Terry Pierce answers just three questions:
Q. When did you start writing?
My first memories of writing were in the fourth grade—mostly corny poetry! I’ve always enjoyed writing but I didn’t declare myself as a real “writer” until my early forties, when I felt driven about it. I began by writing children’s stories while my Montessori students napped in the afternoon (it was the only quiet time in my day). Then in 1999, I stopped teaching and wrote full-time (yes, I defied all common sense and quit my day job). I’ve been writing full-time ever since.
Q. Describe your writing process.
For all work, I always go through a period of brainstorming and getting a mental roadmap of my story. After that, the process varies, depending on what I’m working on; this might sound strange, but I can’t write a first draft of a picture book or easy reader on the computer. I have to use a pencil and paper. Maybe it’s my Montessori background, but I need to feel the words go from my head to my hand to the paper; and I’m usually doing this in my comfy chair surrounded by my two cats. Also, for any rhyming text, I have to be able to get up and move. I walk while reading aloud my rhyming stories to help feel the rhythm and know if it’s working or not. If the rhythm and meter is off, I practically trip over myself.
For my novel (not yet published), I get up around 5:00 AM then, armed with a cup of coffee, head for the computer. The process is the complete opposite of writing for younger children. The words in my novel come so quickly, that my hand can’t keep up, thus the need for the computer. In this situation, I only have one cat with me. He sleeps in front of the monitor and acts as my sounding board (cats make for an excellent audience).
Q. Tell us about your latest book.
Blackberry Banquet (book trailer) is a cumulative story about a group of forest animals feasting on the sweet, plump berries of a blackberry bush, and what happens when a big, hungry bear disrupts their meal. The story rhymes and involves animal sounds, so it has great read-aloud potential.
The idea came to me while approaching my favorite wild blackberry bush, near Hood River, Oregon. A flurry of animals (birds, chipmunks, and a squirrel) had fled from the bush. I actually felt bad disrupting their meal but it got me thinking about story possibilities—what if it was a bear instead of me? I started writing the story immediately. Of course, it took years to come to fruition. I first wrote it in prose. After a couple of “close but no thanks” from editors, I knew I had a good idea, but needed to take it to another level. That’s when I decided to write it in rhyme. And taking your poetry class certainly helped in that regard 
.
Lisa Downey did a wonderful job with the illustrations. I love the page where the bear and deer are facing each other! And Sylvan Dell created a huge bonus for teachers and parents by adding the “For Creative Minds” section at the end of the book. Four pages of blackberry-related information and fun! And if that’s not enough, you can find a free (yes, free!) 28-page set of Blackberry Banquet teaching activities on their website at Sylvan Dell. Oh—and did I mention the plush bear? They even have a plush bear to go with the book. They do as much as possible to extend the book experience as possible, which I love because it’s something that I did as a Montessori teacher.
Congratulations, Terry!
Visit the other stops on Terry’s tour:
6/8 Karen’s News
6/10 Elizabeth Dulemba
6/11 Book Buds Kidlit Reviews
6/13 Picture Book of the Day
