I originally interviewed Tara Dairman for Creative Spaces when the third and final (sob!) in the All Four Stars trilogy was published. Wait–I just realized that was only a little over a year ago. Boy, a lot can happen in a year because things have changed quite a bit for her! I’m thrilled to check back in with her today.

 

What have you been working on since Stars So Sweet?

My new middle grade novel, The Great Hibernation, comes out from Wendy Lamb Books/Random House on September 12. It’s my first standalone novel and a complete departure from the All Four Stars foodie series! It’s also my first book with a new publisher (sadly, my editor for the Stars books has left publishing).

The Great Hibernation is about a town where all of the adults mysteriously fall asleep and the kids are left in charge; it’s a mystery, a political parable, and a zany comedy, and it was a whole lot of fun to write. (It also features a lovely blurb from one of my favorite fellow MG mystery writers, Jennifer Chambliss Bertman.) [Interviewer’s Note: It’s true! I really, really love this book. I hope others read it and connect with it the way I did.]

A lot has changed, actually, because my family and I relocated 1000 miles earlier this year to Austin, TX. So my routine got put on hold while we found a place to live and figured out things like childcare schedules. Eventually, though, I did get back to writing–when the heat allows, I love to work on our new back porch!

My toddler is in preschool three days a week, so I usually write on those mornings. I take a break to do some yoga and eat lunch, and then deal with “businessy” stuff in the afternoon, like e-mails, responding to Skype and school visit requests, setting up book tour events, etc.

(Or, honestly, sometimes I just nap. I’m expecting a new baby this fall, so I’m often pretty drained. And then, when he or she arrives, the routine will reset itself all over again!)

Be kind to yourself. There will always be people who insist that you have to write every day, and it’s great to write every day if you can manage it (you’ll certainly produce books a lot faster!). But sometimes big life changes, health issues, etc. will get in the way of your creativity and/or disrupt your routine. I’m trying to be better at not guilting myself when life shifts necessitate that I slow down with my work–and appreciate the privilege of being able to take a breather when I need one.