Episode #88: How did you know when you wanted to become a writer? with Nikki Grimes

Welcome back to another great Kids Ask Authors episode! Authors Grace Lin and Nikki Grimes answer this kid question; “How did you know when you wanted to become a writer?” Thanks for tuning in!

TRANSCRIPTS:

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 Nikki Grimes, the author of Bedtime for Sweet Creatures, Southwest Sunrise and Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice. Hi, Nikki.

Nikki Grimes: Hello. How are you?

Grace Lin: Good. Thank you so much for joining me today.

Nikki Grimes: Thanks for having me.

Grace Lin: Are you ready for today's question?

Nikki Grimes: I am.

Grace Lin: Okay. Today's question is from a young person named Tanvi. And the question is:

Tanvi: How do you know when you wanted it to become a writer?

Grace Lin: How did you know when you wanted to become an author or a writer?

Nikki Grimes: Well, I've been writing since I was six, so I found out pretty early on. But the first few years of my writing, actually until I was in high school, I just wrote because I had to write, because I needed to get things off my chest and writing was the way that I express myself. And then, about high school, I started thinking, "Maybe this is something I want to do for a career." And that was the time when I decided, "Okay, this is for me."

Grace Lin: Oh, so interesting. So you knew you wanted to be a writer like as early as six, but you knew when you wanted to be an author around high school, is that correct?

Nikki Grimes: Correct.

Grace Lin: Was there anything in particular that made you make that switch or turn that light bulb on?

Nikki Grimes: Well, it was clear that I was going to write no matter what. So I thought maybe I should figure out how to make a living out of it. So I was going to do it.

Grace Lin: Well, what were you writing back then?

Nikki Grimes: Oh, it's poetry. Poetry is my first language. So I always refer to that. I did some stories as well, but I always go back to poetry.

Grace Lin: Well, that's kind of what you write now, too, in many different forms, so. Wow. So, that's really nice. So how did the people around you feel about these decisions?

Nikki Grimes: Oh, they thought I was crazy. I mean, people told me, "Writers don't come from round here." Because in the neighborhoods I grew up in, nobody had ever known a writer. They knew bus drivers. They knew nurses. They knew teachers. Nobody knew authors. So they couldn't imagine that it was something you could become.

Grace Lin: Well, that's pretty amazing because if nobody around you could imagine that's something that you could become, why do you think you imagined that was something you could become?

Nikki Grimes: I couldn't imagine not writing. So it really wasn't a question for me and I was doing it. And there were a couple of people here or there: a teacher, a friend, my sister, certainly who encouraged me. And so they were the fuel that kept me going, even when other people around me were naysayers. So I learned to surround myself with people who were positive, people who had dreams of their own that they're pursuing. I made those people my community and that energy to move forward in pursuing my own dreams.

Grace Lin: So what advice would you give to a young writer now, who wants to be a writer, but maybe is facing similar situation? Everybody around them can't imagine that becoming something, that could really happen.

Nikki Grimes: You have to listen to your own heart. And again, I recommend you surround yourself with dreamers, people who have dreams of their own, not necessarily writing. But maybe they want to paint or they want to do theater, whatever it is. But surround yourself with others who have dreams and become each other's encouragers. That'll help you go a long way.

Grace Lin: That's really lovely. I have a story about when I wanted to become an author as well. For me, I always loved writing and drawing. And same as you, like as early as six years old, I was always writing and drawing, writing and drawing. And I just loved making books. Every project we had at school, I always made a book because I just loved books so much, but I never thought about it really being a career or something to do. It never occurred to me that was like a job until one day, I think I was in about sixth or seventh grade, a teacher stopped me and she said, "There's this book contest that I found, where if you write and illustrate your own book and send it into this big book contest, if you win first place, they'll actually publish your book. I think you should enter." And I said, "Oh, okay."

Grace Lin: So I wrote and illustrated a book, I sent it into this big national contest, I did not win first place. So my book was not published. I didn't win second place. I didn't win third place, but I did win fourth place. So like on the Olympic stands, I would not have gotten a medal, but I did win fourth place. And for this contest, if you won fourth place, you won $1,000.

Nikki Grimes: Wow.

Grace Lin: And I was so excited when I found that out and when I received $1,000, I was like, "Oh my gosh, you can make money making books." And I said, "I'm going to be an author and illustrator forever." Like to me, that was so much money. And I was like, "Oh, I'm going to be rich making books."

Nikki Grimes: Oh, that's a great story.

Grace Lin: So that's how I decided I wanted to be an author and illustrator forever. A little bit misguided in terms of the money part, but I'm glad that I realized that it could be a career. What makes it really funny is that now, we've both published so many books, but looking back a couple of years ago, I was thinking to myself, "I only one fourth place in that contest. Who won first place?" And I looked it up on the internet and the person who won first place, you'll know who this is. He's a man now, but back then he was just a high school and his name is Dave Pilkey.

Nikki Grimes: Oh my goodness. Oh, that's funny.

Grace Lin: As the author and illustrator of Captain Underpants.

Nikki Grimes: So funny.

Grace Lin: So I told my daughter this story and I said, "Then I lost to Captain Underpants." And she's like, "Of course you did." Okay, so the book that he beat me with, it was not the Captain Underpants book, it was something else, but I lost to the author of Captain Underpants.

Nikki Grimes: Fabulous story.

Grace Lin: So, yes. So that is when I decided I wanted to be an author. When do you want to be a writer? I think that you are correct that when you want to be a writer though, I don't know if there's like a time. I think you just kind of know that you want to write, you know? So, I hope that that was a useful answer to you, Tanvi. Thank you so much, Nikki, for answering this question and I thank you, Tanvi, for asking it.

Today’s BOOK REVIEW by Madelyn! She is reviewing , Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee.

Hi, my name is Madelyn. The book I read is called Maybe He Just Likes You , by Barbara Dee. This book is about a girl named Mila and her finding her voice to speak up. Mila’s story takes us through friendship struggles, money struggles in her family, and boys crossing the line on what is just a hug and what is more than just a hug. I liked this book because it shows diversity and real life struggles but handles them in an appropriate way for middle grade readers such as myself. I would recommend this book if you like books about friendship, real life struggles, family life books.

Thank you Madelyn!

More about today’s authors:

New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes is the recipient of the 2020 ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to young adult literature, the 2017 Children's Literature Legacy Award, the 2016 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, and the 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Her distinguished works include the much-honored books Garvey's Choice, ALA Notable book Southwest Sunrise, Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade, and five Coretta Scott King Author Honor books, Printz and Siebert Honor winner Ordinary Hazards, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor One Last Word, its companion Legacy:Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance, and NYT Bestseller Kamala Harris:Rooted in Justice. Creator of the popular Meet Danitra Brown, Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel, Bedtime for Sweet Creatures, and Off to See the Sea, Ms. Grimes lives in Corona, California.

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.