Kate Schwarz
asked
Matthew Landis:
Just finished reading The Not So Boring Letters of Private Nobody with my third grader and we just loved it. Thanks for putting it out there on the shelves for us! Question for you: How does your teaching influence your writing, and vice versa?
Matthew Landis
Kate! Glad you and your son enjoyed Oliver. That kid is special to me, what a fun and nerdy story to write. Partly autobiographical LOL.
My teaching is the #1 influence on my writing: thematically, but primarily voice-related. My recent novel, IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS I KNOW IT, which takes place at the same school as PRIVATE NOBODY, was inspired by two students who faced apocalyptic life scenarios. So thematically it's more of a basis, rather than directly lifted. Rarely do I use an exact student, but rather a "type" of student I've had, and then puzzle piece the rest of their personality.
Voice-related, I'd say, is the biggest influence. I've spent 13 years with middle school kids, so I know their lingo. That's likely my greatest insider info, allowing me to be super authentic without much research. Kids talk a certain way, and it's easy to spot inauthentic dialogue. My goal is never do that. EVER.
I'd say less influence on writing to teaching. Mainly I write stories that move me, which are usually based on kids, not the other way around.
Thanks so much again for checking my stories out, and please continue to do so! The third novel in the series will be out in Fall 2021 about another group of kids, same school.
Take care!
My teaching is the #1 influence on my writing: thematically, but primarily voice-related. My recent novel, IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS I KNOW IT, which takes place at the same school as PRIVATE NOBODY, was inspired by two students who faced apocalyptic life scenarios. So thematically it's more of a basis, rather than directly lifted. Rarely do I use an exact student, but rather a "type" of student I've had, and then puzzle piece the rest of their personality.
Voice-related, I'd say, is the biggest influence. I've spent 13 years with middle school kids, so I know their lingo. That's likely my greatest insider info, allowing me to be super authentic without much research. Kids talk a certain way, and it's easy to spot inauthentic dialogue. My goal is never do that. EVER.
I'd say less influence on writing to teaching. Mainly I write stories that move me, which are usually based on kids, not the other way around.
Thanks so much again for checking my stories out, and please continue to do so! The third novel in the series will be out in Fall 2021 about another group of kids, same school.
Take care!
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