WHY I WRITE FOR CHILDREN, Panel Discussion at LAPL sponsored by FOCAL

FOCAL Panel: Caroline Arnold, Michelle Markel, Hope Anita Smith at the Los Angeles Public Library

Last Sunday I spent a very enjoyable afternoon at the Los Angeles Public Library in downtown Los Angeles with friends and fellow authors Michelle Markel and Hope Anita Smith participating in a panel discussion of "Why I Write for Children" sponsored by FOCAL, the support group of the Children's Department at the library. (FOCAL stands for Friends of Children and Libraries.) We had an enthusiastic audience and a book signing afterwards.
Some of the questions we fielded included:

• When did you first think about becoming a writer?
• What inspired you to write for children?
• Do you find yourself drawn to certain topics? Why?
• What is the most difficult thing and/or the most exciting thing about being a writer?
• What is the most surprising thing a child has asked you at a school visit or bookstore event?

A big thank you to all the volunteers at FOCAL--especially Renny Day, Caroline Gill, and Lauren Okayama for organizing the event.