Q and J

Q: HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH REJECTION? J: Every author I know has to (or had to) deal with ejection some time along the way. Even the best known authors have had those moments.  But sometimes the book rejected goes on to find its proper place. MY book OWL MOON was rejected as too quiet …

Q: Do you write every day? J: Unless I am sick in bed, YES.  I have been writing professionally since the early 1960’s when I sold my first book and my first poems, so it is part of my breathing, and if I am not working on something (or somethings) I feel like a slacker. …

Q: What’s your favorite part about being an author? J: Finishing a book and being happy about it. Or getting a love letter from someone (often a child) who has read it. Q: Follow up question: What about your favorite part of the process? Do you prefer writing or revising? J:  While that initial idea …

Q: From From Cindy Dobrez: Does Jane eat Wheaties or where does she get her indefatigable energy? She accomplishes more in a day than most of us in a month/year. J: I haven’t eaten Wheaties for years and years. But I always eat breakfast. My usual is cottage cheese (Lactaid) with some kinds of fruit–usually–berries and …

Q: What is B.I.C.? J: Haha–a joke and yet not a joke. It stands for (another joke) Butt In Chair. It means that if you want to be a writer, you have to have a lot of butt in chair time, hands on the keys time, close and quiet, long hours doing the work. A book …

Hello Readers! Heidi here! Every Wednesday, I’ll be asking JY a question (two if they are short). The questions might involve advice for writers, fun facts for students, or just reminiscing about a career that has spanned more than 60 years in the publishing world. Every time we teach together, I hear people whisper about …