It's hard for children's authors to be accepted when they try to write adult books. J.K. Rowling is the exception because people are so eager to read anything by her, but it took Judy Blume three or four tries before she had a success.
Well, when I was 13, for my bar mitzvah I received my first typewriter. And that was special.
I've never turned into a bee - I've never been chased by a mummy or met a ghost. But many of the ideas in my books are suggested by real life.
Making my class laugh and getting in trouble. I was the class clown.
I started writing when I was 9 years old. I was like this weird kid who would just stay in my room, typing little funny magazines and drawing comic strips.
Read. Read. Read. Just don't read one type of book. Read different books by various authors so that you develop different styles.
I got the chance to do things that I dreamed of when I was a kid: I got to travel around the world; I had my own 'Goosebumps' attraction at Disney World; I've been on TV and had three TV series.
I haven't written a young-adult book in years. I'm also doing six 'Goosebumps' books a year now.
When I was a kid, there were these great comic books called 'Tales From The Crypt' and 'The Vault of Horror.' They were gruesome. I discovered them in the barbershop and thought they were fabulous.
I used to get a haircut every Saturday so I would never miss any of the comic books. I had practically no hair when I was a kid!
I feel happy to terrify kids.
Normally, I spend a week on the outline and take two weeks to write the book.
If you do enough planning before you start to write, there's no way you can have writer's block. I do a complete chapter by chapter outline.
Believe it or not, my introduction to scary literature was 'Pinocchio.' My mother read it to me every day before naptime when I was three or four. The original 'Pinocchio' is terrifying.
It's my job, too, to keep up with pop culture and what the kids are into 'cause you don't want to sound like an old man trying to write for kids. I spend a lot of my time spying on them.
I drive a lot in the summertime, but after that, I don't drive if there's snow predicted for anywhere in 500 miles.
I'm obsessed with radio. It's a good start to Sunday morning.
