Ask the Author: David Mellon
Answered Questions (5)
David Mellon
I certainly hope so! I'm working on it. Thanks for asking.
David Mellon
Hey Betty. Very good question. I'm in a bunch of libraries, but how exactly I got into them I'm not quite sure. Was Merit Press (and then Simon & Schuster) doing their job? Or did the libraries see Silent listed in the School Library Journal or whatever and order the book? I should probably know this. : ) I will write my lovely publicist at S&S and see what she says. Thanks so much!
David Mellon
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David Mellon
I have a big red three ring binder (filled with the back sides of old chapters from writing classes. I never waste new paper if I can help it.) When I get stuck - writer's block or I just can't figure something out - I go sit in the coffee shop or the front patio, and ask myself questions. "What would Coal do if Adi were about to be shot?" "Would Adi kiss George after only knowing him for a day?" Then I just write, asking the question over and over again. Even if I'm too scattered to be the brilliant writer that day, I'm still writing. This goes on for days sometimes. Just questions and answers. Nobody ever sees it. I wrote a 320 page book, but there are probably two or three thousand scrawled pages in that question notebook.
David Mellon
Years ago I read a book of 'Italian Folktales' by Italo Calvino. The story that stuck in my head the most was one called 'Silent for Seven years.' Being a painter at the time (go to... davidmellon.com to see.) I started out doing paintings based on images in this story. One thing led to another (for more years than I care to admit : ) until I found UCLA Extension writers' Program and my wonderful writing teacher Laurel van der Linde.
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