Jay Asher

Talented, fun and generous, those are the words to describe Jay.  Part of the Disco Mermaids, Jay and the girls have brought good laughs to all of us on their blog and at the SCBWI National Costume party.  He has been around for years attending many events, workshop and Writer's Day.  The joke among us was that if Jay had submitted to a writing contest, none of us would win.  That is because Jay won every contest he entered.  We all cheered this past year when our Jay received a humongous advance on his first novel, "13 Reasons Why?"

When and why did you start writing for children?
In the mid-nineties, I took a college course called Children's Literature Appreciation.  I've always loved writing, but until that class, I dabbled in everything but children's lit (from screenplays to comic strips). 

For my final project, I wrote two picture book manuscripts...and got an A-plus!  Thirteen years later, my first novel (for teens) will be coming out.  And yes, my college instructor is listed on the acknowledgments page.

What is the most valuable advice you can give to someone who wants to write for kids?

Get a job at a library or bookstore.  Over the course of writing Thirteen Reasons Why, I worked at an independent bookstore, an outlet bookstore, a chain bookstore, and two public libraries.  One, you'll stay updated on everything that's coming out (especially if you have access to some of the trade magazines).  And two, you'll understand why people pick certain books off the shelves and why they either put them back or not.  Libraries are especially useful because the children/teens love to tell you what they liked or hated about the books they're returning.

What is one of your favorite children’s books that you'd like to recommend?
The Monster at the End of this Book starring Grover from Sesame Street.  No, I'm serious!  I've given this book to so many new parents.  It's what made me love to read as a child.  Grover is begging the reader not to turn the page because there's a monster at the end of the book and every page-turn brings us that much closer to him/her/it.  It's brilliant!  There's even a sequel starring Elmo...which isn't as bad as it sounds.

What is your favorite dessert and why?
A whole pint of Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby.  We're talkin' peanut-butter pretzels covered in fudge, buried within vanilla malt ice cream containing swirls of fudge and even more peanut-butter.  Of course, every time I eat it, my wife asks, "What's the name of that ice-cream again?"

Comments

[Laura Elliott]

Well, well, well...I loved "The Monster at the End of This Book" and so did my kids. Happy things are going so well for Jay and loved reading his thoughts on your blog, Tina:) Looking forward to "13 Reasons Why"

[Marni McGee]

What great advice -- to work at a library and let the kids teach the lessons! Even volunteering would work if you built up your "clientele." I did a residency at a local school this year, and really appreciated the friends I made among the students. And yes, they were eager to tell me about their favorite books -- and they were thrilled with the idea of helping me with my stories. . . what works, what doesn't. They are, after all, the real pro's in this business.