Q. What was it like writing The Island of Dr. Libris after the success of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library?
A. I guess it was lucky that I started writing The Island of Dr. Libris before Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library was published and went on to become such a success and a New York Times bestseller. Otherwise, I think I might've freaked out! The pressure would've been pretty intense. During the editorial process, however, we did do a lot of rewriting because, as my editor told me, "the book after a big book" is extremely important to get right. I think we put the manuscript through eight or nine major rewrites to whip the book into shape. Hopefully, we whipped it correctly.
Q. Where do you find inspiration for your characters and settings?
A. Most of my main characters are inspired by a childhood memory of my own. For instance, Kyle Keeley in Lemoncello came out of remembering what it was like to have two big brothers I could never beat at anything except when we played board games.
In Dr. Libris, Billy Gillfoyle is very close to the twelve-year-old me, right when I was first discovering, thanks to my junior high teachers, that I might have a talent for writing. My parents never came close to a divorce but Billy's character – a bit of a loner with a wild imagination and a budding sense of humor, which he uses as a defensive weapon – is who I was in seventh and eighth grade.
The settings come from different places. The cabin on the lake in Dr. Libris sprang from a combination of memories. Visiting a friend's summer house in upstate New York. The mysterious, isolated places where incredible adventures can take place from The Island of Dr. Moreau and Treasure Island. The pond in the woods where my brothers and I used to act out all sorts of make-believe stories when I was a boy growing up in Tennessee.
But, I think the spark for this particular tale came while my wife and I were visiting Michigan, taking care of her elderly father who was recovering from a very bad, incapacitating fall. He has a house on a lake north of Detroit. On an extremely stressful day, I remember sitting in his living room, staring at the island in the middle of that lake and wishing I could be magically transported out to it. I remembered how books have, in the past, helped me escape bad situations, like the time my late wife was undergoing her first cancer surgery and all I could do was sit and wait. Fortunately, I had a page-turner of a book with me. It took me out of that hospital room and transported me off to ancient Egypt for four full hours. Books have always given me a magical escape whenever I need one. That's where I got the idea of books being Billy's escape hatch, too.
Q. What were some of your favorite stories as a young reader?
A. I loved Robin Hood, Greek myths, The Count of Monte Cristo, Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. It's no accident that several characters from those stories find their way to The Island of Dr. Libris. I liked action and adventure. And the little guy triumphing over powerful people – because when you're a kid, you're always one of the "little" guys.
Q. What is your writing process typically like? Do you have a set system or routine that works for you?
A. I am very boring. A true Virgo with the same dull routine every day that I'm not visiting a school. I get up. I walk the dog. I go running or work out. I take a shower and eat an egg white sandwich. I make a second cup of coffee, walk down the hall and sit down at the keyboard. My goal is to write two thousand new words every day. I start by lightly editing the two thousand words I wrote the day before, mostly to get my head back in the story. Once I'm in the zone, I take a few breaks, but, mostly, I sit in my chair and I write.
The first thing I do when I start a new project is create an iTunes playlist or find a Pandora station to be the soundtrack for the book. For The Island of Dr. Libris, I listened to a lot of Danny Elfman movie scores. The music helps me stay in the right groove.
Q. What do you enjoy doing when you're not writing?
A. You know, I enjoy writing so much, I don't think I really have any hobbies. I like to walk with my dog, but we're usually daydreaming about story ideas or plot points together. We also have three cats who demand to be rubbed in favorite spots periodically. I also love watching movies. Fortunately, my wife, J.J., is always planning field trips and adventures for us. Otherwise, I might not get out of the writing room very often.
Q. Have you received any interesting feedback or questions from young readers?
A. Just about every day! I usually do one in-person school or library visit per week and one Skype or Google Hangout classroom visit on every other day. I like staying in contact with my readers so I know what's going on in schools. I think the emotions of being a middle-grader are the same now as they were when I was twelve – but the props have changed. There are no chalkboards and every classroom has a computer. On the other hand, during gym class, I'd probably still be picked last for any team.
The best feedback ever was an e-mail I received from a reader and then a second e-mail from her parents. Here's what the mom wrote to me:
"Mr. Grabenstein, I just saw this email my daughter wrote you...As she wrote, you visited her school and she was very excited to read your book. Caroline has struggled with a learning disability, which has made reading quite a challenge. She worked very hard and it took her some time, but she finished your book last night. She came to tell us with tears in her eyes. It was the first book that she has ever read completely by herself. It was an amazing accomplishment for Caroline. We are all so proud. So thank you for writing a great book and for being an inspiration to her!"
After you receive a note like that, you want to write the best books you possibly can. Right after you wipe the tears out of your eyes.
Q. Do you have any advice for young writers?
A. Read, read, read. Write, write, write. As Stephen King says, you can't be a writer if you're not a reader. And, to me, the most important part of writing is establishing a disciplined routine. James Patterson often compares reading and writing to learning a musical instrument. You don't pick up the guitar and expect to be brilliant on day one. You know you have to sit down every day and practice, practice, practice if you ever want to get to Carnegie Hall.
Q. Lastly, do you have a favorite "library moment" you'd like to share with our readers?
A. I think my absolute favorite library moment was when we had the launch party for Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library in the library of P.S. 10, a school in Brooklyn, New York. I donated a bunch of books to the PTO, so did Random House. There were balloons all over the place. We had cake. Kids were bouncing off the walls with excitement (and not just because of the cake), eager to be the first ones able to read my new book.
But what made the event truly special was the fact that the beautiful new library in P.S. 10, which had been paid for by a "very generous benefactor," had been, two years earlier, the inspiration for Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. I wrote down the first germ of the story idea on the subway ride home after doing an author visit to the school.
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