Ask the Author: Mark Holtzen
Answered Questions (4)
Mark Holtzen
If you feel the desire to express yourself with written words, then do it. Whether you’re “publishing” your work for one important person in your life, or for throngs of fans, both acts have value. The moment I realized that writing was my way of enriching how I experience the world, I relaxed and enjoyed the process much more. When I decided I wrote for larger reasons than to simply "become published" it took the pressure off. That’s when we create our best work anyway. Have fun. Be yourself. You might be surprised what comes.
Mark Holtzen
I love a quote I saw long ago, but don't remember who said it:
"The way to deal with writer's block is to lower your standards."
And it's true. Just get words on the page even if they are ridiculously bad, because you can always go back and fix them. It might take some time to figure out how to make them better--to say what you want them to say how you want to say it--but at least there's something there to work with.
"The way to deal with writer's block is to lower your standards."
And it's true. Just get words on the page even if they are ridiculously bad, because you can always go back and fix them. It might take some time to figure out how to make them better--to say what you want them to say how you want to say it--but at least there's something there to work with.
Mark Holtzen
I have a few picture books at various stages, but I've mostly been focused on middle grade novels. I have one self-published and three on the shelf. The three unpublished books all need various levels of fixing, but I believe in chunks of all of them. This current one is a genre I've never tried before so I'm intimidated, but even on the frustrating days I feel compelled to try to pull it off. Learning the wily craft of novel writing has been fascinating and daunting, but I think I'm getting better. I know what I'm doing wrong more often now. There's so much to get wrong. I'll see what my critique partners and a couple trusted kid editors think. Kids are always the best judges. They'll tell you something isn’t working for them with words or their body language pretty much immediately.
Mark Holtzen
There’s an old, dilapidated sign in my neighborhood that reads “Former site of Sicks Stadium.” I drive, walk or bike past it every day. Sicks Stadium was a central landmark in Seattle for decades. The idea of attending a baseball game a few blocks away has intrigued me since we moved in. The idea of writing a children’s book with some local historical flavor was just as intriguing. I got to include businesses that have been here since the 30’s and reference people of ethnic groups who have compelling local stories. This book is a love letter to my neighborhood.
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