Gail: Barbara O’Connor, thank you, Barbara, for giving me some of your time.

Between your school visits and writing, your days must be pretty full there in Asheville, North Carolina.

Barbara O’Connor: Thank you for the honor of inviting me to be a part of your blog.

Gail: So set the scene for me. Where are you right now?

BO’C: I’m on my screened porch listening to the birds and watching the butterflies—a perfect “office.”

G: Sounds lovely.

Congratulations on all your awards.

Is there one that has meant the most to you?

BO’C: I’m proud to say that I’ve won eight state children’s choice awards.

These mean the most to me because they are voted on by young readers.

I’m particularly proud of winning the North Carolina Children’s Book Award because NC is my home state and one of the few states in which the children actually nominate the books that make the final list.

G: What a great accomplishment.

Congratulations again.

So far, I’ve read two of your books, Wonderland and Wish.

But I’m happily on my way to reading all your others.

Your characters are so charming—Mavis and Rose in Wonderland and Charlie and Howard in Wish.

Are they people you’ve met?

BO’C: I always feel like I’ve met all of my characters because I spend a lot of time letting them simmer in my head before actually settling down to write.

If I don’t know a character well enough, the writing usually stumbles.

That happened with the character of Mr. Duffy in Wonderland (which was originally called Rose and Howard Go to Wonderland).

I didn’t know him as well as I needed to, which caused me to literally stop writing the story (temporarily).

I put it aside and started Wish.

But I missed the character of Howard, so I took him out of Wonderland and put him into Wish!

G: Never give up on a good character!

Dogs often appear in your novels, including the ones we’ve mentioned and also, of course, How to Steal a Dog, Halfway to Harmony and others.

Can you tell me how they help you with your stories?

Are they good foils, allowing you to dig deeper into your themes?

BO’C: Obviously, I’m a dog lover, and I know that most kids are, too.

In Wonderland, the dog, Henry, is one of the main characters and parts of the story are told from his point of view.

That added another layer to the plot and helped the reader become more invested in Rose and Mavis’ adventure.

In Wish, the dog, Wishbone, definitely helped me dig deeper into the theme of abandonment.

Charlie and Wishbone were kindred spirits, in need of a stable home and family.

When my most recent book, Halfway to Harmony was in the early stages, my editor told me that the marketing department would like to know if I could add a dog.

That was an easy request!

I added Posey’s little three-legged dog, Porkchop, which added a bit of levity and fun to the story.

G: I love all of your names—which leads me to my next question.

When you set out to write, what’s the first thing that grabs you?

Is it plot?

Character?

Setting?

BO’C: Always character.

I need to know my characters really well so that when I sit down to write, he/she will help lead me through the plot.

G: And they sure do.

Middle-grade fiction is interesting because not only do you have to engage the child, but you also have to engage the person who’s going to be buying the book for that child.

How do you balance that?

BO’C: When I first started writing for children, I never thought about the person who’s buying the book.

Of course, now that is rather naïve thinking.

I quickly learned that mild profanity and even things like smoking cigarettes or drinking beer may raise red flags for adults who are buying the book and also make it difficult for teachers to use the book for a classroom read aloud.

I’ve since learned how to avoid that without sacrificing integrity.

G: What responsibility do you think writers have in shaping today’s youth?

It takes a village to raise a child.

Are books and authors part of that village?

BO’C: Books and authors are definitely part of that village!

I write realistic fiction, so it’s important to me that I not sugarcoat my stories by avoiding difficult subjects, like homelessness, poor parenting, broken homes, etc.

On the subject of protecting children from the harsh realities of life, editor Phyllis Fogelman says, “It is generally knowledge, not lack of it, that arms children and helps to prepare them for the world as it is rather than what we would like it to be.”

To that I say, “Amen.”

G: Amen.

If you hadn’t become a writer, what do you think you might have done?

BO’C: I would have loved to have been a librarian.

I’m very organized and love books—a perfect combo.

G: I’m glad you chose the path you did.

Are you working on something now?

If so, can you give us a little teaser?

BO’C: I’m in that “simmering” stage, when the story is very hazy but I’m getting to know my main character.

Oddly enough, I always start with the title, which I consider to be the “front door” of my story.

The title of this still-simmering story is That House on Poppy Lane.

That’s about all I can give you at the moment.

G: I’ll add it to my queue the minute it’s released.

Thank you so much for this interview!

 

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