Are you interested in writing? Have you ever wondered what it is like to be an author? Me too! That is why I was so excited to chat with Selene Castrovilla, author of over 18 books with more coming soon. Read on to learn more about Selene, what the writing process is like, and tips and advice if you would to be an author!
Question: When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? Were there other jobs you dreamed of doing?
Selene said she didn't know she wanted to be a writer, she just knew she was one. When she held a pencil, she knew it was her instrument. When she held books, she knew she was going to write one. She thought everyone already knew what they were meant to do!
Question: How long does it take to write a book? How much research do you have to do?
Selene said it takes at least one year to write a book but others can take multiple years. Writing books, both fiction and nonfiction, means you have to do a lot of research. You want to be able to tell the complete and accurate story. Selene writes history books and says to write them, she uses primary sources only. She reads everything possible and reads widely. She not only reads about a specific subject, but reads everything about that time period in general. You have to immerse yourself in the research.
Question: What do you hope that kids will take away from your books?
Selene hopes that kids will never give up on their dreams and can see that anything is possible. Life gets hard but it is not hopeless. You can find your way out of anything. Look at the situation differently, ask for help, make your own beauty and don't let anyone stop you! There is beauty in the darkest circumstances.
Question: Do you have a favorite kids book (for any age)?
Selene loves Walk Two Moons and Bud Not Buddy. Both books are inspiring and about getting over hard things. She also loves Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems, a simple but fun story.
Question: What advice would you give to kids and teens hoping to be a writer/author someday? 
Selene says to keep writing! Don't give up, find your voice, and really work at your writing. Writing is an art, it will not be perfect overnight so don't get discouraged. Writing is something that you have to love if you want to be an author. There are many opportunities to get published these days. You can even self publish online! Build your writing credits as much as possible. Three tips that Selene gave are to revise your drafts, add sensory details to your stories and use a physical thesaurus (it will help you fall in love with words). It can take a long time to get published, don't let the negative get to you. Believe in yourself and your dreams can come true!
If you would like to write to Selene with questions or for advice, you can contact her on her website.
Check out one of these books by Selene Castrovilla:
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