Several months ago, I was invited to speak to kids at the Lenz Elementary School in Reno for their reading week in March. Last week, I drove down the mountain and gave two talks in their library, 30 minutes each, to something around 100-plus 4th, 5th, and 6th graders.
What fun!
The focus of my talk was to explain what it's like to write books, as well as what the life of an author is like. (If you want to pique their curiosity, just tell them that authors get to stay up as late as they want and sleep in as late as they want!)
Talk about engaged kids. After I explained how I dreamed up a fictional detective (Owen McKenna) and his sidekick (Spot, the 170-pound Harlequin Great Dane), I asked if they had any questions.
Whoa. Every hand in the library went up. Their questions were really smart.
Do you use real events, or do you make up everything about a story?
Are the places in your book real?
What's the most fun part of writing?
How long does it take to write a book?
Do you write a certain amount every day?
Have you ever met famous authors?
What's the best thing about being an author?
I've spoken to all ages and every kind of group. But speaking to kids is the most fun. My thanks to Lenz School for inviting me!
P.S. The kids knew all about Sherlock Holmes, and they loved my double-billed Sherlock cap!
Got to love kids. They are so smart. Well done.
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