Member Spotlight: Janet Fox

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world?
I write for children and young adults, so my desire is that young readers will find answers to their questions in my books. I try to give them hope. I try to write mirrors and windows so they can see themselves and beyond. I try to set up my characters to fail so that young readers can see that failure is not final. And I try to entertain, because a great story is great fun.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block?
I usually am working on several books at the same time, so I rarely struggle with writer’s block. If I can’t think how to handle one book, I move to the next. Really, my remedy is just to write. Sit down and put words on paper.

What is your favorite time to write?
Any time. When I’m in the zone, I can write at any time of day or night.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers?
Don’t give up. The publishing business is a marathon, not a sprint. I still pinch myself that I have 9 books out in the world and more coming. I know a lot of writers who have the talent but not the perseverance. Oh, and read, read, read.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age?
These are turbulent times, so if I can reach one kid who needs my words, who feels comforted by my books, who gets lost in my worlds, that’s a win.

Janet Fox’s The Artifact Hunters is out on August 25 with Viking Books for Young Readers.