We want to thank LeeAnna Kail for letting me interview her for the blog today. Ever since LeeAnna Kail was little, she had an interest in
writing. In fact, when she was in the fourth grade, she completed a career
project and dressed as an author with dreams of writing her own book one day.
LeeAnna attended Duquesne University with a double major in
political science and English with intentions of attending law school after
graduation. While studying abroad in Rome, Italy, LeeAnna had a change of heart
and decided to continue her education at Duquesne studying elementary education
instead. She knew she found her niche the first day of class. Inspired by an
assignment from a children’s literature course, LeeAnna's dream of writing a
book has come true.
LeeAnna currently teaches in Pittsburgh and hopes to be an
inspiration to her students to follow their dreams.
LeeAnna, can you share some writing
experiences with us?
In college, anytime I wrote a
paper, which was many of them since I English was one of my majors, I always
listened to the band, The Fray. I would sit at my desk with headphones in and
just type. I ALWAYS waited until the last minute to turn my papers in. I am a
procrastinator who works best under pressure and I would get in my zone with
The Fray and just write. I got a lot of As on my papers.
What are some
of the things that have influenced/inspired
your writing?
My dad, who published a
children’s novel last November, has been a major influence on my writing.
Growing up, he would always help me with my papers. Because of that, I adopted
some of his writing techniques. I used writing in my everyday life, whether it
was a paper or diary entry. Writing was an outlet for me.
It has been my
experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and other
things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to you and
what do you find more difficult?
The hardest part for me is starting. I needed
to find inspiration to start my story and it didn’t come for many weeks. Once I
had my idea, I then had difficult of discovering the problem. I thought, “Okay,
if an owl can’t ‘WHOO,’ what else could it say? Why would it need to say those
things?” So, coming up with the main parts of the plot was difficult.
The easy part for me was the title. I think a
title says a lot about a book and I had that right away. I knew what I wanted
it the main idea to be.
Please describe to us your relationship between you and your editor. What makes
an author/editor relationship a success?
An author/editor relationship
requires patience and understanding. The author has to remove any kind of
feeling from the book and realize that though the author may be good with
words, the editor knows the way in which they flow the best. My editor did a
wonderful job of taking out the “telling” I was doing in the story. She did however;
take out my favorite part in the story where the bullies end up coming to Ollie
for him to teach them his cool words. I think that is such a special moment,
and I just couldn’t get rid of it.
When they
write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your books and
writing? What do you hope they will say about you?
I hope they will
say that I used my book (hopefully books at the time) for good. This past year,
I did a fundraiser with my dad that had all the proceeds of our books go to a
child suffering from cancer at my school. For my book signings elsewhere, a
portion of the proceeds go to Make a Wish Foundation. I didn’t write this story
to make money off it, it just sort of happened because of a class. Fate has a
funny way of happening. Because of that, I want especially to use my book for
good.
I hope they say
that I loved deeply and showed others to accept themselves.
Is there any
particular book when you read it, you thought, "I wish I had written
that!"?
There are so many! As a teacher, I’m
constantly reading children’s books. I especially love “The True Story of the 3
Little Pigs.”
Have you ever
suffered from writer’s block? If yes, how did you ‘cure’ it?
Of course! Who
hasn’t! I have several techniques of overcoming this monster: take a walk, grab
a snack, plug in my headphones with The Fray blaring, bounce ideas off others,
or revisit it the next day.
What type of books do you mostly write?
I especially love children’s literature books, although I
have many unpublished poems.
Who or what inspires your characters and/or plots?
Random things at random times.
Tell us about your writing space.
It depends on the year. I have a Macbook. The places I go
with it are endless!
Is there anything you'd go back
and do differently now that you have been published, in regards to your writing
career?
No. Everything happens for a
reason!
Do you do first drafts on a computer or by hand?
By hand! The art of handwriting has sadly decreased with the
amazing technology in the world today. I am one who needs to write things down
though.
How do you see the future of book publishing, both
traditional, electronic and print on demand?
Well, two years ago, I went to King of Prussia Mall. All I
wanted to purchase was the Hunger Games series. After an hour of searching for
a bookstore, I ended up calling the information desk. Would you believe that
they do not have a book store in that GIANT mall?! I was so upset. I am one who
LOVES the smell of the paper, the feel of turning to the next page, and the
feeling of accomplishment after physically seeing the book you just read.
With that said, I think there is an inevitable decline of a
traditional book. Until then, I will continue to support the local libraries
and bookstores.
What advice
would you give to a new writer?
Keep writing!
Believe in yourself and your work.
****************************
You can find out more about LeeAnna Kail, her debut children’s
picture book and her World of Ink Author/Book Tour at
http://tinyurl.com/n5bul86
Follow LeeAnna Kail at
“Join Ollie on his adventure in searching for his sister and
learning the significance of being different.”
About the Book:
Ollie is known for one thing in his village: he is the only
owl who cannot “WHOO.” The other owls tease him for saying “WHEERE!” or
“WHEEN!” or “WHYY!” and sometimes “WHAAT!” All Ollie wants is to fit in, but
when his little sister gets lost in the woods, Ollie discovers he can help.
While providing insightful perspectives on diversity, The OWL Who Couldn’t WHOO offers
educators, libraries, parents and young readers a fresh new look on
anti-bullying and self-confidence.
Title of Book: The Owl Who Couldn’t WHOO
Publisher: Halo Publishing, Int.
ISBN Number(s): 978-1-61244-129-0
Genre of Book: Children’s picture book
Publication Date: Feb. 2013
Places where available: Halopublishing.com, Amazon.com,
BarnesandNoble.com, by author
