Photo: Courtesy of Tammar Stein
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
I’m the author of eight books for children of all ages. I’ve written everything from a board book with 12 words to novels for older young adults. My books have won the Middle East Book Award for children’s literature, a Sydney Taylor silver medal, the American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults, and have been on state reading lists.
I’ve lived all over the world, in five countries, five states, and three continents. I’m currently living in Singapore.
What inspired you to become an author?
When I was in high school, I started to think about what I should study at university. But before I could decide what to study, I had to think hard about what sort of job I would enjoy after graduation. The only thing I came up with was that I really loved is reading novels. I really really love reading novels. But I couldn’t work out how reading all day could be a job…so I decided the next best thing would be to write books! And that’s what I did. (Plus, this way, whenever I’m reading, I can justify it as research.)
Where and when do you write? Do you have a writing routine?
Writing is my job. In the morning, I get myself and the family sorted, and then sit down to write. One of the downsides of writing is that there’s no one there to cover for you, or pick up the slack. If I don’t write, then nothing happens in the manuscript that day.
How long does it take you to finish a novel?
That really depends on the book! My first book took five years to write. Part of that was the learning process of what it takes to write a book. I joke that the first draft of your first novel is your diploma from Novel Writing University. You can’t really do much with it, but it taught you a lot and prepared you for the much better novel you’re going to write. Luckily, I’ve gotten a bit faster over the years, but it still takes me about two years to write a novel.
Which authors can we find in your library?
I have a huge library! I’ve moved a lot over the years, and moving is a great opportunity to purge, but one thing I never purge is books! The movers hate me, there are boxes and boxes of books. Some of my favorites authors are: Madelyn Rosenberg, Erica Perl, Katherine Marsh, Caroline Hickey, Kristin Levine, and Pam Ehrenberg. (Full disclosure: they’re also my friends and are the best and loveliest of people.)
What advice would you give an aspiring author?
Find your people! Writing can be so lonely, and especially when you start out, you only have your own belief in yourself to carry you. Find other writers! Make a community. Meet once a month and share your work. Having other writers read what you’re working on has two benefits. One is that you get constructive feedback on what’s working and what’s not working. The other is you get accountability. I’m a big fan of deadlines. Sometimes just knowing someone is expecting you to turn something in is the difference between writing and not writing. And to paraphrase Nora Roberts: you can fix a bad page, but you can’t fix a blank one.
Where can readers purchase your books?
You can find them wherever books are sold!
Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes and Noble, etc.
On which social media channels can our readers connect with you?
Instagram: @Tammar_Stein
Or you can always see what I’m up to on my website: www.tammarstein.com
Photos: Courtesy of Tammar Stein
