Tuesday Slice: Accidental success

 

I can't share an elevator

with Tina Fey

because our dogs don't get along.

She and her husband 

are wonderful people, though.

When I was nine, 

I wanted to write comics.

My classmates told me

my drawing sucked.

So I started typing stories instead.

Here we are, thirty years of the series.

Magic Tree House is thirty, too!

Mary Pope Osborne and I are friends.

I never planned to write for kids.

But I ended up at Scholastic,

writing social studies magazines.

Then a humor magazine.  

Remember "Bananas"?

I was asked to write YA horror.

I hadn't done that before, 

had to read some before I started.

I changed my name 

from Robert to R.L.

just like S.E. Hinton.

The first book was a hit.

And the second.

Remember Fear Street?

I was asked to write scary books for kids.

Here we are, 300 books later!

In the beginning, I was writing a book

every. two. weeks.

Not anymore.

I write ten pages a day.

My editors help keep me straight,

tell me if I've done that bit before.

Writing is easy...

if you write the outline first.

I outline the entire book, 

beginning, middle end.

Then the writing part is easy!

Have fun!  Enjoy it!

Not one word comes from my heart.

I entertain people!

Thanks for thirty years of Goosebumps, Bob.

Image and paraphrased anecdotes from a Zoom visit sponsored by 

Sam Houston Stare University Library Science Department.