Katherine Paterson's Q&A
Katherine Paterson is the award-winning author of the beloved children's book Bridge to Terabithia, which is being turned into a big-screen movie. She took a break from her busy schedule to answer some questions for KOL! She shares some interesting information with KOL editor Lyssa Walker.
Have you seen 'Bridge to Terabithia' yet?
Yes, I have.
What do you think of it?
I think it's terrific. For the writer to say that, it means something, as you probably can guess.
I've seen the movie as well and the two main actors [Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb] said that it's pretty true to the book.
Yes, it's true. When I wrote it in the '70s, it was contemporary. A few decades have passed. The movie attempts to bring it up to today's time. We don't make references to the Vietnam War, for example. The plot of the book and spirit of the book is dead on.
Were you present during the filming of the movie?
My husband and I were supposed to go to New Zealand [the filming location], but he got sick and couldn't go and I couldn't leave him to go that far away at that point. So, no, I was not.
How long was the process of turning the book into a movie?
Well, our son David says it was 17 years. That's hard for me to believe, but he says, "Well, I first asked you about it in 1990." I began to count and I thought hmm ... I guess it is 17 years.
Did you have any reservations about turning the book into a movie?
You always have reservations when your book goes into another medium, but I didn't have reservations about him [her son David] because he's a very fine writer and I knew he cared. But you don't make a movie yourself, so how much actual power either of us would have in the end will remain to be seen, but they really have done a really good job. I think both of us were happy.
I read that you did a lot of acting when you were younger ...
Oh I loved it.
Did you ever consider doing a cameo in the movie?
Nobody even suggested it (laughing). Maybe they saw a picture of me ahead.
But you would have like to?
Yeah, it would have been fun, but I wasn't in New Zealand.
If you could choose another book of yours to be turned into a movie, which would it be?
Oh my goodness. Well, I have 15 novels and some of them have been made for TV, but this is the only one made for the big screen. Perhaps, well, maybe it depends on how much money they've got.
Let's say they have as much money as you want.
Well, I'd kind of like to see Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom, which takes place in China and would be epic.
Are you currently writing any books?
I'm trying, but I'm spending far too much time playing famous.
What do you do when you get writer's block?
I always feel that it's a symptom rather than a fatal disease. So, you look to see what's causing the symptom and very often if you take your mind off of it and stop wrinkling your brow quite so tightly and do something entirely different or sleep on it, it loosens the block and you realize where you've gone astray and where you have to back up and go a different direction.
What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Read, maybe because that's how I learned how to write. I think if you read a lot then you begin to figure out how the language works and how the plot works and how the character is developed and you sort of absorb it through your bones and it comes out. I think that great writers are the greatest teachers.
What was your favorite book as a child?
Depending on my age, when I was tiny and my mother was reading to me it was the House at Pooh Corner. When I began to read for myself, The Secret Garden was my favorite and when I was the age of the children in this book [Bridge to Terabithia], The Yearling was my favorite.
Have your kids or grandchildren ever had Bridge to Terabithia as required reading for school?
I think the older two have.
Were they excited?
My family is amazingly loyal. Even if they didn't think that my books were terrific they would never let you know that (laughing).
Bridge to Terabithia comes in at #9 on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000? How do you feel about this?
Sad, because it means that everytime it's challenged, some teacher or librarian gets in trouble because of me.
What is your favorite word?
Grace.
Finally, what's a goal that you would like to achieve this year?
I'd like to finish writing a book that I've been trying to finish for two years. I've had too many interruptions.
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