Lisa Papademetriou has worked in an editorial capacity at Scholastic, HarperCollins, and Disney Press. She has written or adapted over thirty books for young readers, including Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me; The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey; How to Be a Girly Girl in Just Ten Days, and the New York Times bestselling Disney Fairies novel, Rani in the Mermaid Lagoon.

Lisa lives in Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog, playing guitar, dancing around the house to 80's music, and eating at the vegetarian cafe (even though she isn't vegetarian).

frequently asked questions:

When and where were you born?
I was born August 25, 1971 and I grew up in Houston, Texas. I went to West University Elementary School, Lanier Middle School, and Episcopal High School of Houston.

Are you writing a sequel to Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me?
No. I love that book and would write a sequel if I could come up with the perfect story! If I ever do, I’ll announce it on the site.

When is Paramount making the movie of The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey?
Well, the book has been “optioned,” which means that Paramount might make the movie. They may or may not. (Of course, I hope they will!) If I ever get any information that a film is in the works, I’ll post it on my website.

Where do you get your inspiration?
My readers inspire me—I love hearing from them. But sometimes I don’t feel inspired, and I have to write, anyway! When that happens, I just get to work. Usually, the inspiration sneaks up on me while I’m writing.

Where do you get your ideas?
My ideas are mostly based loosely on real life—people I’ve known, situations I’ve been in, and silly little things that have happened to me. But, hopefully, the books are funnier!

Are you and Chris writing a sequel to M or F?
We tried! We thought and thought about what would make a good sequel, and we just couldn’t come up with anything that seemed as good as the original. And we didn’t want to do something lame, so we gave up. But we’d love to work together again someday.

Can we be pen pals?
I wish I could keep in touch with all of my readers personally, but it’s just not possible. I get a lot of E-mail! I do, however, read all of the E-mail that comes to me, and it really means a lot to me. Sometimes, when I’m down and feeling as if I’ll never come up with a good idea, I re-read some of the letters. They’re very inspiring!

What’s it like being a famous writer?
Hahahaha!!! I actually get this question a lot, and it always makes me giggle, because I’m not famous at all. But it looks GREAT, and I hope it happens to me someday! ;-) (And if I ever run into Stephenie Meyer, I’ll ask her what it’s like.)

How can I get published?
First, you have to write something. Getting it published depends a lot on what it is that you’ve written. There are a lot of good articles and books on the subject that I have assembled in the resources below.

resources to get you started:

> Good general information

> An actual list of publishers with what they are looking for, plus links to their sites

> Nitty-gritty answers to Frequently Asked Questions, by the people who know

> 2009 Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market (The Must-Have Resource)

> The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books (If Jane Yolen says it’s good, it’s good.)

> Help! I can never think of a story! Check out Scholastic’s Story Starters machine. It’s great!

> Also, you can become a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators even if you aren’t published—and they have workshops and conferences throughout the year where you can network with other writers, editors, and illustrators.

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