22 Facts about S.S.S.

Hi, kids! If you’re planning to write a school report about my books or me, here’s some information to get you started. And check out my other website pages, “Q & A,” and “An Interview,” for more info. Happy writing!

1. I write a to-do list nearly every day. If you write your goals down, you’re twice as likely to achieve them. My writing to-do lists help me to write books.
2. 22 is my lucky number. I was born on September 22, one day before the autumnal equinox—that means the start of autumn. My birthday often falls on the first day of fall. I love all things autumn.
3. Before I married, my name was Shelley Anne Swanson. “Shelley” isn’t a nickname. It’s an English surname, which means last name. When I was born, my dad had plans to become an English Literature professor.
4. I have three brothers, Scott, Noel, and Brian. Scott is two years older than I, Noel is two years younger, and Brian is five years younger. They made a lot of noise as kids. I didn’t like the TV shows they watched or the games they played. I’d often escape to a quiet room and read. Reading and writing have always calmed me down and made my life more peaceful.
5. The classic middle-grade novel, A Wrinkle in Time, made me want to be a writer. My teacher read it to our fifth-grade class. I told my mom, “You know what that book makes me want to do? Write.” Straight away, I began to scribble my first chapter book, “Mystery in the Library.”
6. In seventh grade, I wrote, directed, and starred in a play called “Mystery in the Library.” My cast and I performed it on stage for the whole middle school. Everyone in the audience laughed and laughed, including my mom. Unfortunately, my dad had to work and couldn’t be there. Super unfortunately, no one filmed it.
7. I moved a lot as a kid, between Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. I was always the new girl. Fun, adventure-loving characters in books helped ease my loneliness. Today, I live in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with my husband, Roald.
8. As a kid, I often kept a diary. Writing is simply talking on paper. Keeping a diary was like talking to a best friend, which made me feel less lonely. In ninth grade, I re-read my diaries, said “this is baby writing” and threw them away. I will always regret that!
9. I love to organize things. My mom would look at my tidy, childhood rooms and at the school clothes I’d laid out for the next morning and she’d say, “Where did this child come from?” For years, being organized has helped me write books. All of my research notes, all of my drafts—it would become a BIG mess if I didn’t keep it in order.
10. I had many pets when I was young. I owned a rabbit, two white rats, a duck named Willy, a goat named Heidi, and many dogs. I l-o-v-e LOVE animals, except for human ones that hurt other animals (human and non-human).
11. In ninth grade, I wrote a short story, submitted it to a contest and won. My prize? A pair of thin-fabric, fake-denim, polyester pants. They sort of fit me. Since then, I’ve never had high hopes for contests.
12. When I was a teenager, my mom and I went to Roald Dahl’s book signing. It was at a bookstore in Bloomington, Minnesota. I couldn’t believe the place wasn’t packed. It was almost empty! What was wrong with people? Roald Dahl was a rock-star author! He wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and many more great books for kids.
13. I was a nanny in London, England, one summer during college and a nanny in New York City for a year after college. I’ve always loved working with children and would happily read books to them for hours.
14. When I lived in England that summer, I wrote to Roald Dahl. I’d been thinking more seriously about writing children’s books. In my letter, I told him about my dream. He wrote me back and gave me some writerly advice—mainly that it can take many years and lots of practice to make that dream come true. I still have his letter.
15. As an adult, I’ve worked with hundreds of children. I’ve been a nanny for numerous families. I’ve been an aide in an elementary school, teaching math and reading. (When I’m around kids, I always do secret detective work: I look closely at the books they read for fun.) Today, I continue to work with kids. It helps me write books for them.
16. I have two sons, Erik and Anders. I l-o-v-e LOVE my boys. Erik lives in Chicago; he’s a producer for a company that does special effects for TV commercials. Anders lives in Minneapolis where he works for a health food co-op.
17. For five years, I worked at an all-children’s bookstore called The Red Balloon Bookshop. It’s in Saint Paul. Back then, the owners allowed the staff to take books home to read—as long as we kept them in perfect shape. I read hundreds of children’s books while working there. Studying many helped me to write some of my own.
18. For two years, I worked as a nonfiction children’s book editor at an educational publisher, Dillon Press, in Minneapolis. I worked there until Macmillan bought the company and operations moved to New York. My time at Dillon Press was very important in my development as a children’s book writer. I learned how to make manuscripts better. I learned how to take advanced information and make it fun and understandable for young readers. It was an excellent foundation for a children’s book author.
19. I’m thrifty. I love a bargain. I buy most of my clothes—and many items to decorate my house—at thrift shops. I was raised that way and my husband is the same. Saving money is helpful to a children’s book writer because there isn’t much money in this business.
20. I respect deadlines. The most important things I learned in college were: to work very hard; and to turn assignments in on time. I use those skills every time I have a book deadline. I write longhand so I can write anywhere when I push toward a manuscript’s due date—in cars, in airplanes, in waiting rooms, etc.
21. I’m handy with a hammer, screwdriver, and paintbrush. My husband and I live in our third fixer-upper home. We do most of the work ourselves. My favorite tool, though, is one that writes on paper. I love holding a pen or pencil as I “fix up” manuscripts.
22. I’ll never stop writing. Even if the day comes when I can no longer hold a pen, I’ll figure out a way to communicate with others through the written word. Because I love it.