By Amanda Morgan
BookChick.com Correspondent
At SCBWI LA (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), we were lucky enough to catch up with the amazing Michael Reisman, the bestselling author of Simon Bloom, The Gravity Keeper (which was just optioned by Universal) and Simon Bloom, The Octopus Effect. Book three in the series is slated for 2010. Reisman lives in Los Angeles and works in the entertainment industry as a script/book reader.In this BookChick.com interview, Michael discusses his writing process, favorite books, and how, exactly, to pronounce his last name.
Amanda Morgan: What is your favorite part of writing and why? (i.e. first draft, revising, etc.)
Michael Reisman: It’s hard to pinpoint one stage or another that’s the most fun or exciting. I’d have to say my favorite is the facet of writing that comes along at almost every stage: breakthrough. When an idea first occurs, as it evolves, as the writing begins, as it continues, and as the revisions go on, there’s this feeling of “Yes!” when something snaps into place. There’s so much about writing that’s so one foot in front of the other – you know where you’re going and you’re getting there – and that’s good. But then there are those moments where you’re either stuck or unsure or meandering and suddenly… Wham! I love that.
AM: Describe your writing process.
MR: I get an idea – either for a character or a scenario or even just a part of a chapter – and I start to play with it. I often just do that in my head, kind of rolling it around and seeing what it might be. I also write stuff down so I don’t forget. When the idea coalesces a bit more, I start to type it into a file on my computer. I don’t outline or even plan it out, per se. I jot down what I know and where I want it to go and then I ask myself questions. (E.g. for the Simon Bloom books, which entailed basing a system of magic on science, I had to figure out all these nuances that never get described in the books such as how long each formula’s effect would last and what limitations there would be and how they’d change over time. So I puzzled these rules out on page, debating with myself as I typed.) Then I write, trying to get down as much as possible without going back to fix things up. I try to do as Anne Lamott describes in BIRD BY BIRD (my favorite writing book): first draft, get it down; second draft, fix it up; third draft, tend to the little details (she calls it the dental draft). I don’t necessarily write every day or for a set amount of time, and sometimes I only play with it in my head – figuring out particulars – while doing other things. Oh, and I usually ingest large amounts of caffeine. Caffeine is my friend.
AM: How long have you been writing?
MR: When I was growing up, I didn’t think about becoming a writer. I did enjoy doing creative essays when allowed in school. When I graduated from college, in 1994, I had an idea for a book and decided to write it. I tried to get agents and editors to take a look, but nobody showed much interest in it. I took a few years off from book-writing to try my hand at writing movies and TV, but I returned to writing books in 1998 and haven’t stopped since. Though SIMON BLOOM, THE GRAVITY KEEPER was my first sale, it was my 5th book.
AM: If you could recommend one book—and only one book—to readers, other than your own, what would it be?
MR: I’d recommend my favorite book ever: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I think I first read it in 6th grade, and I’ve reread it so many times. I love the way poor, ordinary Arthur is consistently overwhelmed by the weird and wild universe he’s so jarringly introduced to, and I love the creativity of that weird, wild universe. The book is so inventive and funny, both as a sci-fi tale and as a display of amazing wordplay. And I really like wordplay.
AM: Do you prefer middle grade to other genres?
MR: I can’t say I prefer reading middle grade over all other age-ranges, but I definitely appreciate it for how it looks at youths growing and becoming more independent as they face their conflicts. As far as writing, I’d say the Simon Bloom books span middle grade and the younger end of YA. I’m trying my hand at an older-aimed YA book right now and hope to write more of that and more adult-aimed stuff. But I do love writing at the Simon Bloom age-range, too, and I intend to do lots more of it.
AM: What is one thing that you hope your readers take away when they finish your book?
MR: You know, I try to cover a lot of things in the SIMON BLOOM books: I try to show that science can be fun, that being smart isn’t a bad thing, that knowledge is power (in the books quite literally), that you can be a hero even if you’re young and afraid. But if I had to pinpoint one thing above all that I intended for my readers to get out of these books? I want them to enjoy reading them and, thus, to feel good about reading more (of mine and other books, too).
AM: What is one question that you always wish you were asked?
MR: I wish people would ask how to pronounce my last name before they say it (it’s Reeseman, not Riceman) because even when I correct them, they seem to have Riceman stuck in their head.
AM: What makes the SIMON BLOOM books different from others in the genre, in your opinion?
MR: One thing that’s definitely different is the handling of the science aspects throughout. The books use actual science as magic, presenting real laws, theories, etc. and – hopefully – making them fun. (While my main goal in writing them certainly wasn’t to teach, readers of all ages have told me that they’ve actually learned science from the books.) Another thing is what I do with my Narrator. I know of many books that have 1st or 3rd person narrators stating opinions/making comments throughout (a la Lemony Snicket), as well as many other books that have 1st person narrators who are characters in the tale (a la HUCKLEBERRY FINN). My Narrator goes back and forth between 1st and 3rd person because he’s the narrator – observing all – but also has his part to play/ his own character arc.
AM: What did you do for web promotion and what did you find the most effective?
MR: I need to be more focused on web promotions. I have a website, a blog, Facebook/ MySpace/ Twitter accounts, and a little video I put up on YouTube. But I don’t blog or Tweet regularly enough, nor do I post status updates or bulletins or comments on Facebook/ MySpace enough. And I’ve meant to do more videos but haven’t yet. That being said, I think my site is the most effective. Sure, it’s the most passive of all those, but it’s also the most demonstrative of my personality and my writing style…and it’s up for anyone to see. It links to the above web promo-things and is, I hope, appealing. Until I become better at web-stuff, it’ll have to do as my main representative to Internet-goers.
AM: Any final thoughts/comments?
MR: While writing is work…often quite hard work…it’s also a lot of fun. I love it. My primary audience is me, so if what I’m writing makes me laugh, I feel like I’m on the right track. But I’m also always seeking ways to let people know about my books. To encourage them to take a look and see if I’ve made something they’d like. For me, signing a book for a person or reading a blog post or email from someone who enjoyed Simon Bloom is awesome. It makes me realize that, in whatever small way, what I’ve written is reaching others and making them smile a bit. I love that, too.
