Q&A with Judy Blume
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 
Judy Blume was a surprise guest at the SCBWI conference in Los Angeles! Organization co-founder Lin Oliver (above) interviewed the sweet, funny, down-to-earth and hugely talented author for about an hour, and here are some of my favorite Judy Blume quotes... I hope you find them as inspiring as I do!
Did you know that Judy Blume...
*Writes through a first draft, no matter what is there. That's how she's used to doing it.
*Nowadays, she completes three drafts before she sends to an editor. And it's about five drafts to completion.
*Judy's work was rejected for two years before she got her first acceptance.
*She wants Are you there, God? It's me, Judy written on her tombstone.
*She's 73... and looks fabulous!
On Writing:
"In the beginning, writing not only changed my life – it saved my life."
"I know I start a book on a day something different happens... And sometimes you write pages and pages and pages before this happens."
"It starts with some basic idea that lives in my head for a long time... it perculates... the best ideas come from when I'm doing something physical... not when I'm sitting around." (And example she gave: Judy was kayaking when she came upon a beach wedding and thought of the idea of summer sisters, about one girl marrying the other's first boyfriend).
"I'm so sucky at plot. Plot isn't how it comes to me... You know what, I've never really understood the creative process and how it works!" *laughs*
"I know where it [the book idea] started and I have an idea where it's going... but I don't know anything in the middle, which is both terrifying and wonderful!"
"The creative process is always so much fun... when you think about it, not when you're doing it."
"If I'm excited about getting up every day, to be alone in my little room with my characters, that's good..."
"Dialogue is the only thing I like to write... I hate the rest of it! I'm not good at descriptive writing, at metaphors... I live what my characters are saying rather than what they're thinking.... dialogue writing comes to me naturally and spontaneously."
"I'm a reviser. I'm a terrible first draft writer... I always scribble... that's my security for the next draft."
On her Books:
*The book SUMMER SISTERS took her 23 drafts and 3 years to complete. Boxes and boxes and boxes of paper. Judy says that writing the book "was so painful, I said, I'm never doing this again... and I took a long break."
"Are you there God? It's me, Margaret was my third published book... it was the first time I let loose..."
Advice to Writers:
"It's determination as much as it is any kind of talent that's going to get you there."
"Everybody needs somebody who is supportive."
"How do you know how to write books unless you read books?"
"It never gets any easier.. The only thing that gets easier is that I know how to do this now."
"Keep a notebook! Scribble everything down. Then, I never have to face a blank screen."
Reader Comments (2)
This is a great recap! Thanks for sharing. I would have loved to see her in person. :)
Thanks for sharing these quotes! I would have loved to see her, too. What an awesome surprise!