Interview:
published on childrensbooklist.com on October 18, 2019
Some kids go to public school. Some go to private school. And others go to homeschool. Follow Ally and Andy’s story as they teach their friends about how they learn!
Siblings Ally and Andy love to spend time with their friends. When they host a sleepover at their house, two of their closest friends, Simon and Sarah, learn important lessons about what it is to go to MOM Academy. By the end of their overnight stay, Simon and Sarah not only think homeschool sounds like fun, they learn that there’s more than one way to learn and grow! {{more}}
Q. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
I would tell myself to just write. To stop making excuses and just write the stories. I jotted down so many ideas and then tossed them aside because I thought I would never get to do anything with them. Publishing is great, but shouldn’t be the only reason to write. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? It varies from story to story. If it’s something I know a little about already, I will still do some research online and talk to people who might know about the topic. If it’s something I don’t know much about, I will research it considerably more, even take a cheap online course or self-study it, if necessary, to gain more insight.
Q. What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I think one trap is not making writing a priority in your routine. If you want to be a writer, it is important to write often and get ideas down. I think another big trap is to get an idea and then toss it out thinking it’s stupid and no one would want to read it.
Q. What is the first book that made you cry?
I don’t really remember but I am pretty sure it was Where the Red Fern Grows. I remember that book making me incredibly sad as a kid, and I refused to watch the movie. haha
Q. As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
I think maybe a firefly. I found them so fascinating as a kid, and even as an adult- they bring me back to childhood when things were so much simpler.
Q. Who came up with the names for the characters in the book?
I chose the names… I rather randomly chose Andy and Ally because they both start with A, and Simon and Sarah because they both start with S. Although I did get Andy from Toy Story, which was one of my kids’ favorite movies when they were little.
Q. What inspired you to write a book based around home school?
I homeschooled my kids from pre-k through elementary school, and then again during 9th-12th grade. When they were younger, I realized there were no fictional stories about homeschooling children, and that is when Mom Academy popped into my head. Years later, I did some poking around online and noticed there still really are no stories out there for kids taught at home. I decided I would get the ball rolling with Where We Go to School.
Q. Who are your favourite children’s authors?
I have a few, but Karma Wilson is one of my top favorite children’s authors… I love the Bear series. Her books inspired me to consider writing children’s books. I also love James Howe, who wrote Bunnicula and that series. Such great, memorable characters by both authors.
Q. Did you ever get writer’s block and what helped you overcome it?
I tend to get writers block quite often. I am inspired by reading, hearing stories about people’s lives, nature and art. If I surround myself with these things, my mind will start piecing ideas together and I eventually overcome the block.
Q. Give us an interesting fun fact about your book.
I was initially going to write the book series with the characters being dogs. I love dogs, and I thought it would be cute. But finally I decided to stick with people as characters because I felt kids reading the books might relate better to other kids.
Q. What made you choose this theme for the story?
What made you choose this theme for the story? It is based off homeschooling experiences I had with my kids when they were younger. I thought other homeschooling families and their kids might be able to understand it.
Q. What’s next for you? What are you working on now?
Mom Academy is a series, with Where We Go to School being the first book. I am in the process of editing of the second book in the series, plus outlining another children’s book series called Kitty in the City, about a cat who lives with her owner in the country and abruptly moves to the city with him, and the wild adventures she experiences in her new environment.
About the Author:
Natalie R. Brolan has been a freelance writer for over 20 years, writing and reviewing for newspapers, magazines and blogs. She studied creative writing, children’s literature and publishing, and is excited to be releasing the first picture book in her new series ‘MOM Academy: Where We Go to School!’.
An even bigger accomplishment, she survived teaching her two children- both recent high school graduates of homeschool, and is happy to report that they are well on their way to making positive marks in the world. With 10-plus years experience and exuberant passion in elementary and high school homeschooling, Natalie thought it would be a great avenue to travel down in writing.
Natalie lives in Connecticut with her family and can be found with her nose in a good book, writing, painting, going to a concert or exploring nature.
Where We Go to School is available NOW on Etsy!
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