From Vermont to NYC & back again - An interview with MG Author, Lindsey Stoddard

I was thrilled this past summer when Lindsey generously agreed to answer the questions below. She's the author of five middle-grade novels: Just Like Jackie, Right As Rain, Brave Like That, Bea Is For Blended, and The Real Deal. Prior to this interview, I had just finished reading Brave Like That. You can find her at www.lindseystoddard.com.

How would you describe your writing process?

LS: My process is really auditory. I rely so much on the way things sound right from the very beginning and all the way through to my last edits. I start each new project by listening for and working on, my main character's voice. I carry my character around with me and imagine what they might say in my daily interactions, what phrases they might use, and I make lists of words that sound like them. Are they a one-syllable, hard consonant kind of character, or a dreamy, long vowel kind of character? Once I can really hear my character, then I can grow the other parts of the story from there. But throughout the process, I am constantly reading out loud, over and over again, focusing on how the story sounds.

What inspired you to write Brave Like That?

LS: Because I write for kids, I spend a lot of time thinking back to kid-Lindsey, when I was the age of my main characters. I think of what big emotions I was feeling at age eleven or twelve, and what small-moment memories have stayed with me since then. For Brave Like That, I was remembering a moment when I found a stray dog in the woods behind my house, how scared the dog was, how immediately connected to her I felt, and how patient I had to be to get her to trust me. I remembered how much I wanted to keep her.

Another moment I remember really clearly was when it was my turn to choose which instrument I wanted to play in the fifth-grade band. My friends were all choosing alto saxophone so they could sit together in the same section. My parents said I should choose between flute or clarinet, I think because those ones are relatively small and quiet, and they were imagining all the practicing at home. But when the music director started demonstrating all the instruments I loved the trombone best and I picked it. Not only was I excited about the trombone and its cool sliding sounds, but I also remember feeling independent, because I didn't pick the trombone for my friends, and I didn't pick it for my parents, I picked it for me.

Because I had felt these emotions so big in my own childhood, I knew I could write about a kid who was feeling those big things too: loyalty, connection, and eventually independence.

The names of characters in your stories are unique and memorable! How do you go about selecting them?

LS: Naming characters is auditory for me, too! My main character in Bea Is for Blended is Bea, short and punchy. Her adversary was the opposite so she needed an opposite name as well, something long and flowy. In the beginning, their relationship is competitive so I liked the play with "A" and "B," and the fact that Bea was named for her grandma, but Aileyanna was named for both her grandmas.

Each time I name a character I stack it up against the other characters who they will be mentioned with. For Bea's step-brothers, Cameron, Tucker, and Bryce, I wanted to make sure the syllables flowed and there was a range of hard and softer sounds so they would be easy to read out loud.

And, the main teacher characters in my books are all named after teachers I have known and loved throughout my life-- either my own teachers from my childhood, colleagues I knew when I was a teacher, or others I have met along the way.

Your stories deal with some consequential topics. In Brave Like That alone, you touch on adoption, learning disabilities, bullying, belonging, embracing differences, multigenerational relationships, and advocating for self and others, to name a few. Do you begin a story intending to include elements like these?

LS: I haven't ever started a project with an issue or theme because that doesn't feel natural to my process. I always begin with a character, and then the more I learn about that character's voice and what's in their heart, the more I learn about what big issues they might be experiencing. As I'm creating these characters, and their lives become more clear to me, I make sure I'm always staying true to my character's point of view, and their voice, so that as they navigate these big topics it's always in an authentic way for that character. For example, while I was creating Cyrus and his struggle with reading, I knew that he's the kind of kid who would hide that struggle, and try to fake his way through school because he isn't comfortable yet with the parts of himself that make him different, and he worries about disappointing his dad. It all comes back to his voice: He's not a kid who feels "brave like that," stand-up-and-tell-your-truth brave. So, in the beginning, we see him faking his way through and keeping big secrets.

Learning to write well is challenging and a skill that can take a lot of time, effort and financial resources to develop. On your writing journey, what learning experiences have been most beneficial to you? Are there specific resources you turn to again and again when you’re working on a project?

LS: Being a middle school teacher for ten years was immeasurably beneficial to my writing life. Not only did I realize there, in my classroom, that I wanted to write for kids, but I also learned from each young writer in my classroom that everyone has a different process and quirky way to get the stories they have inside, out. My time with the Vermont College of Fine Arts community, especially when we were together for residencies on the campus in Montpelier, VT, was also life-changing. It helped to free me a bit. To try new things. Jot it down. See what happens. Give it a go. Try again. And most importantly, it taught me that writing has to fit in with your life, be a part of it, and as life changes you will have to adapt and find your way again. During my time as a teacher, a new mom, through a big move, and numerous other big-life changes, I have held on to my stories and kept writing because my time at VCFA showed me how to breathe, create, adapt, and find my way.

The cheapest and most important resource, however, is my library card. I read, read, read, read, read. I read what I love and admire and I read my favorite parts out loud so I can hear them. These stories live and layer in me and influence my own storytelling.

Can you share your favorite, and why they are at the top of your list:

Character in any of your novels

LS: Ooooo! So tough! Robinson from my first novel, Just Like Jackie, jumps to mind. She is loyal and fierce and scared and protective and even after all these years, her voice is crystal clear in my brain. I just love her. I also really love Cyrus's grandma, who is very much like my own grandma.

Middle-grade story by another author

LS: Also tough! I have so many favorites. But today, I'll share: Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley-- Talk about an unforgettable middle-grade voice with big, tough issues and done so honestly for middle-grade readers!

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman-- I can still smell the setting of this book. I can see it. And how the 2nd person point of view works so well for this story is just *chef's kiss*

Question or comment from a student at one of your school visits

LS: She's ten years old and stands up for her question. Beneath her arm is a bound manuscript. "I have a novel I'm shopping around and wondering if my people could talk to your people." I loved the hustle!

I also love when kids share with me how they relate to any of my characters.