Who are you?
I’m Emma Otheguy, a children’s author in New York City.
What do you write?
I write picture books, early readers, and middle-grade novels. I’m particularly interested in history and often write about Latinos in the United States.
Where do you write?
I’m lucky to live in a neighborhood with about a thousand great coffee shops, where I do the bulk of my writing. I am also a member of the New York Society Library, where I go when I need sustained silence and access to open stacks for research.
My writing tools are:
- My laptop
- A marble notebook
- A Paper Mate Profile pen
- A clamp binder with printed copies of my outlines and research notes
When do you write?
My writing schedule varies according to my school visit schedule (to say nothing of when I have kids home sick). I like to write for 45-minute stretches, and I find that I’m at my best if I do about three of these 45-minute blocks in a day. I try to get at least 500 words written, though many days I write much more. Right now I’m racing to the finish line of the second Cousins in the Time of Magic book!
Why do you write?
I write because I have a lot to say, and writing is the best way to make my ideas heard. I’m motivated and inspired by my love of children—and their books!
How do you overcome writer's block?
I always give the same advice: keep coming back. Almost everyone’s life has interruptions and setbacks, and almost every creative and intellectual process has challenges and stumbling blocks. All you can do is keep coming back. I get frustrated by advice dependent on rigid routines that are mostly not applicable to the lives of real people. But I know from years of experience that if you keep coming back to your manuscript, trying again, and picking up where you left off, you will eventually have a book on your hands. So keep coming back.
Bonus: What do you enjoy doing when not writing?
I like hanging out with my three kids, knitting and needlepoint, and reading voraciously!
My thanks to Emma Otheguy for today's interview.