See what a STRONG reader I am? I can’t actually lift all the encyclopedias in the tricky photo above, but one of my book characters, Library Lil, can. Lil and I are alike in some ways. For example, we both read a lot, and we want everyone to share our love of reading. Though Lil's a public librarian, I worked as a school librarian for over twenty years, and taught writing with Grades 3-6. Now I'm a full-time writer who also enjoys visiting schools. If you’re interested in having me come to your school, you'll find information about my school programs below, as well as information about my books. If you're a teacher, check out my Writing Lesson Files for lots of great stuff you can use. Happy reading and writing!

Click below for more information:

ABOUT ME

I don’t remember ever wanting to be a writer when I grew up. I just liked to read! So imagine my surprise when long after my first few books were published my mother unearthed my old elementary school report cards, and I read these comments by my 5th and 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Hall:

“Suzy has a good command of the English language and a flair for creative writing.... I hope she will continue to do creative writing as I and the students have especially enjoyed her talents in this area.”

I grew up in Eugene, Oregon, and went to college at the University of Oregon, where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s in library science. My husband and I moved to Renton, Washington (near Seattle), just after I finished college.

I didn’t start writing children’s books until after I’d been a librarian for ten years, and had children of my own. My husband, Mark, is principal trombonist for the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra. We have two adult children, and a toy fox terrier named Toby.   

By the way, there are TWO Suzanne Williams who write for children.  My books are all fiction, but the other Suzanne Williams (who lives in Reno, Nevada), writes wonderful nonfiction books, like "Made in China." Her website is www.suzannebooks.com  She also writes as "Suzanne Morgan Williams" so people can tell us apart more easily.  

Me at work in my home office.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1.    What or who inspired you to be an author?

I was inspired to become an author because I love to READ.  That's also why I became a librarian.  Reading wonderful children's books made me want to write for children, too.

2.    Where do you live?

I've lived in Renton, Washington since 1976.  (I moved from Oregon to Washington as soon as I graduated from college.)

3.    How many brothers and sisters do you have?

I have an older brother and two younger sisters.

4.     Did you have any pets when you were a kid?

My family had a dog named Sniffer when I was quite young.  He was a medium-sized mutt.    Later, we had a white and black cock-a-poo named Tuffy; (he looked like a small sheepdog), and a calico cat named Patches. We also had pairs of mallard ducks from time-to-time.  My dad was a nurseryman, and the ducks helped keep down the population of slugs and bugs on the plants he sold.  Unfortunately, they sometimes also nibbled on the plants!

5.    Do you have any pets now?

Yes, one dog. Toby is a toy fox terrier.  He was born on January 31, 2003.  

Toby as a puppy

Toby now

 6.     How do you get ideas for stories?

A lot of my earliest stories got their start in real life.  My children would say or do something funny, and I'd  find a way to work what they'd said or done into a story--as part of what a character said or did.. My daughter at age two saying "I'm not a pumpkin, I'm Emily," in response to my calling her that "pet" name, led me to write my very first book: Mommy Doesn't Know My Name. Of course, I add and change events as needed to make a satisfying story.  One of the fun things about writing fiction is that you can change what really happened to what you WISH had happened!  Things going on around me, what I remember from my own childhood, ideas I get from reading books and watching movies, and my personal philosophy of life also influence the things I put into my stories.

7.     How long does it take you to complete a book?

I honestly don't know because I've never kept track of the amount of time I spend on any one story.  It may take me only a few days to get down the first draft of a picture book text, but then I'll usually work on it off-and-on over a period of months, getting feedback, then writing successive drafts.

8.    Did you have any role models as a child and who were they?

Role models?  Well, Nancy Drew for one.  She was so brave!   My parents influenced me the most, of course.  They modeled the joys of reading because they were readers themselves.  They also read aloud to me and my three siblings, and made sure there were lots of books in our home. I don't know very many writers who weren't READERS first.

9.     Do you have any advice for kids who want to write or illustrate?

Read, read, read.  Write, write, write.  Draw, draw, draw.  Be passionate about your subject. Make it something you CARE about.  Experiment with different kinds of writing and different styles of art.  Have fun.  If you to want to get published, try sending things to magazines that publish work by kids. First read the magazines to get an idea of the quality of work in them. Don't be discouraged if your work is rejected.  Get honest feedback from friends you trust, and try to make your work better. Practice and perseverance pay off!  See also: My Favorite Writing Tips

10.     What are your hobbies?

READING, journal writing, playing soprano recorder, step-aerobic exercise, walking, hiking, travel, doing stuff with family and friends.

11.  What are you currently working on?

 To find out about my books-in-progress, go to forthcoming books.

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My Current Titles:

My newest series for ages 7 - 10 is just out!

Ten Naughty Little Monkeys illus. by Suzanne Watts. HarperCollins.  Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-059904-1; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-06-059905-8.	Library Lil illus. by Steven Kellogg. Dial.  ISBN: 0-8037-1698-2 trd;  ISBN: 0-14-056837-9 pbk	Mommy Doesn't Know My Name, illus. by Andrew Shachat, HoughtonMifflin. ISBN: 978-0-395-77979-8, pbk
"This version of the classic fingerplay could easily become the new standard." –   Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY, School Library Journal, March 2007. "This winning combination of rhythmic text and child-friendly illustrations is rollicking fun.  Preschoolers are sure to join in on this refreshing variation on an old favorite." --Kirkus Reviews March 15, 2007.	An original tall tale about a gutsy librarian who turns a town of TV watchers and a motorcycle gang into readers. “The silliness of both story and pictures are perfectly matched...A winner for storytimes anywhere.” --starred review, School Library Journal Winner of the 2000 New Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Award (Children's Division), and nominated for children’s choice awards in several other states. An ALA Notable Book.	Mommy calls Hannah all sorts of names except her own, leaving Hannah to wonder if Mommy really does know who she is. “Text and illustrations resonate with the strength of preschoolers’ needs to understand and assert their own identities...It’s a fun, crazy book that works extremely well.”--SLJ

A six-book series for ages 8 - 12:

PRINCESS POWER

HarperCollins

"Williams packages some of the favorite conventions of standard fairy tales with spunky heroines and encouraging messages about values."
             --Barbara Lloyd McMichael  (The Bookmonger, The Olympian Newspaper, Feb. 18, 2007)  

My Earlier Titles:
Ask for these at your local library.  
You may also be able to find copies through on-line bookstores.

(click on a book cover for more information)

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SCHOOL VISITS

"I can't thank you enough for the marvelous job you did with both the assemblies and the workshops. Teacher after teacher kept telling us how inspired your writing workshops made them--they got such great ideas for teaching writing to young children....You were personally such a delightful person to work with, too. We are still glowing from the experience." 

"Teachers and students continue to tell me how much they enjoyed your presentations.  I was especially impressed by how smoothly you incorporated real content about writing with an entertaining talk. What talent!" 

"What a privilege it was to have you visit and share your work with Daniel Elementary!  Writing became FUN, something joyous, in your library workshops.  You made writing seem so alive and exciting, and it was contagious and captivating for our students. Each participant took away a pearl of learning. Writing seemed accessible, tangible, and of the heart.  Great job!"

I love speaking at elementary schools* and usually visit about thirty schools a year.  In a full-day visit I will do three presentations and also autograph books. Presentations can be assemblies and/or workshops. Large assemblies are fine, but workshops work best with smaller groups of 50 - 75 students of similar age.

Grade K – 1 (or K – 2) assembly (45 min.): I read aloud from my published books, talk about where some of my story ideas have come from, and use masks to engage children in acting out one of my stories.  I also play a game in which  children identify characters from my various books.

Grade 2 – 3 (or 3 – 4) assembly (55 min.):  I talk about where some of my story ideas have come from, read aloud from two of my books, tell a bit about my series chapter books, and share examples of the revision process.

Grade 4 – 5 (or 5 – 6) assembly (55 min.): I talk about how I became a writer, and explain a bit about my writing process, and the ideas that gave rise to my books. I  also use props to help students learn about the publishing process.

Grade 3 – 6 Writing Workshops (45 – 55 min. each): Choices: 1) How to Plot a Story or 2) How to "Show," not "Tell.”   (Two to three classes of students of similar age work best for workshops.)

*Occasionally I'm asked to speak at K-8 schools. I enjoy speaking with the older students. It makes for a nice change of pace.  With older students I usually I talk more about the business of writing and publishing and let students ask lots of questions. From a host at one such school: "I was amazed at how much the students learned from you.  You had those eighth graders engaged!  That's a feat unparalleled at this point in the year."    

My fees:

For local area schools*:  $1000 per day, plus mileage.** 

For all other schools: $1200 per day plus travel, meals and lodging expenses as needed.*** For schools farther than three hours flight time a minimum two-day visit is desirable. (Can be more than one school.)  For visits of three or more days in one area I discount my speaking fee ten percent (from $1200 to $1080/day).

*within 75 miles of Renton, WA  **calculated at the going rate (currently 50.5 cents per mile)

***If I drive, mileage is calculated at the going rate (currently 50.5 cents per mile). For overnight and out-of-state school visits I will make my own transportation arrangements. I prefer that you make hotel arrangements (a non-smoking room, please) and—if I am taking a train or flying in— plan to transport me from airport (or train station) to hotel to school and back.  Please figure $25 per day for meals. ($20 per day if breakfast is included with the hotel room.) 

Click below for more information:

Schools I have visited

Preparing for a visit

Ordering Books

Conference Speaking

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MY FAVORITE WRITING TIPS

Read, read, read!  Especially, read the type of stuff you want to write.  Then write the type of stuff you like to read.

Write about the things you know about and CARE about (through experience, reading, movies, etc.)  If you aren’t passionate about your subject, how will you make your reader feel anything?

Take risks:  be honest, show your true feelings.

If you’re blocked, try freewriting:  to discover topics, to get yourself going, to help get past “stuck” points in a story or characterization.

Let your first draft be as crummy as it needs to be--just get words onto paper.  You can fix them up later.   “The first draft is the writer’s clay.”  --Bruce Coville

Don’t be afraid to throw large amounts of writing away.  Cutting words--many times, pages of words--improves writing.

Word choice:  Use interesting verbs and specific nouns.  Avoid adverbs and too many adjectives.  Simple past tense is usually best.

Learn how to give and take suggestions for improving a piece of writing.  Writers need to know how their writing “comes across” to others.   Readers can help by asking questions and pointing out places where they were confused, places where the action or dialogue seemed too “unbelievable,” places where things moved too slowly (or too fast), and, of course, places they especially liked.

This is my writing group.  They help me with my writing so-o much.  We give each other feedback on our writing, sometimes looking at the same story or chapter three or four times!  Though members change from time to time, I've been with the group since August, 1991. All of us write for children, and all of us are published.

From left to right: Sylvie Hossack, Katherine Kirkpatrick, Donna Bergman, Me
  

Write, write, write.  Keep a journal.  Try different kinds of writing: poetry, short stories, nonfiction, plays, picture book, essays, personal experience, etc.  You get better at writing by learning the skills involved (the “rules”) and by WRITING.  It’s the same kind of process as learning to play a musical instrument or a sport.

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LINKS

SmartWriters

America Writes for Kids

Suzanne Morgan Williams