Author shares writing process with Legacy students

Children’s author Conrad Storad spoke to students at Legacy Traditional School last week about his books and the writing process. 

This was Storad’s 77th appearance, including his March visiting author day at the Maricopa Public Library, since his retirement from ASU in December. He was at the university for 32 and a half years and still lives in Tempe.

His books, mostly geared toward third and fourth graders, are about javelinas, scorpions, rattlesnakes, other desert creatures and even the circulatory system. His newest book is about piranhas. “More people eat them than are eaten by them,” said Storad.

Younger students asked if rattlesnakes can go in water (they can) and how big their babies are (two inches high and three inches long).

Storad described his writing process for the older students in grades 6-9. “When you’re an author like me you have to talk to experts and scientists,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s almost like they’re speaking another language.” Storad also uses the library and the Internet to do his research. “Every time I write a book I learn something new.”

“You don’t write a book in one day, one week or one month,” Storad told the students. His 1995 book on tarantulas took more than a year—and 17 drafts. “My hardest book to write was on the circulatory system; it took two years.”

“When you turn in your papers, you think you’re done,” Storad said, “but then there’s the ‘do over.’” According to the author that also happens in real life. “Remember your teachers are trying to help you be the best writer you can be. Even professional writers write again and again.”

Storad stressed the importance of knowing the group you are writing for—your audience. For third and fourth graders, paragraphs cannot be too long or words too difficult. “You don’t use many words, so every word becomes important,” he explained.

The author of 32 children’s books told the students he had just one wish. “Someday I’ll go to a library or bookstore, and you’ll be there and autograph a book for me.”

Photo by Joyce Hollis