Rebecca Stead
Rebecca Stead
Rebecca Steadis an American writer of fiction for children and teens. She won the American Newbery Medal in 2010, the oldest award in children's literature, for her second novel When You Reach Me...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionChildren's Author
Date of Birth16 January 1968
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
answer asked books connection definitely
I asked myself what it was that I wanted from writing and where my connection with books began, and the answer to that question was definitely in childhood, because that's where my connection with reading began.
stopping
The wonderful thing about writing fiction is that no one is stopping you. There's no one saying, 'You can't do that.'
published suffers time
Every published writer suffers through that first draft because most of the time, that's a disappointment.
authors bit books course experience hoping mystery publishing remember since time work writers
I am hoping to work with writers publishing books for first time, since I of course remember what that experience is like. It's all a bit of a mystery for new authors who don't know what to expect.
relaxed trying
On Sunday, I think the most important thing for me is to just turn my brain off. The idea of not trying is the key, because that's where you're relaxed enough to let your brain make new connections.
favourite james judy kids kinds klein liked paula ray science
I never had a favourite book! I liked all kinds of things - science fiction, so I read Heinlen and Ray Bradbury, and I also liked reading about kids like myself, so I read Judy Blume and Norma Klein and Paula Danzinger and a lot of other writers. I also read James Herriot!
allowed bit
I think things hit me very hard, and I wish I had allowed things to roll off my back a little bit more.
advocate agent excites involve job literary love people says though whose
In so many ways, being a literary agent is an irresistible job to me. Not only does it involve all the things I love - being an advocate for others, problem solving, and going to meetings - yes, that's true, I love meetings, though everyone says it's bizarre! - but most importantly, I love working with people whose writing excites me.
experience external internal package present versus
I try to write about internal experience versus the external self. I like to present ideas, but not package them neatly.
awe basically family
I am basically in awe of every family's ability to make decisions for their kids.
earrings hanging homemade lovely wall
I would never look a gift horse in the mouth. I've had some lovely homemade earrings and, recently, a wall hanging made in the style of Georges Seurat.
dad feeling grew mostly second time
I grew up mostly an only child. My dad remarried when I was a teenager. And then I had two stepbrothers. And then my dad had a second child. So I have a brother from the time I was 15. But I really grew up feeling like an only child.
mostly prefer telling
Mostly what I try to do is build emotion. Only I'd prefer not to do it by telling you about emotion but by pushing that emotion down.
hard work
Try really, really hard not to judge your own work too harshly.