And then at some point I got stuck in the middle of it, trying to figure out what should happen, how to make sure I got both. In Twins, the graphic novel that I wrote illustrated by Shannon Wright, I was really energized by the premise of the book, and starting out the book. Grace Lin: Can you give us an example of a moment in one of your books where you felt energized? Grace Lin: So it's kind of like a rollercoaster, you're saying. And if I'm feeling good there, then I'm probably going to feel good all the way through it. My goal is to be energized by the time we get to the end of the book, and it's going through revisions. But if I know I can get through it then and become energized again, then I'm usually feeling pretty good. Being drained, those feelings kind of come and go throughout the novel.

'Is it the right novel? Should they be working on something else?' And that's when I kind of stopped thinking about, 'Is this going to be a book or not?' And if I can work through that and become energized again, then I'm back riding high and I keep going. And then I start really questioning everything about the novel. And that lasts until I get stuck for the first time. I love getting up and working on it and getting to work on it as soon as I can. When I'm at the beginning of a novel, when it's fresh, I'm very much energized. I think it does both, depending on the stage.

Grace Lin: Does writing, energize you or deplete you? John: Does writing energize you or deplete you?

Today's question is from a young person named John and they ask. Grace Lin: Are you ready for today's kid question? Varian Johnson: Hey grace, how are you doing? Today, I'm here with Varian Johnson, the author of the middle grade novel, The Parker Inheritance, and the graphic novel, Twins. Grace Lin: Hello, I'm Grace Lin, children's book author and illustrator of many books, including the middle grade novel, When the Sea Turned to Silver and the picture book, A Big Mooncake for Little Star. Welcome back to another great episode of Kids Ask Authors! What a wonderful kid question- “ Does writing energize you or deplete you?” Authors Grace Lin and Varian Johnson share their answers.

Twins book varian johnson