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Ask the Author: Louis Sachar

“Hi there, I'll be answering a few questions per week. Can't wait to hear from you.” Louis Sachar

Answered Questions (9)

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Do you think it's difficult or impossible to write children's books if you don't have experience with children (teaching, taking care of them, etc)?
Louis Sachar well, we were all kids once, so you can always try to connect with who you used to be. It probably helps to have experience with them.
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Did you make pretend books when you were a kid?
Louis Sachar I wrote stories, but didn't make pretend books.
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Hi! I did some research a few months back, and discovered there was a television special based on Wayside School back in the '80s, though it seems to be in name only -- all descriptions I could find of it didn't include characters or events from the books at all. Despite this, apparently copies of the books released around this time advertised the special, so this leaves me curious, do you know anything about it?
Louis Sachar Yes, I saw that on the book covers too. As far as I know the special was never made. Just as much a mystery to me as it is to you.
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Okay, a slightly sillier question than the ones you've been answering, but I'm curious: is Sammy named after a real kid you taught like the rest of the Wayside kids are? What about Sue and Benjamin? I remember you saying that the Wayside kids are all named after actual kids you knew, including three Erics, I'm just curious if there was an actual person unlucky enough to become a dead rat.
Louis Sachar There's no such thing as a silly question, Jasmine. Just silly answers. Or something like that, anyway. No, there was no kid named Sammy. At the time, I didn't know if they would ever read these stories, and I certainly didn't want to embarrass anyone. By the way, as far as I know, none of the real kids have ever read these stories.
There was also no Sue or Benjamin.
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How do you get inspired to write?
Louis Sachar I wish I got inspiration. The most important thing for me is routine. I write about two hours every morning, whether I'm feeling inspired or not. Eventually ideas form, and by returning every day, I'm able to build on those ideas.
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What are you currently working on?
Louis Sachar This is a question I never answer, and I don't like saying whether or not I'm working on anything. It takes me two years to write a book, and during that time, I never tell anyone, my wife, my daughter, my agent, what it is I'm working. By holding it in, it forces me to write it.
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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
Louis Sachar Strive for greatness. Don't be satisfied with anything less. When you submit your manuscript to an agent or publisher, don't expect them to uncover some hidden genius buried in the work. Make it so they can't possibly miss it.
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What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Louis Sachar The freedom. There's the freedom of not having a boss or a deadline. I can structure my day as I see fit. But even more than that, is the freedom to explore new ideas. Each new novel also becomes an exploration of myself.
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How do you deal with writer’s block?
Louis Sachar I write at least six drafts of every book, and the story changes quite a bit, especially in the early drafts. So if I get stuck, I just try to come up with something, anything, to get through it. When I come back to that part again, four or five months later, I usually have a better idea of what is needed there. I may only keep one small idea from the earlier draft.
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Louis Sachar
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