Maggie Bean = A+

I recently received an email from Victoria, a very sweet reader who asked if I'd answer a few questions to help her get a 100% on a school project about The Melting of Maggie Bean. I was so happy she asked, and so, so happy when she said I could share our Q&A with other readers who might also be striving for good grades.

If you have a question we didn't get to, please ask away at triciarayburn AT gmail DOT com!

(And thank you, Victoria!)

When and why did you begin writing?
I wrote my very first book (a real page-turner featuring my best friend and Rob Lowe, her favorite actor!) when I was in seventh grade. I didn’t write much for a long time after that, but was always, always, always reading. Eventually, I majored in American Literature at college, took a few creative writing classes as part of that curriculum, and was hooked! Creating stories NEVER felt like homework. After college I went to graduate school for creative writing, and it was during that time that I wrote The Melting of Maggie Bean.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned so much while writing Maggie Bean! I think the biggest lesson was realizing that sometimes revising means rewriting. My agent and I did a lot of work on Maggie before we sent her off to editors.

Is there a message in The Melting of Maggie Bean that you want readers to grasp?
I would love it if readers came away from Maggie deciding to be just a little bit kinder to their friends, family, and classmates. Everyone has their own challenges, even if we don’t know what they are, and a little support can go a long way.

Are there any books that have influenced your life?
I would say all the ones I read between the ages of nine and twelve! I had no idea I was going to write for children, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. And that’s because of the tons of amazing books I read when I was younger, like The Baby-Sitter’s Club series, the Sweet Valley Twins/High series, The Secret Garden, Where the Red Fern Grows, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, The Cat Ate My Gymsuit, and so many more.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
The authors of the books mentioned in question #4! Ann M. Martin, Francine Pascal, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Wilson Rawls, Judy Blume, Paula Danziger, and so many more. I also learn from every author of every book I read today by thinking about what they wrote and how they wrote it.

What was the hardest part of writing The Melting of Maggie Bean?
Revising! My agent didn’t think the original ending would resonate with most readers, so I had to rewrite that—and the fifty pages leading up to it!

How long did it take you to write The Melting of Maggie Bean?
Three months, plus several weeks of revising.

What advice would you give kids who wish to become authors?
Keep reading! There’s something to be learned in every single book. And pay attention to what YOU enjoy most as a reader. That will help guide your own writing!

What inspired you to write The Melting of Maggie Bean?
Maggie Bean started as a graduate school assignment to write the first thirty pages of a young adult novel. To do this, I thought back to my own childhood experiences, and there was one moment I kept going back to. That moment, which involved me secretly shopping for candy while my mom shopped for groceries, became the first chapter, and the rest quickly followed.

Did you read and write a lot as a child?
ALL the time! I’d save my allowance for our two annual trips to the mall, when I’d run to the bookstore and load up on the latest releases. I couldn’t get enough! (And I still can’t!)