Children's Author Discusses Her Writing Process

An Interview With Young Adult Writer Kimberly K. Jones

Apr 7, 2009

Young adult writer Kimberly K. Jones shares her writing strategies in an informative Q & A session.

Kimberly K. Jones’ first young adult novel Sand Dollar Summer earned a spot on Booklist’s “Top Ten First Novels for Youth.” Her second novel, The Genie Scheme, received a starred review from School Library Journal and accolades from junior high students who appreciate Jones’ entertaining and informative classroom visits.

Suite 101 conducted a phone interview with Jones on April 2, 2009 where she shared her thoughts on the writing process. The following is an edited version of the interview.

Her Writer’s Journey

Jones: Well, everybody has a different path. And I made a conscious decision when I went to college to get a degree in something marketable – I’m very practical and wanted to be self-sufficient.

But writing was something I always enjoyed doing. And it would not go away. So once I allowed myself the time to enjoy doing it, I managed to publish a few things here and there.

Writing Books

Jones: It varies. My first published book Sand Dollar Summer took me almost five years of writing – after the kids were in bed – to get into a shape I thought was ready to show.

Jones: I don’t really have one! I have what I shoot for – but it always seems to be blown out of the water by this, that or the other thing. I write best in the morning. I keep off the phone and try to stay off the Internet, if possible!

I get up and walk every day. I find that cures a lot of plot points. I write on a computer – I type infinitely faster than I write.

I’m not a linear writer – I write a very thin thread from beginning to end, then go back and flesh it out. But I also write the beginning and then the end, and then go back to write the middle.

Writers Block

Jones: I don’t think I ever have writers block – I can always write something. It may not be the project I’m working on, but I think it’s necessary to give yourself that time and space. If you write regularly and routinely, that’s what counts.

Life Experiences

Jones: I think all life prepares you for writing. If you want to write, nothing goes to waste. The important thing is to get out there and do some living – because the more you observe, try to sort out the people and situations around you, and formulate how you feel about them, the more you have to draw on when you’re sitting at the keyboard.

Author Advice

Suite 101: What advice can you give to writers that you wished you had when you were starting out?

Jones: One thing I tell writers is “Trust yourself.” You have to believe you have something to say, and then it’s your job to find your unique way to say it.

The other thing is to revise, and revise, and re-revise. And then revise again. Revision is like putting wax on a piece of wood – it’s what makes your work shine.

And the final thing is – just do it! Don’t wait for the perfect time, or when you’ve got a weekend to spare, or the perfect idea. Just sit down and do it! Because until you sit down and write, you may be a thinker or a dreamer, but you’re not a writer.

And once you do sit down and write – amazing things happen! Characters show up. They say things you don’t expect. Plots unfold. It’s like falling down a rabbit hole – it’s a whole other world.

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