Fuzzy Mud Q & A
Interview with Brightly
Fuzzy Mud includes a biological thriller element involving genetic modification — what was the inspiration for biolene, or “fuzzy mud”?
I knew people were trying to create fuel from all sorts of things, so it didn’t seem all that farfetched for scientists to attempt to create some sort of super bacteria for that purpose. The strange thing is that just a few days ago I met someone, now in his early thirties, who told me he was a big fan of my books when he was growing up. I asked him what he did now, and he said he was a microbiologist working to create biofuels out of bacteria. I told him to read my new book.
From environmental issues to social issues, Fuzzy Mud presents the reader with many serious topics. Have you found that your audience has evolved or matured in certain ways over the years?
No, kids have always been smart, caring people, open to all sorts of ideas. The only one who’s changed over the years is me. I’ve been writing for almost forty years. It’s not that I’m more concerned about social issues now than I was before. Environmental issues have always been very important to me. With each new book I try to do something I hadn’t done before.
You are known for creating complex — and realistic — characters in your YA and children’s books. Are any Fuzzy Mud characters inspired by any real life people?
The main character, Tamaya, is in some ways based on my daughter, although she is now 28-years-old. Like Tamaya, she was a smart kid who just wanted to follow the rules, be good, and please her teachers and friends, but those types of kids often are overlooked, ignored, and considered uncool.
What’s your favorite thing about writing books for children?
The world is wide open to kids. They haven’t become cynical, jaded, or trapped like adults.
Do you have any writing traditions or habits that you follow with each new book?
When I’m ready to start something new, I work no more than an hour a day, just trying to come up with something that intrigues me enough to work on it the next day. Then I spend another hour the next day, just hoping to keep it alive. And so on, each day, trying to move the story forward. It’s almost like a science experiment. I leave it alone for twenty-four hours, then return the next morning to see if anything has grown.
I knew people were trying to create fuel from all sorts of things, so it didn’t seem all that farfetched for scientists to attempt to create some sort of super bacteria for that purpose. The strange thing is that just a few days ago I met someone, now in his early thirties, who told me he was a big fan of my books when he was growing up. I asked him what he did now, and he said he was a microbiologist working to create biofuels out of bacteria. I told him to read my new book.
From environmental issues to social issues, Fuzzy Mud presents the reader with many serious topics. Have you found that your audience has evolved or matured in certain ways over the years?
No, kids have always been smart, caring people, open to all sorts of ideas. The only one who’s changed over the years is me. I’ve been writing for almost forty years. It’s not that I’m more concerned about social issues now than I was before. Environmental issues have always been very important to me. With each new book I try to do something I hadn’t done before.
You are known for creating complex — and realistic — characters in your YA and children’s books. Are any Fuzzy Mud characters inspired by any real life people?
The main character, Tamaya, is in some ways based on my daughter, although she is now 28-years-old. Like Tamaya, she was a smart kid who just wanted to follow the rules, be good, and please her teachers and friends, but those types of kids often are overlooked, ignored, and considered uncool.
What’s your favorite thing about writing books for children?
The world is wide open to kids. They haven’t become cynical, jaded, or trapped like adults.
Do you have any writing traditions or habits that you follow with each new book?
When I’m ready to start something new, I work no more than an hour a day, just trying to come up with something that intrigues me enough to work on it the next day. Then I spend another hour the next day, just hoping to keep it alive. And so on, each day, trying to move the story forward. It’s almost like a science experiment. I leave it alone for twenty-four hours, then return the next morning to see if anything has grown.
Visit readbrightly.com for the full interview.
Interview with Children's Pulse Inc. Team
As a former teacher I related most to the part where Ms. Filbert gave the writing prompt “How to blow up a balloon.” I’ve done similar prompts with my own students, such as how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or how to brush your teeth. “Following” their directions and watching their reaction when things don’t go as they had planned was a blast. Did you have a school experience that inspired the one Ms. Filbert assigned in her class?
That’s great. I hadn’t had a school experience like that, but I’m glad to hear of yours. I just needed something to occupy Tamaya while her rash got worse. Something to fill the time. I thought this was a fun assignment, and it also reveals more of Tamaya’s personality-- her eagerness to do the work, while everyone else complained about it.
Biology and the science of ecological disaster is the framework of this story. The magnitude of cell division sets the pace of the thriller as the cells divide and the suspense grows (and grows and grows and grows). Did the biological premise precede the characters as you began to tell this story or did your characters stumble upon the science concepts as you developed their motivations?
Yes, in this story the biological disaster came first, then the characters.
If I were a writer I think my favorite part would be the process of finding the right name for my characters. Sometimes I want to have more kids just to name them! Is it fun for you to come up with names for your characters? Are the names based on people you know, have met, or do you just like the way Tamaya Dhiwaddi sounds?
I liked the sound, and as our country becomes more diverse, I wanted a more ethnic-sounding name, although of unspecified origin. However, I always have trouble coming up with names. I think it maybe my least favorite part of writing, so maybe next time I should call you.
The image of Chad Hilligas erupting from the woods weak, blind and covered in blisters and fuzzy mud is truly one of the most creepy I’ve read in a while! While thrillers and horror stories are often great to encourage reluctant readers, it can be difficult to find a balance between too scary and too mild. For me, Fuzzy Mud, serves a wide range of readers. As a writer myself, I’d like to know more about the techniques you used to get the right proportions of fear, friendship and funniness.
I do lots of drafts. The early drafts are more concerned with the plot and characters. The later drafts more with the art of writing, although I’m always thinking about both. Through my early drafts I was very concernted about reaching the right balance, and in some ways the mood of the story swung like a pendulum. First it was too horrific. Then it wasn’t scary enough. It kept swinging back and forth until reaching what I considered to be the right balance.
What’s one of the wackiest ideas you’ve ever put to paper? Surely there is more behind the Wayside School Stories than what made it through editorial and we want to know!
Yes, I throw out a lot, not necessarily because they’re too wacky, but just because the idea doesn’t seem to lead anywhere. Most of these I can’t remember, although there was one that I had included for Sideways Stories From Wayside School that the editor outright rejected. In the story, as the narrator, I claimed to have written a great story, but unfortunately could only remember part of it. It consisted of a conversation between Paul and Mrs. Jewls, but I could only remember Mrs. Jewls’ half, so I asked the reader to fill in Paul’s dialogure. Mrs. Jewls would ask Paul a question, and the reader would have to come up with his reply. Then at the end of the story, Mrs. Jewls thanks Paul, then turns to the reader and demands to know what he/she is doing in her classroom. Anyway, it was never published.
Can you tell us about a library, librarian or educator who helped you become a reader and writer?
I believe that one of the best ways for a teacher to encourage kids to read (and write) is to read aloud to them. I remember when I reached fourth grade, being surprised when our teacher, Miss Kent, would read to us every day after lunch. That hadn’t happened since kindergarten, and at first I thought it seemed kind of baby-ish, but it quickly became my favorite part of the day. I still remember her reading Charlotte’s Web to us. I absolutely loved that book, and still do.
That’s great. I hadn’t had a school experience like that, but I’m glad to hear of yours. I just needed something to occupy Tamaya while her rash got worse. Something to fill the time. I thought this was a fun assignment, and it also reveals more of Tamaya’s personality-- her eagerness to do the work, while everyone else complained about it.
Biology and the science of ecological disaster is the framework of this story. The magnitude of cell division sets the pace of the thriller as the cells divide and the suspense grows (and grows and grows and grows). Did the biological premise precede the characters as you began to tell this story or did your characters stumble upon the science concepts as you developed their motivations?
Yes, in this story the biological disaster came first, then the characters.
If I were a writer I think my favorite part would be the process of finding the right name for my characters. Sometimes I want to have more kids just to name them! Is it fun for you to come up with names for your characters? Are the names based on people you know, have met, or do you just like the way Tamaya Dhiwaddi sounds?
I liked the sound, and as our country becomes more diverse, I wanted a more ethnic-sounding name, although of unspecified origin. However, I always have trouble coming up with names. I think it maybe my least favorite part of writing, so maybe next time I should call you.
The image of Chad Hilligas erupting from the woods weak, blind and covered in blisters and fuzzy mud is truly one of the most creepy I’ve read in a while! While thrillers and horror stories are often great to encourage reluctant readers, it can be difficult to find a balance between too scary and too mild. For me, Fuzzy Mud, serves a wide range of readers. As a writer myself, I’d like to know more about the techniques you used to get the right proportions of fear, friendship and funniness.
I do lots of drafts. The early drafts are more concerned with the plot and characters. The later drafts more with the art of writing, although I’m always thinking about both. Through my early drafts I was very concernted about reaching the right balance, and in some ways the mood of the story swung like a pendulum. First it was too horrific. Then it wasn’t scary enough. It kept swinging back and forth until reaching what I considered to be the right balance.
What’s one of the wackiest ideas you’ve ever put to paper? Surely there is more behind the Wayside School Stories than what made it through editorial and we want to know!
Yes, I throw out a lot, not necessarily because they’re too wacky, but just because the idea doesn’t seem to lead anywhere. Most of these I can’t remember, although there was one that I had included for Sideways Stories From Wayside School that the editor outright rejected. In the story, as the narrator, I claimed to have written a great story, but unfortunately could only remember part of it. It consisted of a conversation between Paul and Mrs. Jewls, but I could only remember Mrs. Jewls’ half, so I asked the reader to fill in Paul’s dialogure. Mrs. Jewls would ask Paul a question, and the reader would have to come up with his reply. Then at the end of the story, Mrs. Jewls thanks Paul, then turns to the reader and demands to know what he/she is doing in her classroom. Anyway, it was never published.
Can you tell us about a library, librarian or educator who helped you become a reader and writer?
I believe that one of the best ways for a teacher to encourage kids to read (and write) is to read aloud to them. I remember when I reached fourth grade, being surprised when our teacher, Miss Kent, would read to us every day after lunch. That hadn’t happened since kindergarten, and at first I thought it seemed kind of baby-ish, but it quickly became my favorite part of the day. I still remember her reading Charlotte’s Web to us. I absolutely loved that book, and still do.