David: Pretty simple really. Pick up a pen and begin. Write about a memory. A favorite trip. Food that makes you gag. Your most embarrassing moment. If you feel like nonfiction, and know something about rocks, write about rocks. If you love reading poetry, pick a favorite and write your own poem using the same patterns, line lengths, and sounds. Before long the tools of the trade won’t feel as awkward and the self-consciousness begins to fade. You don’t have to be published to call yourself a writer. A painter is someone who paints. A bowler is someone who bowls. A writer is someone who writes.
A writer’s number one tool is reading. Every writer reads. We read for pleasure, we read to learn, we read for inspiration, we read to expand our understanding of the world and how we might fit in.
Julie: I have to confess, before looking at all those many, many published titles you’ve accomplished, I thought you were “just” a poet! I was completely taken aback with the diversity of your writing! I grew up reading your Little Golden books and Clifford books, and never knew it! Please tell us a little bit about some of your favorites from 1969 to present day and what makes them so special to you personally.
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