Well, today we are making history! My very special guest is Mr. Connor Wilson, who is the youngest traditionally published author in America! Connor has written A Giant Pencil, which will be released August 11th. You may recognize this name because Connor's very proud father--Jeffrey Wilson, author of The Traiteur's Ring and The Donors--has been my guest a couple times.
As soon as I get my copy, I will share my review with you guys... I know we're going to love it!
Connor Wilson
A Giant Pencil
GL: Can
you tell everyone a little about yourself?
Connor: Okay, I’m Connor Wilson and I am 11 years old.
I live in Tampa, Florida, with my family, and I have written a children’s book
called A GIANT PENCIL. It’s really cool, because I found out not too long ago
that I’m the youngest fiction writer in America, which was a really neat
surprise. I’ve always loved to make up stories and write them down, but I
didn’t really think I could write a whole book until I did it.
I like a lot of
things other than writing stories, though. I really love to skateboard—that’s
something I could do, like, every day. I play basketball for my school. I’m
learning to Scuba Dive (which is pretty freaky), and like all the other kids I
know, I love video games. I have a little
brother and little sister. I love playing with them, but sometimes they can be
a pain. Having a little brother and sister helped me write A GIANT PENCIL, because
I could kind of think about what would Jack and Emma like in a story. I also
have a best friend named Josh, who lives across the street, and we play
together kind of every day. Actually, he and I are doing the Scuba lessons
together, which is cool.
GL: Very nice to meet you, Connor! Sounds
like you stay really busy! Taking Scuba lessons (with your best friend) sounds
really neat. I'm not sure I could do it because I'm claustrophobic J. I'm getting kinda panicky just thinking about it...
GL: Now,
tell us about your book, A Giant Pencil.
CW: Well, it’s a children’s book for kids in elementary
school. It’s a picture book, but a little longer than, like, a little kid book,
so maybe for second grade through about fourth or fifth grade, probably. The
story is about a boy named Billy who is totally grumpy all the time. He always
thinks that everyone is picking on him, like all of his brothers and sisters,
and his parents, and the teachers and kids at school. Then one day he finds
this giant pencil in the woods near his house and only he can see it. Then he
finds out that with the pencil he can erase people he doesn’t like, and they
really disappear. So you can kind of guess what happens to people he thinks
pick on him. In the end, he learns about how much his family and friends really
mean to him and that helps him be a better person.
GL: Why
did you decide to write A Giant Pencil?
CW: Well, like I said, I have always liked to
make up stories and write them down. In school I always get great grades on
stories and my teachers like to read my stories as examples (which I hate and
is totally embarrassing). Anyway, my dad is a writer and I see him writing his
stuff all the time, and he tells me about his stories sometimes. I told him I
thought it would be really cool to write a book, and he told me I should just
try and do it. So, I decided I would try to write a children’s book. I honestly
was a little surprised I was able to do it, but not as surprised as my dad,
although he says he knew I could. Anyway, from there my dad helped me learn
about editing (which totally stinks and is much harder than writing a book—like
100% harder) and then he helped me find a publisher. The first couple of
publishers didn’t buy it, because they said it was too long for a picture book,
but it was just neat to get these letters with my name on them. So, anyway, I
had to edit it again to make it shorter and then the next publisher, Weaving
Dreams Publishing, said they wanted to buy it. That was an AWESOME day because
my dad called me and I totally flipped out. Sometimes I still can’t believe it.
GL:
That is really cool! I would flip out too… And, I'm an editor, so I get
to do the hard part ALL the time J.
GL: What
message are you hoping the readers are able to take from the book?
CW: That you should never wish that you have
nobody in your life. I hope the story makes kids appreciate their friends and
their families. Are you listening Jack and Emma?
GL: How
long did it take you to write it?
CW: It took me about 3 months to write the rough
draft, but then I learned how hard it is to edit. I could totally write it
faster now, because I’m older now. When I wrote it, I did it in pencil in a
notebook because I was, like, nine years old and didn’t know how to type on a
computer. Then when I had to do all that editing, I learned more about using
the computer to write. Now I do everything on the computer.
GL:
Imagine what life was like for writers BEFORE we had computers… even
typewriters!
GL: Who
did the illustrations for the book?
CW: Alyssa Machete did my illustrations. I met
her when she was going to University of Tampa. She graduated already and is now
a graphic designer in New York. She really made the pictures look like what I
wanted and she is really nice, too.
GL: Find out more about Alyssa on her website: http://amachette.com
GL: What
was it like getting your book published?
CW: When I heard my book was getting published, I
was so excited. I felt like I was on top of the world. Then I had to edit. Ugh!
When I found out I was the youngest writer, it totally freaked me out. It still
kind of feels like a dream sometimes.
GL: Are
you as excited as your dad about being the youngest traditionally published
American author?
CW: Oh, yeah, I am so excited about that part. At
first I thought I was just some other author, but then I found out I was the
youngest and it was the best feeling. I guess because it made it more special
or something. My dad is actually probably more excited. He tells everyone he
sees, which is totally embarrassing. You know how dads are.
GL: I
do, but what a blessing to have a dad that is so supportive and proud of you!
We moms can be pretty embarrassingly proud sometimes too J…
GL: Are
you a better writer than your dad? ;-)
CW: I am way better than him on writing children’s
books, but horror books—not so much.
GL: Do
you play video games? What is your absolute favorite?
CW: Yes, I play tons of video games. My favorite
is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, or at least this month. I also like HALO, a
lot of different skateboard games like Skate 3. I really love the sports ones
like NBA 2K12 and the Madden Football series, especially the college football
ones. Of course, my five year old brother is getting into video games now, so
sometimes I play his games, like LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean and Toy Story 3—gotta
do the big brother thing, you know. Plus, my dad is terrible at video games so
someone has to teach the poor little guy.
GL: Hahahahaha… We are big LEGO game fans
here. I don't have much time to play,
but I love playing with the kids. But,
Clayton, my seven-year-old is already getting better than me!
GL: If
you could do absolutely ANYTHING, how would you like to celebrate your next
birthday?
CW: I would celebrate it at Skate Park of Tampa
or maybe Laser Tag with my friends.
GL: What
is your favorite subject in school?
CW: My favorite would be P.E.
GL: Who
would you really, really love to meet?
CW: I would love to meet Ryan Sheckler—what an
awesome skateboarder. I already got to meet Tony Hawk at Skate Park of Tampa
last year, which was one of the greatest things of my life. He signed my helmet
and I have a signed skateboard from him on my wall.
GL: Wow!
GL: Do
you know what you want to be when you grow up?
CW: I would maybe like to be a predator drone
pilot in the Air Force. Maybe I could be in the Coast Guard and rescue people.
Whatever else I do, I hope I will always be a writer.
GL: Sounds like a great plan!
GL: What
is your least favorite food and why? Favorite?
CW: Sweet potatoes, because they are too sweet.
Weird, because my favorite would be ice cream and it’s really sweet—but, it’s
so good.
GL:
Mmmm… I love both sweet potatoes and ice cream!
GL: Are
you writing anything else right now?
CW: Well, I’m thinking of ideas for a bunch of new
books. I have a few ideas kind of outlined, and that part is really not so
easy. I do finally have a new project that I have started on. I hope it will be
done by Christmas break this year. This one is not a picture book, but a
chapter book for older elementary school kids, like maybe fifth grade.
GL: What
fun things do you have in store for the release of A Giant Pencil?
CW: It’s really cool because the Glazer Children’s
Museum in Tampa is going to sponsor my book launch at the museum on August 11th.
I will be a part of their “end of summer bash and back to school fair.” There
are supposed to be all of these people that are going to be there, and I have
to read my book to the kids at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. I also get to meet with
people and talk to kids and sign books and stuff. If anyone is in the Tampa
area on the 11th I hope they stop by and say hi at the museum.
Honestly, I’m pretty nervous about it, but my dad says I’ll be fine once I get
going. Supposedly, I might have to talk to people from the TV news, which is
cool, but kind of scary.
GL:
That is so exciting! I really
wish I could be there… I know you are going to do great and have a blast!
GL: Do
you have a website? Where can we find out more about you and A Giant Pencil?
CW: Yes, I have a website. You can learn more
about me and my books at www.thegiantpencil.com.
I also have some book and movie reviews that I do on my site and I post a blog
about once a month. There are also some cool pictures there, and there will be
a ton of new ones after the book launch I bet.
You can also find
my book at Barnes & Noble online and at Amazon.com.
It was really nice
to meet you, Cassie.
GL: Thank you so much, Connor! It is great
getting talk with you and sharing your new book with everyone. I can't wait to read it with my kids, and I
know we'll be seeing lots more of you and your work in the future…
