Writing For Children

Questions & (short) Answers

How did you start writing for children?

I was 11 and the schools were closed. Normally I’d spend my free time in the forest with friends, but this time I was sent to my granny’s house. Alone. I could do whatever I wanted for one whole week without any interruptions. It was pure bliss. I wrote a thrilling adventure story and finished the first draft in seven days.

Where do you find your ideas?

Everywhere! Outside and Inside.

How do you start writing a story?

A word ‘arrives’, or a sentence or a picture. I write it down.

How do you write when you have no inspiration?

That’s easy. I start. It’s just work. If I waited for inspiration, I wouldn’t produce much at all. Instead, I tell myself to sit down on a chair and type for say two hours. I always start by reading and correcting the part I wrote the previous day, which works kind of like a warm-up.

Do you laugh or cry or get angry or scared when you write your stories?

Yes, I do. I remember sitting on my sofa, writing a story and all of a sudden the main character saw something incredibly scary and I sat there trembling on the couch. I laugh a lot as well.

What do you do first, do you write first or draw first and why?

I write first and then I draw. And then I change the story a little. The pictures help me get to know the characters even better and the text helps me to choose the colours and to get the atmosphere right.

Is your story perfect straight away?

No it isn’t. Perfect doesn’t exist. I like to say that ‘Practice makes progress‘. I rewrite my stories about 25 times.

What can you do to become a better writer?

Write more and read more.

What is your writing process like?

I look over what I wrote the previous day, correct it and write today’s part of the story. I do the same the next day and the next day and so on. When the story is finished I read it and delete sentences, words and comma’s. And I fix things. Plot holes and that. I improve the story and improve it a bit more. Finally, I ask an editor to proofread and edit the manuscript.

How long does it take you to write a book?

A chapter book of more or less 10,000 words takes me about a year. (I have a day job:)

Do your stories have a moral?

Yes and no. I don’t like to be told what to do. So I hope I don’t try and tell readers what to do. Or what not to do. I do feel that, if the story is exciting, if it’s an action-packed adventure, it can at the same time be a story about facing fear or finding freedom or about dealing with a negative voice inside. For example. But the story has to flow and be fun to read, this is a priority. I trust that young readers will get the message somehow. Children are smart.

What advice do you have for children who want to write?

Never give up. Keep writing. Enjoy writing. Make writing a habit. Don’t listen to people who say you can’t or shouldn’t write. Collect story ideas, write them down in a copybook and put it beside your bed. Read, read, read. Find out about how stories are constructed. And about how to tell a story. And never, ever, ever give up!

What are some of your favourite childhood books?

Most books by Roald Dahl, ‘Pippi Longstocking’ by Astrid Lindgren, ‘The Goldsmith and the Master Thief’ and ‘The Letter For The King’ by Tonke Dragt.

What is your best childhood memory?

Sitting high up in a cherry tree with friends, eating cherries.

What is your favourite food?

Pizza. Margherita with olives and rocket.