Member Spotlight: Martha Seif Simpson

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? I have no unrealistic dreams about becoming the best-selling author of the Great American Novel. But I do think I have some interesting stories to tell that will entertain children and hopefully spark conversations between kids and their adults. I’m a children’s librarian as well as a writer, and I’ve seen how the right book given to the right child can change their world and inspire them to read, discover, think, and learn. To me, the highest achievement is to write a book that some child, somewhere, will fall in love with and want to read over and over again.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Sometimes I have a great idea and I start writing and everything is going fine… and then I stop because I can’t figure out what happens next. If I find myself staring at a page for a while without a clue, I put it aside. Some stories just need to “marinate’ a while. It could be an hour, a day, a month, or even years! But if the story idea is worthwhile, I’ll eventually get back to it. Then I can look at it with fresh eyes and a plot element will come to me. If not, it’s back to the file drawer! Another thing I might try is to identify the pivotal moment in the story. If there isn’t one, there should be. If there is, does it work, or does it need to be tweaked? Or changed entirely? I’ll try different scenarios and see what works best. For some books, I’ll start an Excel worksheet to organize my thoughts. For example, I may have a column listing all the characters. Next to it, I’ll add columns for their appearance, motivation, likes and dislikes, or whatever else will help me get to know them better. I’ll start another worksheet to help me organize the plot. The first column lists the chapter numbers. Then I’ll add columns for setting, the characters involved, the main action, etc. for each chapter. Once I clarify what I’ve written, it will be easier to brainstorm about what should happen next.

What is your favorite time to write? I’m not one of those disciplined writers who get up at 6 a.m. every day and pounds out 500 words before breakfast. I don’t write every day. I write when I get an idea that gets stuck in my head and it keeps nagging me until I have to sit down and record my thoughts. But once I start a story that I’m really excited about, I get obsessed with it and write as much as I can, usually late at night. And when I’m not writing, I’m thinking about a plot twist, or a phrase, or something a character might say. Once I get the whole story down on paper, I keep going back to fiddle with it and find just the right words. When I was working full time, I had to write at night or on my days off. But now that I’m retired, my time is more flexible. And I can sleep late if I’m up all night writing!

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? If you want to get serious about writing, join an organization such as the Authors Guild or the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Their websites have lots of useful information for all levels – beginners and advanced writers. They also have conferences, webinars, and other ways for you to connect with and learn from other writers. Some organizations can direct you to critique groups, either in person or online. Join one or many. You’ll get honest feedback from other writers while honing your own critical thinking skills. Read your story out loud. If you find yourself tripping over words, then you have to fix the sentence or paragraph. It’s also helpful to have someone who hasn’t previously seen the story read it aloud. You already know what your story is supposed to sound like. Hearing another person read it will make it easier for you to hear if your sentences flow or sound uneven. I guess that’s 3 pieces of advice!

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? There’s something that feels warm and cozy about sitting down and reading a good old-fashioned bound book. That’s my preference, but there are more options for reading these days – audiobooks, ebooks, and multi-platform interactive books, to name a few. People can choose to read by whatever method suits them best. And yes, listening to an audiobook does count as reading! It’s fun to know that my print books can also be read on a cellphone and may possibly be developed for other mediums. There are so many possibilities!

Martha Seif Simpson’s A Ring for a King: A Tale of King Solomon, illustrated by D. Yael Bernhard, is out now with Wisdom Tales.