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Greenburgh Public Library Blog

Interview with Local Children’s Author Kate Stempel

by Joanna Rooney on 2019-10-23T10:00:00-04:00 | 0 Comments

 

 

Saturday, November 9th at 3:30 p.m. at the Greenburgh Public Library, children's author, Kate Stempel will be reading from her new book Sprinkles and discussing themes from the story including kindness, elderly care, community service and rescuing animals from shelters.  There will be time for questions from the audience and time to enjoy some cupcakes!  Read her interview and learn a little more about Kate before her visit to the children's room.

 

 

Which three words best describe your book Sprinkles?

Compassion, Mini and Friendship

Can you share a highlight or a favorite part of the book?

Definitely the page where Mr. Conway feels his heart flutter and feels happiness for the first time in a long time.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned when creating Sprinkles?

How emotional I would get when while I was writing it, and the feelings that were stirred up in me from the concepts of loneliness and companionship. 

How did you get started writing for kids?

I have always written short stories for kids, and made up a whole series for both of my kids when they were little that involved fictional bunny rabbit characters. Writing for kids is challenging for many reasons, but very rewarding when you can involve a ‘life lesson’ or moral message. 

Do you have any interesting writing quirks?

Great question and one that I wonder about with other authors! I do. I am a bit old school in that I type out a whole outline first, but then I chop the whole story up on note cards so I can rearrange the order and the flow. I am a visual processor and for me, sometimes storylines can flow better when I physically arrange them. 

Do you write longhand or on a computer?

Both! I type much faster than I write, but I usually print and chop and write notes after I’ve typed everything. The final versions are always typed though since I do have typing speed on my side from working on a computer in an office for 15 years. 

What does your family think of your writing?

My kids enjoy it, and I think my parents and in-laws are proud of the message in my stories which is usually a moral lesson and gives a lasting good-feeling in kids and people. 

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I think I’ve wanted to be almost every profession on the planet at one time in my life, but as a kid I wanted to be: a nurse, a pro-skier, a CIA operative, and always a Mom. 

Do you have any advice for kids who love to write?  How about for kids who don’t?

Yes! Keep a journal when you travel or when you are trying to do something new or hard. So many feelings, emotions and experiences occur at these times and it’s really healthy to write down what you’re feeling at the time. Bonus fun is that when you get a little older you can read back through your adventures and re-live them. I kept journals most of my life, including one that I wrote in almost every day of a 3-month cross country road trip that I took with my 3 best friends from college. I love reading through the diary and remembering all the thrills and feelings that I experience at 22 on that trip.
If you don’t love to write, that’s ok too! There are other ways to be creative. Drawing, cooking, playing music, etc. Just make sure you have an outlet for your imagination because it’s important to find ways to be happy and healthy by yourself sometimes. 

Is there anything else you would like to share with the Greenburgh Public Library readers? 

Books are the best way to grow your brain and fuel your dreams. Your interpretation of written words is how you personally digest the story, and it’s 100% unique to every person. You never know what you’ll discover about yourself when you read a new book. 

 

Kate's Visit to the Greenburgh Public Library: https://greenburghlibrary.libcal.com/event/5909039

Website: https://www.sprinklesthebook.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sprinklesthebook/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sprinklesthebook/


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