Ask the Author: Pendred Noyce
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Pendred Noyce
Since these days I'm writing mostly about science for kids, this is easy. I'm always wondering about things that happen in the natural world. For example, why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others? Sometimes, as I ponder one of these questions, a story starts to weave around it. That was the case with my most recent novel, Mosquitoes Don't Bite Me. What I know or began to learn about the the possible mechanism, genetics, and evolution of such a trait merged into a story about a young girl trying to find her place in the world--half Kenyan, half American, growing into her own view of justice and sense of herself as a scientist. Soon Nala's voice took over, and I knew I needed to write the book.
Pendred Noyce
Badly. Sometimes I think of myself, during those long periods of block, as lying fallow, like a field. That was the case for many years after the final rejection of my first novel, TULKU, and the sudden death of my father. I turned away from writing for fifteen years, working on other things (math and science education mostly) and feeling that I had nothing to say. At the end of that time some kind of seed fell on that fallow and well-fertilized field, and now I know I do have things to say.
Writer's block now is a kind of procrastination, facilitated by all sorts of other duties and distractions. I fight it by giving myself small deadlines, goals and rewards, such as "500 words today, 1000 tomorrow." I have never been a person who had a strict daily time set aside for writing. Perhaps the moment has come.
Writer's block now is a kind of procrastination, facilitated by all sorts of other duties and distractions. I fight it by giving myself small deadlines, goals and rewards, such as "500 words today, 1000 tomorrow." I have never been a person who had a strict daily time set aside for writing. Perhaps the moment has come.
Pendred Noyce
The best moments of being a writer are when the story comes flowing out and the words tumble one after another and I don't notice time or hunger or distraction. Those times are rare. Usually it's a matter of cranking myself up and getting down to work.
Overall, the best thing about being a writer is the chance to reach across the blankness between us and speak to another human being I may never meet.
Overall, the best thing about being a writer is the chance to reach across the blankness between us and speak to another human being I may never meet.
Pendred Noyce
Read, write, and live broadly. Travel if you can. Try to understand how other people think and talk. What motivates them? Let yourself fall in love with stories.
Pendred Noyce
My most recently published book, THE BEECHWOOD FLUTE, is one I mostly wrote some time ago. You can read a lot about the writing process and various sources for the book on my blog, www.pendrednoyce.wordpress.com.
Briefly, the book grew out of my childhood fascination with wanting to prove I was brave.
Briefly, the book grew out of my childhood fascination with wanting to prove I was brave.
Pendred Noyce
I'm currently working on two pieces of non-fiction for middle school kids. One is an interactive e-book on climate change, which I'm going to share in beta version at the National Science Teachers Association annual conference in LA at the end of March.
The other book will be about a whole range of inventors and the process of invention. That one will be coming out in 2018.
The other book will be about a whole range of inventors and the process of invention. That one will be coming out in 2018.
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