Michael P. Spradlin is the author of more than a dozen books for children, some of which have actually been published. He grew up in a small town in Michigan not far from the Indiana border, which may explain his irrational fear of Hoosiers. (Both the inhabitants of the state of Indiana and the movie starring Gene Hackman).
Surrounded by books in his formative years, he grew up loving to read, imagining himself the hero of numerous epic battles and indulging in his favorite pastime, which was smuggling fireworks across the Ohio border so that he could blow up his collection of Plastic Green Army Men and Matchbox Cars.
His first book for children, The Legend of Blue Jacket, was called by School Library Journal “a well-researched labor of love.” His first novel, Spy Goddess: Live and Let Shop, was a 2006 Edgar Award nominee by the Mystery Writers of America for Best Young Adult Mystery. The second book in the series, Spy Goddess: To Hawaii, With Love, was given a starred review by VOYA. His next project is the novel The Youngest Templar, which will be published by Penguin USA in fall 2008 and has already sold in six countries.
When not writing, he enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with his family
and worrying over the fact that he really should be writing instead of doing
other stuff. He lives in Michigan with his wife Kelly, son Michael, daughter
Rachel and two dogs Willow and Apollo. 
Book
Bites for Kids interviews Michael. Listen to the full interview.
- question:
- What inspired you to become a writer?
- michael's answer:
-
I’m not sure if there was a ‘bolt of lightning’ moment. I
grew up loving books and loving reading. Growing up in the age of no
internet or cable TV, books were a tremendous source of entertainment to
me. Since I loved books so much, I naturally progressed to the idea that
writing them would have to be the coolest job ever. Eventually I just reached
a point in my life where I said to myself, “Self, if you’re ever
going to do this, the time is now...”
- question:
- Your books seem to cover a wide range of topics and themes. Why do you think that is?
- michael's answer:
-
Well, those who know me well would say it’s because I have the world’s
shortest attention span. I think it’s because I find so many different
things fascinating. I look first and foremost for stories. Even my picture
books, which are non-fiction, tell stories with a beginning, middle, and
an end. After that I just try to write the best story I can. When it
comes to fiction I try to write the kind of books that I like to read. Fast
paced action and adventure is the ticket for me. I’m often asked is there
a common theme to all of your books and I usually reply. “Yes, stuff
blows up!”
- question:
- What advice do you have for prospective writers, regardless of their age?
- michael's answer:
- My number one piece of advice is to write. Writing
is a craft and a skill just like any craft or skill and the more you practice
it, the better you get at it. I often tell students during school visits
that no matter what they are interested in — sports, music or whatever
— they will get better by practicing. Writing is the same
way.
Adults want to know how to get published. My answer to that is to write your book first. When you are done, re-write it. Then re-write it again. When you are done with that, find an agent. You pretty much need an agent to get published by a reputable publisher these days. You can find lists of agents at Literarymarketplace.com. Find one that represents books like yours and send them a query letter. They’ll take it from there. - question:
- Which writers have influenced you? What are some of your favorite books?
- michael's answer:
- There’s a pretty long list. Probably the greatest
influence on my work was Franklin W. Dixon, the ‘author’ of
the Hardy Boys Books. When I later found out that Franklin was part of
the Stratemeyer Syndicate, I felt betrayed. But I still loved the books.
The pace of those books is breathless; virtually every chapter ends in
a cliffhanger. I can definitely see their influence in my work.
My favorite book is Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. I also love The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald because I think it has the most perfect closing sentence of any novel ever written: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” No one will ever do it better than that. If I were going to be stuck on a desert island for any length of time I’d take Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, which contains some of the best dialogue ever written.
When it comes to children’s books, besides the aforementioned Hardy Boys books, I loved My Side of the Mountain when I was a kid. I must have read it twenty times and I discovered something new each time. Another big influence on me as a kid was Sports Illustrated magazine. I was and am a sports nut, and Sports Illustrated has been the home of some of the best magazine writing ever done. I learned a lot by reading and re-reading some of the articles there.
- question:
- Do you find movies and television influence you as a writer? What are some of your favorites from each medium?
- michael's answer:
- Sure. Any medium that tells a story can be a training ground
for writers. And movies and television are great for studying dialogue
and how it can carry a story. I especially think television gets a bum
rap, as there are a lot of very well written televisions shows out there. Buffy,
the Vampire Slayer is, in my opinion, one of the best written TV shows
ever. But there have been so many good ones: M*A*S*H., Hill Street
Blues, Cheers, and some of my current favorites like Supernatural,
Heroes and Battlestar Galactica. The thing about any TV show
or movie that works well is that it is first and foremost a well told story.
When it comes to movies The Princess Bride is my all time favorite. It’s hilariously funny and well crafted. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is another favorite. But I tend to also like big epic movies like Gladiator and Braveheart where lots of stuff explodes.
- question:
- Do you have a specific time that you write?
- michael's answer:
- Not particularly. I write when the mood strikes but I am
by nature a night owl, so that’s probably when most of my writing
gets done. I’m not one of those “you need to write every day” people.
Almost no one with any kind of job that you can think of does it
every day. I sometimes think it’s a good thing to take a break from
it. Everyone needs to recharge the batteries. Plus I do a lot of what
my wife calls “writing in my head” (she says I actually have
a “writing
in my head” face. I’m not sure if this is a compliment) where
I think about stories or plots or characters before I sit down to write
them.
- question:
- How much revision do you typically do?
- michael's answer:
- Well it depends on how much needs to be done. I tell
students that every writer rewrites, no matter who they are. You don’t
just sit down and bang out a 600 page novel and that’s it. I do a lot
of my own revising and rewriting before I send anything in. Then it depends
on your editor. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.
One of my techniques is to read what I’ve written from my previous session, and then rewrite and revise it before I move onto the next chapter. It’s a way of getting me back into the voice and the character, and I’ve found it a very useful way to keep going. -
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Do you have a question for Michael? Ask him.