Derek Taylor Kent is the author of “Scary School” and it’s follow-up, “Monsters on the March.” Below is a complete transcript of his interview with Cracking the Cover.
Do you still enjoy writing as much now as you were a year ago?
Yes! With each book I write I feel as though my writing is improving so it’s always fun to start a new book and see how my style is evolving. Luckily, writing is still the most fun I think I can possibly have when I’m into something I like. If it’s ever not fun, I’ll have to probably jump onto a new project.
Are you surprised by the success of your first book?
I was thrilled that Scary School #1 won the Children’s Literature Network award for “Funniest Chapter Book of 2011.” My goal when I started was to write the funniest children’s series ever, so I’m very glad that kids seem to be connecting to the humor and having a great time reading the books.
How many books are planned?
Book 3 is coming out June 2013. There will hopefully be more after that, but it’s not certain yet. I have a #4, #5, and #6 in the series mapped out, so I’d like to definitely write those one way or another. I still feel like I’ve only brushed the surface of the world and the characters, so let’s all keep our fingers crossed!
Why do you think kids like the Scary School books?
I hope that the main reason that they like the books is because they are connecting to the characters. I tried to create a cast full of kids (regular and scary) that everyone could relate to. Most kids love monsters, so I think that initially draws them to the series, but then to get them to keep reading book after book, they have to be attached to the characters and their journeys.
As you build on the world of Scary School, where do new ideas come from?
A lot of ideas come from current trends in movies and books that I can poke fun at. I also draw inspiration from classics. For instance, in Book 2 of Scary School, there’s a two-chapter sequence that delves into the world of Stephen King books. There’s also a funny chapter (it’s probably my favorite) that makes fun of the famous Voldemort orphanage scene from Harry Potter #6. I like to take classic stories and mold them into my world. You know like how West Side Story is just a re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet. Scary School #2 Monsters on the March is basically a children’s version of The Illiad. For Scary School #3, the story is inspired by King Arthur
Has it become easier or harder to write?
As long as I put the preparation and work in beforehand, writing remains a fun and “easy” task, but finding the time to do it while promoting the other books with school visits and book tours is becoming harder for sure.
What are your goals beyond Scary School?
I have several new series in the works. A couple for middle-grade in the same vein as Scary School and a YA book involving the history of cinema. I also have some screenplays in development that will hopefully be coming to a theater in the near future.
When you meet with kids, what has the response been?
There’s always a great deal of enthusiasm, which is great to see for a book. There is definitely a fair share of Scary School “geeks” who know more than I do about the characters and ask very probing questions, and there are those who are just getting into it and are exciting about the premise. I usually do several school visits a week, so I created an interactive story with a slide-show. The kids get to make monster noises and even choose what happens in the story. It seems to get them excited about what happens in the book. By the way, if anyone wants to book me for a visit, just visit the Book Tour section of the website – www.ScarySchool.com.
Kids also seem to love the website because they can play a videogame, meet the student and faculty, and even unlock secret chapters.
What’s the strangest/funniest question you’ve been asked?
I remember last year during a school visit, the kids got on a question-asking tangent about what kinds of monsters are in the books. “Is there a dragon?” “Is there a Chucky?” “Is there a zombie?” And then one kid raised his hand and he looked very distressed. Bubbling with excitement he asked, “Is there… is there… a cyclops?” And I had to say, “Sorry, there isn’t a cyclops in the book.” His smile dropped and he looked like he was about to start crying. So I quickly said, “But don’t worry! There’s definitely going to be a cyclops in Book Three!” And he smiled again and cheered his heart out. I made sure to write a kid cyclops into Book 3 because I kept thinking that if I don’t, that kid will be inconsolable.
What are you working on now?
My book projects I talked about briefly above, but at this very moment, I’m working on a braised oxtail dish for dinner. Yummm!