Episode 27: What is your writing superpower? -With Shannon Hale
Welcome to episode 27: What is your writing superpower? With authors Grace Lin and Shannon Hale.
TRANSCRIPT:
Grace Lin: Hello, I'm Grace Lin, children's book author and illustrator of many books including the middle grade novel, "When the Sea turned to Silver" and the picture book, "A Big Mooncake for Little Star". Today I am here with Shannon Hale, the author of many books including the "Princess in Black" series and "Real Friends and Best Friends", all illustrated by LeUyen Pham as well as "Diana, Princess of the Amazons" illustrated by Victoria Ying and the middle grade novel, "The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl". Hi Shannon.
Shannon Hale: Hello Grace, good to talk to you.
Grace Lin: Good to talk to you. Are you ready for today's question?
Shannon Hale: I'm ready, bring it on.
Grace Lin: All right, good. Because I have been saving this question just for you and today's question is from a person named Rose. And their question is ...
Rose: What is your writing super power?
Grace Lin: What is your writing super power?
Shannon Hale: Love the question Rose. I think my writing superpower might be never giving up. And I think that sounds boring when you consider super powers or things like laser eyes and flying. But it has really worked well for me because every time I write a book and I've published over 30 books, every time I am writing a book, there are times when I think it's not going to work and I should give up. Every single book, probably multiple times in the book I reach a point where I just don't think the story's going to work, there's no way to save it and I should give up, but I never have. I've never given up on a book.
Shannon Hale: And so many of the books that I really almost gave up on became books that millions of people have read and told me made a difference in their lives. So perseverance, that old word adults use, it really does pay off. And I think along with that never giving up, I also have hope. So if I didn't have any hope, when I'm in those dark places, I wouldn't be able to believe that it could become better. So I think hope and never giving up.
Grace Lin: Oh, that's great. Actually I was thinking the same thing when I got this question like, "What would my writing superpower be?" And I was thinking, "Oh my super power is the ability just to sit in the chair or just keep pecking and pecking away." And even when-
Shannon Hale: Right? I know. I think people would expect it would be, we would say something like, "An incredible imagination" or something like that. But I think most people and like every kid I know has an incredible imagination, but the secret is like just doing it, right?
Grace Lin: Mm-hmm (affirmative), I think so. I know, and like you just said it's kind of boring too, because I think Rose, when she asked this was kind of expecting something colorful probably. not just amazing imagination, but maybe something like the ability to write great dialogue or something like that. And I feel like, "Well that would be an amazing superpower to have." I think that none of those superpowers that she might've had in mind, probably none of those would work if you don't have the superpower of sitting down and just pecking out the words.
Shannon Hale: Totally. And also I think being able to write great dialogue or description or characters or world-building or any of these things that we think of when we think what we love about stories, the ability to do that is a craft that we've learned by just doing it badly for many, many years. So that perseverance thing and the never giving up thing has pushed us to write and work for thousands and tens of thousands of hours. So that now that my brain has become, it's like learning an instrument.
Shannon Hale: Like no one is going to be great the first time they sit down at the piano. But the people who practice every day, those are the ones that can open up any sheet music and just play a gorgeous piece. And that's what's happened with my brain with writing, I write every day until I'm to the point where I can take on just about any challenge. Doesn't mean it's easy and I never get it right the first time, but I can take it on.
Grace Lin: And I think that's why we said that that's the superpower because the other things like writing great dialogue or writing great descriptions, I feel like those are things that can be learned and you can get better and better at. So in some ways a superpower to me is something that you're born with magically. And I don't know what it was that has given me the magic power to be able to sit in front of my computer and just keep writing away, but I feel like that is the super power that I got.
Shannon Hale: Yes, totally.
Grace Lin: So if you could choose another superpower, what would it be?
Shannon Hale: This is so sad, but I'm a mom of four kids and I often daydream like, "What if I only had to sleep three hours a night?" And I felt totally rested and then I would have like this extra five secret hours every day when everybody else is asleep, when I could get other stuff done. Stopping time, that kind of thing, that's what I would do. And you know what I would do with my extra time? I would write more. Is that sad? I love writing, I have so many stories I want to tell.
Grace Lin: That's so funny because I was going to say if I was going to choose another super power, it would be to write faster.
Shannon Hale: Sure, yeah. If I could get it right the first time I think, Oh, every time I would love to do that, but I never do. I mean I've just finished a book that I have been working on for seven years or eight years and it's gone through, I don't know how many, but at least 40 rewrites.
Grace Lin: Wow.
Shannon Hale: And you'd think at this point in my career, like I'd figure out, but as others have said, "You never learn how to write a book, you only learn how to write the one you're writing." And you never know how long that's going to take.
Grace Lin: Can you tell us about this new book at all?
Shannon Hale: I can't. Actually there's going to be a cover reveal very, very soon. And it's a young adult book, so this is an exclusive, Grace lin.
Grace Lin: Ooh. Well we'll keep our eyes and ears out for it.
Shannon Hale: Yes, it'll be out in the fall. It's called "Kind of a Big Deal" and it's about a girl who can go into the stories that she reads literally.
Grace Lin: Oh my gosh. Because I am doing a picture book about a girl who can go into the story that she reads.
Shannon Hale: I know, I saw that announcement and I was like, "Oh yes." with you and Kate Messner, right?
Grace Lin: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Shannon Hale: And I was like, "Oh, maybe this will be like the picture book version of my book." They could be little friends, little book friends.
Grace Lin: I know. So the kids who read my book as in the elementary school, when they get older they'll read your book, they can go grow up with these books together. That would be a super power to.
Shannon Hale: Oh man, wouldn't that be amazing?
Grace Lin: All right. Well, thank you so much Shannon for answering this question and thank you Rose for asking it.
Shannon Hale: Yes, thank you Rose and thank you Grace.
Today’s BOOK REVIEW comes from a young girl named Tulsi. She’s reviewing “Pashmina” by Nidhi Chanani
I'd like to share a graphic novel called Pashmina, written and illustrated by Nidhi Chanani. Priyanka is an Indian-American teenager who longs more and more to go to India, where she thinks is her true home. One day, Priyanka finds a silk pashmina. When she wraps it around her shoulders, she's whisked away from her gray world to a colorful land of samosas, saris, bangles and mangoes. There she meets Kanta, the elephant, and Mayur, the peacock. During their adventures, a shadow follows Pri trying to tell her something. Finding her way past her mom's protests, Pri visits her aunt in India. She discovers how India really is, learns her mother's story, and follows her pashmina to the ruins of a silk factory where she finds... Well, you'll have to read the rest to find out. I liked Pashmina because it encourages girls to make their own choices. Priyanka's pashmina presented her with her choice, to go to India, and she did. I wonder what I would see if I had the pashmina. I love this book and I hope you will too.
Thank you so much Tulsi!
More about today’s authors:
Shannon Hale is the New York Times bestselling author of over thirty books, including fantasy novels The Goose Girl and Book of a Thousand Days, science fiction novel Dangerous, Newbery Honor winner Princess Academy, graphic novel memoirs Real Friends and Best Friends (with LeUyen Pham), and romantic comedy Austenland (now a major motion picture starring Keri Russell). She lives in Utah with her husband and frequent collaborator Dean Hale, their four remarkable children, and two ridiculous cats named Misty Knight and Mike Hat.
Grace Lin, a NY Times bestselling author/ illustrator, won the Newbery Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and her picture book, A Big Mooncake for Little Star, was awarded the Caldecott Honor. Grace is an occasional commentator for New England Public Radio , a video essayist for PBS NewsHour (here & here), and the speaker of the popular TEDx talk, The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf. She is the co-host of the podcast Book Friends Forever, a kidlit podcast about friendship and publishing (geared for adults). Find her facebook, instagram , twitter ( @pacylin) or sign up for her author newsletter HERE.
Special thanks to the High Five Books & Art Always Bookstore, Ms. Carleton’s 2nd grade class at Jackson Street School for their help with our kid questions and reviews.
