School Time Author Q&A Series: Emma Walton Hamilton

Hello Beautiful People,

It’s the fourteenth of April! And so it’s time for another feature in the School Time Author Q&A Series at The Write Teacher(s).  This month I’m so pleased to bring to you all an exclusive Q&A with Emma Walton Hamilton.  Emma is a best-selling children’s book author, editor, educator, and arts and literacy advocate. She has co-authored over twenty children’s books with her mother, Julie Andrews, seven of which have been on the New York Times best-seller list, including The Very Fairy Princess series (#1 NY Times Bestseller), Julie Andrews’ Collection Of Poems, Songs And Lullabies (illustrated by James McMullan); the Dumpy The Dump Truck series; Simeon’s Gift;The Great American Mousical and THANKS TO YOU – Wisdom From Mother And Child (#1 New York Times Bestseller).  I first met Emma five years ago when I became involved with the Young Artists and Writers Project (YAWP), an inter-disciplinary writing and creative arts program for middle and high school students on Long Island.  Emma is the Executive Director of this outstanding program, and each and every year I direct a show in the festival, I find myself becoming a better director simply by working with Emma. She is by far one of the most gracious and passionate people I have ever met, and I’m so pleased to introduce her to all of you.

TWT:  First things first, did you always want to be a writer?

Emma: Yes! But I was in denial for a while. I wrote prolifically when I was a kid – poems, stories, novels – yet whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said things like “a vet,” “an actor,” etc. My Mom would always say, “She says that now, but she’s really going to be a writer.” I ended up being an actor for a while, and then became a director, and a producer, and an arts educator. But all the while I kept writing, mostly children’s books.  Sixteen years ago, my Mom and I started writing together, and I’ve never looked back. To date, we’ve written 27 books for kids of all ages, and all those other jobs (with the exception of arts education, which I still do) fell by the wayside.

TWT: Where do you get the inspiration for your stories?

Emma: My friend and colleague Peter H. Reynolds, who is also one of my favorite children’s book author/illustrators, talks about “story radar.”  It’s about keeping alert to inspiration at all times, since you never know when or where it might appear.  We’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from my kids – my son Sam’s passion for trucks inspired the Dumpy the Dump Truck series, for instance, and my daughter Hope, who spent most of her early life in costume and in character, was the inspiration for our Very Fairy Princess series. But we’ve also gotten ideas from other sources, like encyclopedia entries or events from our own lives. Sometimes, with books within a series, our editor will ask us to write to a particular topic or theme.  In that case, it’s a question of brainstorming what kind of problem our hero or heroine would encounter in that situation, and how they would solve it.  That’s a fun challenge – one that is helped by knowing your characters really well. You just know what they would or wouldn’t do in any given situation.

TWT: You’re a mother, wife, and accomplished author, and teacher.  How do you juggle it all and remain sane?

Emma: I’m not sure I do – you’d have to ask my husband and kids how sane I am! I think it helps that Steve – my husband – is very loving and supportive. (He’s also a great cook!) And the nice part about being a writer is that I mostly work from home, so even though I may be busy, I’m a presence for my kids. I tend to structure my day around key family events, like taking the kids to school, picking them up, or family dinner time. I also devote certain days of the week to certain aspects of my work, so that some days I’m at the college, and other days I’m working from home. It’s not easy, but I guess I like the patchwork quilt nature of it. I was never really happy going to an office every day, even if it allowed me to clock in and out at a certain time. I like variation – it keeps things interesting, if a bit stressful at times!

TWT: What advice would you give to aspiring writers who wish to make writing their profession?

Emma: OK, here are the essentials, in my opinion:

1) Read. Read the best of everything in your genre, and stay current.  People often make the mistake of thinking “I was a kid once, and I know what I liked” or referencing books from their childhood, but children’s publishing has changed dramatically in the last 20 to 30 years.  You have to know what the market is like today, and stay plugged in as it evolves – no matter what genre you write for.

2) Hone your craft.  Take classes and workshops, attend conferences. Keep stretching, learning, sharpening your skills – even (or maybe especially) after you’ve sold your first manuscript. 

3) Find community. Writing can be a solitary business. I’m lucky – I write with a partner and work for a graduate writing program, but it’s really important to find your tribe and connect with them regularly. Find a supportive critique group, join forums, take classes, attend conferences, whatever it takes to connect with other writers. It will keep you sane, and honest. 

4) Diversify your strengths. It’s the rare writer that makes a living solely from writing. Even the most successful writers in the world have to augment their income with things like teaching, editing, or speaking engagements. Find ways to support your writing habit.  Be willing to have a day job, to do whatever it takes… but whenever possible, try to make those other sources of income writing-related, such as freelance writing, editing, teaching, etc. It makes it easier.

TWT: Just for fun, if you were stranded on a desert island, what movies would you want to have with you?

Emma: I think I’d rather have books than movies, but here are a few that I never tire of, in no particular order: 

• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
• Jaws (probably not the best choice on a desert island, though!)
• Blazing Saddles
• It’s a Wonderful Life

TWT: Just for fun, aside from the books that you’ve written, what’s your favorite children’s book?

Emma:  Favorite childhood book – The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. A children’s book I wish I’d written – The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds.   Choose just one all-time favorite? Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass.

TWT: Do you write at a particular time of day and at a particular place?

Emma: I have a gorgeous home office, overlooking the garden, with a big desk, an ergonomic chair and a trusty iMac. I also have a treadmill desk, which I don’t use often enough. Where do I write the most? On my laptop, at the kitchen table, in the middle of chaos.

TWT: Can you describe your writing process for our readers?

Emma: Some people are outliners, and some fly by the seat of their pants, letting the story unfold as the characters dictate. With all due respect to “pantsers,” I’m a dedicated outliner. Generally speaking, when Mom and I begin a new story, we brainstorm the big idea first. We talk about theme, and dramatic arc – the beginning, middle, and end – what the central problem is, and how it gets solved. If it’s a chapter book or novel, we’ll do a chapter breakdown. Then we start writing. And at that point it becomes a process of finishing each other’s sentences. We literally think out loud, and I record it all – I’m the scribe.  Ideally, we’re in the same room together, but we often work via Skype or iChat.  At the end of every session, I email the day’s work, which we review and edit separately. Then we compare notes at the beginning of the next session, and press on from there. 

Emma: How much time and space do I have for this soapbox?! Decades worth of research attests to the fact that the most profoundly important and valuable way to improve learning and promote success in life is through participation in the arts.  Allow me a moment to quote a few statistics:

People who participate in the arts are:

•           Better communicators

•           Have more confidence

•           Have better concentration skills

•           Are more creative

•           Solve problems more easily, and

•           Are more likely to develop new ideas

Furthermore, students with an education rich in the arts actually have higher grade point averages and standardized test scores, lower drop-out rates, and average 100 points better on their SAT scores than those who have limited exposure to the arts.

This means more they’re likely to get ahead in their chosen careers, earn a higher salary, get a promotion or a raise and remain life-long learners. They are also twice as likely to attend cultural and sporting events, volunteer or do charity work, and even vote than their peers who have not had the good fortune to regularly participate in arts-based programs.

But the value of participating in the arts isn’t limited to kids. Studies show that educators who teach in and through the arts have increased enthusiasm and experience a deeper commitment to their profession. The arts are good for business too – they promote tourism and generate hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity annually.  And the use of arts programs in healthcare environments has even been shown to deliver benefits like shorter hospital stays and better pain management.

From all this we can infer that an investment in excellent, innovative arts and literacy programs for children and adults may in fact be the key to growing and maintaining thoughtful, compassionate, contributive citizens of the future – men and women who continue to transcend the challenges of our time and preserve the grace and health of our planet.  ‘nuff said!

TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?

Emma: I have been fortunate to have so many great teachers. In the end, though, I’d have to say that my greatest teacher has been – and continues to be – life itself.  In my high school yearbook, I used a quote from Thoreau that turned out to be more prescient than I could have imagined. It said: “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost. That is where they should be. Now, put foundations under them.” Everything I have ever done in my life has been a reflection of this quote. I built a theater – and then learned how to run it. I published books – and then learned how to write. I got married and had kids, and then learned how to navigate the challenging waters of relationships and parenting. There is no greater way to learn than by doing – by making mistakes, dusting yourself off, integrating the lessons, and trying again.  Having said that, I have a special appreciation for the rare teacher that teaches to the individual, rather than to the idea, or the group. It takes a lot of courage to buck the system and do what’s best for one’s student, or students, and I am filled with admiration for those special individuals who chart their own course in this way. They change lives.

Thank you, Emma!

Emma and her mother were kind enough to autograph a copy of The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart for one lucky Write Teacher(s) Reader(s)! To enter the giveaway contest, please comment below, and tell us what your favorite children’s book was growing up.  One lucky winner will receive this autographed copy of a truly touching children’s book – a perfect gift for the young princesses out there! 

Live, Love, Learn,