Author offers adventure to budding writers

At the age that most children are not even beginning to think about what they want to do for a living, Gordon Korman was on the road to becoming a young adult novelist.

Korman, who is holding an adventure writing workshop in Cape Girardeau Sept. 28, wrote and published his first book, "This Can't Be Happening at McDonald Hall," at age 14, thanks to an English teacher.

Not that the teacher was especially inspiring. He was a track and field coach who was new to teaching English and told his students they could write whatever they wanted for the next four months.

So Korman spent that time writing what became his first book. When others told him the result was good enough to publish, he sent it off to Scholastic, a publishing house for children's books.

That led to a book contract with Scholastic. By the time he had graduated from high school, Korman, who grew up near Toronto, had published five books.

Yet he said he still was not sure he wanted to be a writer.

"It really wasn't until my freshman or sophomore year at college when I considered writing as a full-time career," he said.

Korman entered New York University intending to study film, but graduated with a degree in dramatic writing and a clear idea of what he was going to do next.

"I was lucky, I had a publisher immediately and an agent before I graduated from college," he said. "I was pretty well established by the time I graduated from college."

The hard part was making what was a part-time activity he did during the summer into a full-blown job.

"It took years before I had any work ethic and a regular work schedule," he said.

He must have developed some type of work ethic, because he has published 55 books since his debut.

Korman's books are intended for third- to sixth-graders and young adults. He said his adventure series, such as the Dive or Everest series, are geared more toward younger readers while his work for young adults tends to be a little more humorous.

And while writing for children might seem difficult for a man over 40, Korman said he has never had a problem of relating to young readers.

"There was never a point where I had to sit down and think, 'What would a 12-year-old be thinking?'" he said.

Part of the reason for that is the number of children that Korman deals with on a regular basis because of his frequent visits to schools around the country -- about 40 a year.

"It's like a second job," he said.

During his visit to Cape Girardeau Sept. 28 to 30, Korman will be visiting students in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, where he will talk about how his experiences in becoming a writer, important elements of writing and allow for a question and answer session.

It is the question and answer sessions, Korman said, that reminds him that children are pretty much the same all over the country.

"There's always going to be some who are just interested in your personal life," he said, "and some who want to ask questions about the books."

In addition to his school visits, Korman is busy with future book projects.

A sequel to his hit "Son of the Mob" has just come out, titled "Son of the Mob: Hollywood Hustle," and the book "Born to Rock" is due in March. He is also working on a six-book adventure series called "On the Run," of which the first book comes out in April.

Korman will let others in on his knowledge about adventure writing at the Sept. 28 workshop at 7 p.m. in the Central High School library.

His visit is being sponsored by the YELL Foundation, and all proceeds go to youth literacy programs. The workshop is limited to 50 people and is open to people of all ages. The workshop is $15 for students and educators, $25 for adults and is payable by check at the door. For more information, call Kim McDowell at 335-6611, extension 101.

kalfisi@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182

WANT TO GO?

• What: Adventure writing workshop with Gordon Korman

When: 7 p.m. Sept. 28

Where: Central High School library