Shella asked Stacy McAnulty:

I just finished your new book, Millionaires for the Month. It is my top pick so far for 2020. I know this is not the type of story that gets any Newbery attention, but I hope that will change this year. How do you think of your unique characters and conflicts? It was so refreshing to read a poignant story that was not so emotionally heavy.

Stacy McAnulty Thank you for reading my new book and your kind remarks. It means a lot to me.

As for your question, characters and conflict really drive my stories. (Probably most authors can say the same thing.) For me, I try to get close to my characters by imagining them in various situations. My real-life children make fun of me because I'm always mumbling to myself. My kids know I'm talking to Felix or Benji (or currently, a character for my latest book names Ryatt). The characters live with me as I create the books. Even when I'm doing something mundane like ordering pizza, I'm thinking, what would Benji want on his pie? How many slices would Felix eat? As for conflict, my favorite piece of advice is "chase your character up a tree and then throw rocks at them." That might not make sense out of context, but basically, a writer should not shield her characters from problems. As a mom, I want to protect my kids. As an author, I can't do the same for my characters. I'm here to make their lives hard (at least for three-quarters of the book).

Thanks again for reading Millionaires for the Month!

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