We recently got a chance to pepper author Scott Ralph with a series of questions about his newest novel (Sketchbook), his experience at The Writing Barn, and what it’s like to get a positive review from Kirkus.
Please share your exciting news!
The book that I was writing when I visited The Writing Barn, Sketchbook, became publicly available on September 24th! It was five years in the making and received a positive review from Kirkus. The review was terrifying to read and I couldn’t get through it, so my wife finished reading it to me. It was my first professional review and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for most of my life. I got serious about it in 2013 when I wrote my first book, Speed of Light. Since then I’ve published five more books, all for children and young adults.
What fears and hopes did you bring with you to the Writing Barn?
I was most afraid of sharing my work with other authors. When I received the list of people who were going to be in the class with me I was immediately intimidated! I was teaching fifth grade at the time, and one of my fellow participants had books on the shelves of my school library. What would she, or the others, think of me?
My goal was to be a pro, however, and seeing well-known authors in the same class as me served as a reminder that pros need professional development, too.
How did the Writing Barn programming aid you in both the craft and business of writing books?
It definitely gave me a new perspective. I had never done anything outside of my home office as far as my writing career went. To talk to other authors was amazing. I heard about the business side of publishing from an agent, and being able to ask questions of someone working in that role was greater than anything the innumerable articles on the internet could provide.
Attending classes taught by the visiting authors was both inspiring and validating. I loved hearing how a successful author approached her craft and thinking, “Okay, I’m on the right track. I can live this life.”
Can you talk a little about the atmosphere of The Writing Barn and how it impacted your experience?
I felt so comfortable at The Writing Barn. It was peaceful, and it was different from home, and the experience of wrapping myself in the craft of writing for that weekend was rejuvenating. I needed that experience. I hadn’t realized how stale my writing project had gone until I brought it to The Writing Barn and looked at it through new eyes.
Now that your newest book is out in the world, and you begin to reflect on that milestone (along with the Kirkus review), what’s something you’ll carry with you as you continue to build and develop your career?
My key takeaway is that there are always new paths to travel in the writing life. Like so many others, my first book came out of NaNoWriMo. After years of telling myself and everyone else that I wanted to be a writer, I just wanted to finish something. Anything. After banging out 50,000 words in a month, I finished another project a few months later. Then I found The Writing Barn, and finished this book that’s so incredibly important to me.
The path that began at The Writing Barn has been an exciting one, and it has led to a finished book and a professional review. I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.
Any advice you have for writers and creatives who struggle to stay the course in pursuit of their goals?
I always hear authors say “Write every day.” It’s good advice! I’d like to add that it’s not a bad thing if you get off track, just try to get back on. I was off track for about a year with Sketchbook. I didn’t work on it at all. When I finally came back, I had solutions to a lot of the problems I had run into earlier. The book is so much better because of this.
When I wrote Speed of Light, I was in a huge hurry to get it to market. I look at it now and can think of so many different ways I would make it better and I wish I’d spent the time. I also would like to say that it’s worth investing in yourself if you truly love writing. Finding a place to connect with others and sharpen your skills in essential. There are a lot of ways to do this, and for me it was The Writing Barn. Being in a class with authors was just instructive, it built confidence. They’re here, too? Sitting at the same table as me?
Of course they are…it’s what pros do.
More About Author Scott Ralph:
Scott Ralph is an author of books for children and young adults, including Speed of Light, Prologues, and The Peculiar Circumstances Surrounding the Disappearance of the Extraordinary Jimmy Pickles. Previously a fourth and fifth grade teacher, he now works as a freelance writer and teaches creative writing and public speaking to students online. He lives in Florida with his wife and daughter and some very hairy pets that have caused the destruction of many vacuum cleaners.