Pam Munoz Ryan
Called the 'Accidental Author' by Gay Fawcett (The California Reader, Volume 28, No. 3, Spring, 1995), Pam Ryan describes her entrance into writing and her experiences with the writing processes.
Called the 'Accidental Author' by Gay Fawcett (The California Reader, Volume 28, No. 3, Spring, 1995), Pam Ryan describes her entrance into writing and her experiences with the writing processes.
Getting An Idea
I spend a lot of time thinking, remembering, daydreaming, imagining, pretending, and saying, What if? I write my ideas down on backs of envelopes, napkins, scraps of paper, or in an emergency, on my hand! Brilliant ideas usually come at inopportune times like when I am in the shower or driving a car. I transfer my ideas to an idea file. This is an official folder stuffed with backs of envelopes, napkins, and scraps of paper. When I am ready to start a project, I disregard the ideas that are laughable, embarrassing, or do not seem brilliant anymore. (There's lots of those!) I pursue the ideas that keep coming back to me, I ask myself, if I had only a few weeks to live, what would I write next? Then I write about that.
Starting The Project
I get up early in the morning. I usually keep on my robe and slippers. (attire is very important!) I round up my writing essentials - bananas, M&Ms, coffee, and apples. I put pen to paper, or fingers to computer. I don't worry about punctuation, grammar, spelling, or neatness. It doesn't count yet. I write. I read my writing out loud. I rewrite. I let the manuscript rest a few days.
Daydream
Daydream a little everyday and pretend often. Read lots of different kinds of books so you will know what is good and what is not-so-good literature. Write lots of different things: lists, letters, stories, menus, notes. Lists are my favorites. Take time to pay attention to people, places, and things so you can soak in all the little details. That's a good beginning!
Its A Long Process
I rewrite. I take out all the trite phrases. I look up some new adjectives, rewrite, and take out the excessive descriptions. NOW I am concerned about grammar! I rewrite on and off for weeks or months.
Involving An Agent
I send my manuscript to my agent. I rewrite for her before she feels its ready to submit.
Submitting To A Publisher
I rewrite for the publisher, not once, but probably several times. PHEW! It will be at least a year before the book comes out, so I have to be patient. And I've found the only way to be patient is to start with another idea!
Are you nice or mean? I am like everyone else. Some days I feel wonderful and feel like being nice to everyone. Other days I feel grumpy. But, even when I don't feel great, I still try to be friendly to people. Sometimes when I am not feeling good about myself, I try to think of something nice to do for someone else and, believe it or not, that makes me feel better. My family will admit that I am at my worst when I am tired.
Is your family nice to you?Most of the time.
What do you like to write about? I like to write about things I know about. If I get an idea for a book and I don't know anything about a subject, like zebras for instance, then I go to the library and check out a bunch of books and talk to experts and I find out all I can. Before you know it, I know a lot about something new and I feel comfortable writing about it. So far I have written books about families, working with children, relationships, the American Flag, corn snakes, other authors, and my life growing up in the San Joaquin Valley in California. And, I'm starting a new book about zebras!
Do you like writing? I love writing. My idea of a perfect day would be to get up early, write all morning, go Boogie-boarding at the beach in the afternoon, come home and order pizza for dinner. I haven't had very man of those perfect days yet!
What do you like best about writing?The thing I like most about writing is that it is not boring. Each project is different and although some chapter books take a year to write, they are still fun. About the time I get tired or bored with a book, it is usually almost done and it is time to work on something new.
Are you writing some more stories? Yes, I am always in the process of writing more stories. Some of my stories will never be published. Others may be published. I hope so. I will keep writing no matter what!
What do you like to do for sports?I like to take long walks and I love to go to the beach and swim in the ocean. I also like to watch my children's soccer games.
Are you married? Yes, I am married. My husband's name is Jim. He loves to fish. He even goes to Alaska to go fishing.
Do you have any kids?Yes, I have four kids. Two daughters and twin sons.
What is your family like? My family is noisy.
How old are you and when is your birthday? I was born on Christmas Day, 1951.
What is your favorite food? I really love pizza and I also love noodles . . . and chocolate!
How do you know where to put the punctuation marks in your books? Sometimes I am still confused about punctuation marks. I have some grammar books that I use to look up the proper usage. Sometimes my manuscript will come back from my editor and she will have corrected my grammar and punctuation. I don't feel embarrassed though. There is so much to learn about grammar that I am always learning a new rule.!?';:!
Do you like to write fiction or non-fiction? I enjoy writing both. If I am writing non-fiction, I try to find interesting and unusual facts about the subject. I like to surprise people.
What nationalities are you? My maternal grandparents were from Mexico. My paternal grandparents were from Italy.
Do you like to read? I love to read. I read more than I write. I don't just read adult books, either. I am always reading children's books. Right now I am reading The Sign of the Beaver because I never had the chance to read it in school.
Why do you like to write when there are a lot of other jobs in California? Well, sometimes you find something you love to do and you stick with it. I guess I got hooked on writing books!
Where do you get your ideas for your books?Sometimes I think of ideas myself. Sometimes someone else gives me a good idea. Sometimes a teacher will tell me that there isn't a book on a particular subject and that will inspire me. I even have an 'idea file' in my desk. When I think of an idea for a story or a book, I write it down in the file. When I'm ready to start a new story, I will sit down and look through all my notes. Some of them are good and I will start writing a book from my ideas. Other ideas are not-so-good and when I go back and read them, I throw them in the trash. An 'idea file' is fun to have in the classroom, too.
What is your favorite book? One of my favorite books is The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant. I also love The Talking Eggs by Robert San Soucci. I just finished reading The True Confessionsof Charlotte Doyle and I loved that book also. One of my all time favorites is Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery and also Maniac McGee by Jerry Spinelli . . . .
I wish I were you because you are luckyI know this isn't a question but I wanted to tell all of you that I have a little quote taped on my bulletin board right next to my computer. It says, The harder I work, the luckier I get. I believe this!
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Pam Munoz Ryan offers enthusiastic and interactive presentations which demonstrate the picture book and chapter book journey from inspiration to completion. She also shares anecdotes and research stories about the writing process.
Pam offers school visits, teacher inservices, and conferences.
For information contact:
Pam Ryan
P.O. Box 232444
Leucadia, CA 92023
(619)753-3456
Or visit Pam's Website
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