Author Interview: Ben Macdonald

Ben Macdonald is currently starting the querying process for his children’s book entitled Tom Can’t Have Fun Until His Work is All Done. He holds a B.A. in History from Keene State College. This is his debut book and he hopes to have a long career writing for young readers. You can follow him on Twitter @BenMacsThoughts.  

1. When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer? 

It was sometime near the end of my junior year in high school that I realized I wanted to tell stories for a living and since I love entertaining people, especially children, that children’s books would be the best path. 

2. What are you hoping readers will take away from your first book? 

Hopefully they will learn more lessons on how to live more fulfilling lives. The book I’ve been working on is about a kid living his life in a way that I am afraid of ending up living mine in. I’m using my fear of living my life this way to tell the story and hopefully teach kids why they should have a more fun time being alive.

3. What are your favorite Children’s/Young Adult Books?

Where the Wild Things Are, A Fly Went By, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, Mike Mullligan and His Steam Shovel, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and many others which I cannot think of right now.

4. Which writers influence you the most?

Dr. Seuss is by far my biggest influence. I love his rule breaking, he invents words where he needs them and mixes around the words in a sentence to make them sound fun and make them flow better. He also does what I attempt to do, which is tell a story that can be fun for younger readers and can be informative for older readers.

5. What is the most difficult part of the publishing process for you

Figuring out what the publishing process actually is. I have trouble understanding the process of where to find agents and how to contact them. It’s not really that the tasks are difficult it’s just knowing what the tasks are. 

6. What is the best advice that you have received? Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

I would say to keep writing and try to make a little progress every day in either improving your story or with the path to publication.

7. Are the characters you write about similar to you?

I usually put them in a situation or mindset that I’ve been struggling with so essentially they are alternate version of me dealing with my problems in a different way.

8. What is your writing process like? 

I usually try to write in the morning, then I go for a walk later in the day. On the walk, if I’ve tried writing that morning, ideas will flood into my head. But, I always need the morning attempt in order for the ideas to come later.

9. Tell us a fun fact about yourself!

I also love running!

10. Is there anything else you want readers to know about you and your writing?

I hope they like it!