INTERVIEW WITH MICHELE WEBER HURWITZ:
How did you get started writing?
I've been writing since elementary school. I'm the oldest of three and I often babysat for my two brothers when we were kids. They were your basic younger brother nightmares. When my parents went out, I would write notes to them describing my brothers' bad behavior, and honestly, these were my first stories. I got serious though, in fifth grade, and won a writing contest with my masterpiece, "The Chair That Knew How to Dance." I've been writing ever since.
Who influenced you?
I read many middle grade novels when I was in a book club with one of my daughters, and two resonated strongly with me -- "Love, Ruby Lavender," by Deborah Wiles, and "So B. It," by Sarah Weeks. I fell in love with these books, and they inspired me to try to write one of my own. I wrote three books that were never published! But in 2011, my debut middle grade novel was published, "Calli Be Gold."
Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting?
My all-time favorite middle grade book is "Holes," by Louis Sachar. I love everything about that book, especially the juxtaposition of the two stories and how they intertwine. My favorite YA book is "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell. The story is so compelling. You're just rooting for those two characters the whole way through. In my own work, I write contemporary, realistic, character-driven novels with settings in Illinois, where I've lived my entire life. Pretty boring, but I love the calm and groundedness of the Midwest.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?
Read. Believe. Imagine yourself as an author. Practice your autograph. Read some more. Write a lot. Do things in life that give you material to write about. Carry a small journal everywhere. Observe people. Don't worry about publishing. Work on being the best writer you can be.
Where is your favorite place to write?
I've tried writing outside, on road trips, and in hotel rooms, but honestly, the best place is my desk in my home office that looks out on my backyard. I like my old desktop computer better than my temperamental laptop. Seriously, my laptop has deleted sentences when I've accidentally hit a key. I can also say though, that sometimes, my best writing time is when I'm not writing. I get ideas when I'm out walking, in the shower, driving. I'm known for scribbling dialogue and bits of narration on Post-it Notes, napkins, anything I can find. Sometimes I can barely read them later. It's kind of a maddening process but somehow, it works.
What else would you like to tell us?
I'm a big believer in wandering. The road to anything worthwhile is often not a straight one. I love these two quotes: "Sometimes losing our way is the best and most beautiful route home," and "All that is gold does not glitter, not all who wander are lost." The second is from J.R.R. Tolkien. It's great to set goals and go after them, but it's often better -- and more satisfying -- to wind your way toward the path that's right for you, whatever that may be.