take turns a little bit like I need two solid hours to do
[24:37]Just some like uninterrupted
[24:39]Work, you know or or you know or I use like I leverage like anytime
[24:44]They have like to watch a movie or
[24:46]You know, do their screen time kind of stuff like that's when I'm I have to ignore
[24:52]Sort of that I want to deal with the mess in the out
[24:55]Like I can't look at that stuff
[24:56]I've just have to sit down and like force some words out
[24:59]So certainly I write at home
[25:01]For the time being I do think after the pandemic
[25:03]Like I'm like maybe I'm gonna finally be like a writer who goes to coffee shops because
[25:09]Because you know after being at home for a while like it sounds really desirable to mix it up
[25:15]But but yeah, I I wish I could pledge to certain routine
[25:20]But my thing is mostly like that. I just try to look at whatever I'm working on every day
[25:24]For as much time as I can I try to get like you know a solid at least hour in there
[25:31]And I do like I do have a really supportive husband who like you know before the pandemic like on weekends
[25:37]He would take the kids, you know on a field trip
[25:39]So I could have a salad day or whatever
[25:42]Or just he'd deal with all their like activities and stuff
[25:45]So I could stay home and work
[25:47]With this going on like it's sort of different. It's just like I'll be in the other room with them what you do
[25:54]So yeah, I mean, but but it's sort of a process of like whatever I can do
[25:59]You know, and it's always frenzied and you know always anxious and it's not perfect at all
[26:04]But you know such as life
[26:06]It is what it is and getting written
[26:08]So like I'm just going with it for now
[26:10]And maybe when they're older like they'll have something more clear cut and that would be great
[26:14]And what is your parting advice to aspiring authors? What advice would you give?
[26:19]I mean
[26:21]Gosh, I I mean that was one of the pieces like the don't wait for that perfect moment
[26:26]I mean I and I think I'll go I think I will go with that because we are in such like an imperfect moment with
[26:32]You know the pandemic and the economic crisis and and you know
[26:37]Not knowing what's the protest which are great
[26:41]Nice purple
[26:41]We we all are kind of like what is happening like what's gonna go on and
[26:45]Where are we headed and you know what might come down the road next?
[26:50]So I think you know even though it can be really hard
[26:54]To write if you have that idea that you're just dying to get out
[26:57]I'd say to sit down and and just
[27:01]Try it like I always tell I tell if this is what I actually told kids in school presentations
[27:06]But like write down like one line a day if you have to until you have something going or like tell yourself
[27:13]I'm gonna do this for 15 minutes and then maybe like if it's flowing
[27:17]You'll find out that 15 minutes turns out turns into like a half hour turns into an hour or whatever
[27:22]But I think it's just about not waiting for like that perfect
[27:27]You know, I'm going to go to a beach house
[27:32]Have like a view of the ocean and you know no interruptions and
[27:37]I'm gonna feel
[27:39]Perfect before I sit down and set pen to paper
[27:41]I think you know starting is so important and you know I get stuck in middles
[27:46]So like I don't have great advice for the middle
[27:49]But you know starting is so important and from there, you know
[27:51]You can as you go
[27:53]You can get more advice or like figure things out
[27:56]And I also think sorry outlines are really helpful
[27:58]If you feel like you do get stuck and I as someone who gets stuck sometimes or has like a bunch of things that
[28:04]I've started and stopped you know to pause and say like well what is my
[28:09]Outline and and you know
[28:11]I know it sort of de-romanticizes the writing life that you're just gonna sit down and it's gonna flow and be beautiful
[28:17]But by having like a map even if you don't follow it perfectly is like for me
[28:21]It's really helpful
[28:23]So I would recommend that too, and I'm sorry. I'm I'm our rambler. I hope I didn't know
[28:27]Thank you so much. This is great. It was totally great. Thank you so much for coming on my show
[28:33]And talking about your book and making the time work and all that stuff. So thank you
[28:38]No, thank you for making the time work. I'm so sorry. No, it was great. It was totally great
[28:43]All right, thank you so much. Okay. Bye. Thanks
[28:47]Thanks so much for listening to young readers Tuesday part of my July book blast. I hope you've enjoyed it
[28:54]Thanks again for listening to my podcast moms don't have time to read books
[28:58]If you liked this episode, please follow me on instagram at zippyowans and at moms don't have time to read books
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[29:11]Thanks a lot. Thanks so much to page one books for sponsoring today's episode
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[29:18]dot com
[29:18]Thanks so much to Steve and Ryan at texture sound for the sound editing and
[29:22]Thank you to morning moon productions for providing this fantastic intro and out trim music. Thanks for listening
[29:28]You could always email me at zippy at zippyowans.com