Part of me hates
being pulled away from my works-in-progress, but another part of me loves
reaching out to readers. Talking to curious kids is a blast, and I always come
home with tons of ideas for new ways to approach the topics I’m writing about.

During school visits,
I see firsthand which parts of my books fascinate kids the most—and which parts
miss the mark. Having direct contact with kids, teachers, and librarians makes
me a better writer.

Speaking at
conferences helps me to better understand the challenges and obstacles
educators face every day. Questions from the audience and lunchtime
conversations help me develop curriculum materials that can better serve educators’
needs.

Even though I know
that connecting with my audience is an important part of my job, I always feel
a sense of relief when June rolls around. All summer long, I can delve deeply into
my writing. I truly treasure that time.

But by the time
October rolls around, I’m itching to get out of the office again. The seasonal
rhythms of being a twenty-first century writer have become a welcomed part of
my annual routine.