Ask the Author: Bruce Hale
Answered Questions (21)
Bruce Hale
I would visit the "Grisha-verse" of Leigh Bardugo's novels like Six of Crows, and while there, I'd have some adventures and take part in a heist. ; )
Bruce Hale
Thanks, I'm glad to hear it! Including books that I've done as a work-for-hire or ghostwritten, I've written about 55 books.
Bruce Hale
While I love all my books in different ways, one of the stories I'm proudest of is School For S.P.I.E.S.: Playing With Fire. It was the hardest and most complex thing I've ever written, taking over two years and many many revisions to complete. I really like how it came out.
Bruce Hale
The love of stories (and of paying my household expenses) is what inspires me. However, on those days when it's hard to get into the writing mood, I may play music, write in my journal, or read a chapter of a well-written book to get my motor running.
Bruce Hale
Here's what's on the top of my to-read stack (although many more are waiting beneath these)...
Frog kisser! by Garth Nix
The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan
Audacity Jones to the Rescue by Kirby Larson
The Blazing Bridge by Carter Roy
Frog kisser! by Garth Nix
The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan
Audacity Jones to the Rescue by Kirby Larson
The Blazing Bridge by Carter Roy
Bruce Hale
Sadly, the publisher has not requested more, and I have no plans to write more books about Max and his friends -- although if I ever did, it would be a mission that Max goes on with his dad.
Bruce Hale
When I was in my early 30s, I decided to track down my birth father, who I hadn't seen since I was two years old. I even used a private eye to do so. It was a lovely reunion, but if I were fictionalizing it, it probably would have had a lot more drama and mystery to it!
Bruce Hale
The couple in Jojo Moyes's One Plus One (whose names I can't recall because I passed the book on to my mom). I love the way they fumble their way toward romance.
Bruce Hale
That's great that you feel drawn to write a book. I'd recommend these things...
- Write about something you love, whether that is knitting, video games, horses, or whatever.
- Write your first draft as fast and sloppy as possible, rather than trying to make it perfect. Where stories start to get really good is in the 3rd, 4th or later drafts. So give yourself permission to make lots of mistakes in your 1st draft.
- Get a friend or family member to read your 2nd draft and ask questions about anything they don't quite get. Those questions indicate what needs to be revised or clarified in your writing.
Happy writing!
- Write about something you love, whether that is knitting, video games, horses, or whatever.
- Write your first draft as fast and sloppy as possible, rather than trying to make it perfect. Where stories start to get really good is in the 3rd, 4th or later drafts. So give yourself permission to make lots of mistakes in your 1st draft.
- Get a friend or family member to read your 2nd draft and ask questions about anything they don't quite get. Those questions indicate what needs to be revised or clarified in your writing.
Happy writing!
Bruce Hale
About 25 hats at this point -- although the number keeps changing, as I buy new hats and donate old ones!
Bruce Hale
Josiah, it was a great honor to be chosen by Harpercollins and the Hoff Estate to continue Syd's work. I loved those stories myself, growing up. In approaching the new tales, I referred frequently to his original books to try to capture that whimsical spirit he had. That said, the books were written so long ago that that world has changed, oh, just a bit. I did my best to strike a balance between faithfulness and relevance. So far, I've gotten lots of great feedback from fans of the originals.
Bruce Hale
To me, writer's block is just fear, that's all. It usually shows up during my first draft when I'm trying to make the story as perfect as it can be, and fearing that it's total dreck. My cure? Give myself permission to write a truly crappy first draft, and then barrel through it as fast and sloppily as I can. When I'm writing quickly, even if I know the quality isn't that great, the fear recedes. And I can always fix the story in revision. As James Thurber said, "Don't get it right; just get it written."
Bruce Hale
Jillian, I have a hard time *not* adding humor to anything I write. Because I have a background in writing more overtly funny books, the challenge for me lay in plumbing the characters' emotions. I was able to do this thanks to some interviews with former foster children and others in the foster community -- and thanks to a savvy editor who guided me through it.
Bruce Hale
As a mystery lover, I'd wanted to write a detective story for quite awhile. I began writing without knowing the character -- just that he would be an animal. When I wrote the first page, he introduced himself: "Kids say I'm someone who can solve mysteries. They're right. I am. Who am I? Chet Gecko, Private Eye." The name just popped into my head, and Chet Gecko was off and running.
Bruce Hale
Yes, Alan, everyone has their own interpretations -- and that's what makes stories based on fairytales so much fun. There are plenty of longer novels based on fairytales (BEAST, WICKED, ELLA ENCHANTED, CONFESSIONS OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER, etc.), but I wouldn't call them fractured, exactly, as most of them aren't funny.
Bruce Hale
Dear Alan,
I have no idea how many copies of the book have sold, since it's only been out since late January. I agree, though, that it'd be fun to write more adventures. I'll be talking with my publisher about this.
I have no idea how many copies of the book have sold, since it's only been out since late January. I agree, though, that it'd be fun to write more adventures. I'll be talking with my publisher about this.
Bruce Hale
I'd love to write more books in this series, but so far the publisher (Scholastic) hasn't decided if they want more books than just the first. Great idea about giving Wolfgang a love interest!
Bruce Hale
Two things above all: read, read, read, and write, write, write. By reading good books, you absorb storytelling styles, and by constant writing, your true voice emerges. It also helps to be stubborn and never give up, as the road to publication can be long and winding.
Bruce Hale
It's a three-way tie between: making a living creating stories, enjoying sharing those stories with kid readers, and being able to go to work in my PJs.
Bruce Hale
Right now, I'm working on the first book in a new middle-grade series called THE MONSTERTOWN MYSTERIES. It's a blend of humor, mystery, and horror, which has its roots in my childhood fascination with classic monster movies.
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