Shannon Hale was in town on Thursday, talking up her most recent book, THE PRINCESS ACADEMY: PALACE OF STONE. I never tire of hearing other authors talk about how they work, how they manage with children, writing, and life. It’s very much an iron sharpens iron thing.
Shannon talked about getting ideas for stories daily (a story isn’t one idea but many, she said), writing down those ideas, and coming back to them at a later date. She works on two books at once, turning to one when the other is in edits. A sitter comes to watch her four kids for three hours a day, five days a week, and she commits to 1,000 a day.
I felt a kinship with Shannon when she mentioned she’s drawn to stories that are hard. If a story is easy, there really isn’t anything to say. I’m in the midst of my own hard story, and hearing I’m not alone in this challenge was reassuring — and fuel to help me finish my work.
This girl in front of me was adorable. She’d worn out her first copy of THE PRINCESS ACADEMY, so she bought two more: one for regular reading and one for backup.
So awesome you got to meet her Caroline! I’d love to.
She’s lovely. And hilarious.
I love moments like these! So fun to see the photos. 🙂
Agreed!
I love Shannon and her writing. I had the pleasure of meeting her in person a few years ago, and she has this amazing ability to encourage and inspire with her humor.
I didn’t realize she was so funny! Very, very entertaining.
That’s a great picture of the two of you! What were you talking about right then, do you remember? Your expression and Shannon’s arm in the air are intriguing! 🙂
It was a great evening!
I think we were talking about hard books — the draw to them and the challenge it is to write them.
I love Shannon Hale’s books, and when I met her a couple years ago, I was blown away by how friendly she was. I love when authors have personalities that match their books!
She is a class act.