5,4,3,2,1 Interview: Rebecca Behrens

Happy book birthday, Rebecaa Behrens! I cannot think of many things more exciting in the world of publishing, than an author’s first book birthday. From the looks of Rebecca’s website, I think she’ll be celebrating with doughnuts. 

I asked Ms. Behrens my 5 little questions. My only requirement was that she answered the questions 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 sentence response.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about WHEN AUDREY MET ALICE?

When thirteen-year-old First Daughter Audrey finds Alice Roosevelt’s long-lost diary, reading about Alice’s outrageous antics gives Audrey tons of ideas of having fun—and gets her into more trouble than she can handle. [1 sentence]

2. What is your favorite thing about being a writer?  

As a writer, you’re constantly learning new things. Sometimes it’s cool facts you pick up while doing research for a story. Other times, it’s that your characters teach you things you didn’t know, such as by showing you the perspective of someone very different than you. I feel grateful that I get to spend my time exploring the world through storytelling. [4 sentences]

3. What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?

Patience is the hardest thing! Telling a good story takes time—from research to writing to editing to publishing. [2 sentences]

4. If you could spend one day inside the world of any book which book would you pick?

If I could spend a day inside of the world of some of my favorite historical-fiction reads, it would be like time-traveling! I might pick Caddie Woodlawn so I could see what my home state of Wisconsin was like in pioneer days, or Catherine, Called Birdy to see 14^th-century England. I would probably be happy to come back to a world with hot showers and soft sheets afterward, though. [3 sentences]

5. What advice do you have for the young writers in my classroom?

A first draft is just the start. Every writer spends a lot of time revising his or her work. The published version of When Audrey Met Alice is actually the eighth draft. It’s okay if something you write isn’t perfect, because you can always keep working to make it better. You don’t have to get it right on the first try (or even the fifth)! [5 sentences]

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