CHAT WITH GARY PAULSEN

Librarian
Welcome to our chat with Gary Paulsen.

Librarian
We are chatting today with Gary Paulsen, author of Hatchet. . This book is the story of a young boy's survival in the Canadian wilderness. Mr. Paulsen grew up in Minnesota.

Librarian
Gary has just joined us online and we're ready to start sending him the first of your questions.

Librarian
This is a moderated chat, which means I'll be sending Gary your questions one at a time so he doesn't get overwhelmed!

Librarian
We already have about 25 questions waiting for Gary, so please be patient in waiting for your question to be asked. Thanks.

Librarian
Gary, are you ready?

Gary Paulsen
Yes

D.S
waz up Gary!!!!!!!!!!!

Soccer/Jillian/2002
Do you write for pleasure,fun,or for other reasons?

Gary Paulsen
I still love writing, and I write for the joy of writing.

Angels
How old were you when you started your first book?

Gary Paulsen
About 26.

bookdragon
Last time I asked if you had any children, and now I ask: What are your children's names?

Gary Paulsen
His name is James.

Gary Paulsen
and a granddaughter Kayla and a grandson Brennan.

kw
how long did it take you to write your first book

Gary Paulsen
I guess 3 or 4 months . . .

Gary Paulsen
but I had to live most of it first but that took 6 or 7 years.

AG
was it hard to become a writer and, how old were u when u knew u wanted to be a writer

Gary Paulsen
It's extremely hard to become a writer . . .

Gary Paulsen
I was 26 when I decided I HAD to be a writer.

frolikingpixie
what kind of music do you listen to

Gary Paulsen
Almost all classical . . .

Gary Paulsen
Beethoven and Mozart are favorites . . .

Gary Paulsen
and oddly enough, Enya and Pink Floyd . . .

Gary Paulsen
I've started listening to some of the new pop music on the radio and I like that.

N.S.J
Aspen would like to know - What gave you the idea to write Hatchet?

Gary Paulsen
Many of the things that happened in my life are in Hatchet . . .

Gary Paulsen
it occurred to me that it would make a great story . . .

Gary Paulsen
I've been in two forced landings in bush planes . . .

Gary Paulsen
and I've hunted and trapped my whole childhood.

mrswood
Do you like your own writing style?

_Sailor_Noelle_
Do you like your writing?

Gary Paulsen
Yes I do but I try to improve it all the time.

D.S
Which of the books, that you wrote, do you like the best?

dko
What book do you like tha best that you wrote

Gary Paulsen
I had a great time with Harris and Me . . .

Gary Paulsen
it was fun to write and I like it for that reason . . .

Gary Paulsen
but Hatchet has been the greatest ride.

Soccer/Jillian/2002
Did you ever get stranded in the wilderness?

Gary Paulsen
Yes, twice I've been lost in the woods . . .

Gary Paulsen
and once on the sea.

hatchetloversfromccs
Last time you said you started reading more at age 13, what is the first book you remember enjoying a lot?

Gary Paulsen
Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

dko
why did you want to become a writer

Gary Paulsen
It was absolutely overpowering. I had to write. . .

Gary Paulsen
and I starved for 17 years and I still could not stop writing.

kw
what kida of tv shows do you watch

Gary Paulsen
Well, I like Scrubbs and Law and Order.

Sabooooo!!!!!
Do you think your writing has improved over the years?

Gary Paulsen
I hope so . . . I think so . . .

Gary Paulsen
You get too close to it.

SHARITA
Dose your wife draws all of you picture book

Gary Paulsen
Not all, but she did quite a few.

N.J.J.
do you think you will right another book like the hatchet?if so will it involve Brian??

Gary Paulsen
Other Brian stories are Brian's Winter, Brian's Return and The River. There may be one more.

Albino googlemonkey
Did you ever get stuck when writing Hatchet?

Gary Paulsen
It was rejected 3 times . . .

Gary Paulsen
and during the rejection I got stuck a couple of times on writing it.

kg
do u have any writers u like personally, in the past or recent?

Gary Paulsen
Ted Taylor who wrote The Cay . . and Cynthia Rylant . . .

Gary Paulsen
I have many friends who are writers.

G.H.
wheres the best place u have ever been

Gary Paulsen
Two of them . . .

Gary Paulsen
one is in the middle of the Iditarod, a place called Rhone check point . . .

Gary Paulsen
and the other is about 700 miles from Fiji in the South Pacific alone with a pod of 60 - 70 sperm whales.

Elephant
What is your hobby beside writing

Gary Paulsen
Sailing . . . I'm on the way to Cape Horn.

bookdragon
Did you ever eat bone-marrow jello(when you boil bones and gat a gelatin-like mixture?

Gary Paulsen
Yes . . .

Gary Paulsen
and eyeballs . . .

Gary Paulsen
and raw blood.

EH
raw blood eeeewwwww

EH
i want some raw blood stew with some bone marrow jello

kw
when you wrote your first book did you correct alot of mistaskes

Gary Paulsen
Yes.

AG
what advice would you give to younger kids abouting writing?

Gary Paulsen
Read like a wolf eats . . .

Gary Paulsen
read when they tell you not to read . . .

Gary Paulsen
and read what they tell you not to read . . .

Gary Paulsen
you can't read enough.

ATJK
why did you pick to write to kids instead of adults

Gary Paulsen
It's artistically fruitless to write for adults . . .

Gary Paulsen
only kids truly appreciate art.

bookdragon
What to you dream of doing or seeing?

Gary Paulsen
I dream of a beam reach wind across my sailboat and of going to Cape Horn which I hope to do this year.

Angels/Michelle/Chelsea
Who did you want to win for the champianships in baseball? Twins or Angels?

Gary Paulsen
Absolutely the Twins!! That was such a bummer.

G.H.
are u on your boat know

Gary Paulsen
Yes . . . I'm sitting in a room looking at the mast.

kw
did you even meet any other writers that were famous

Gary Paulsen
Not really. I met some who thought they were. . . some famous writers are friends of mine.

bookdragon
what was it like to be in a carnival? what did you do?

Gary Paulsen
I worked the tiltawhirl, and it was a complete, wild education . . .

Gary Paulsen
I was 15.

_Sailor_Noelle_
your kidding about the raw blood thing right.

Gary Paulsen
[Laughing] No! . . .

Gary Paulsen
It was with Inuits.

dko
do you type every single day

Gary Paulsen
Yes.

Librarian
Cokato Elementary wants to know where you got your great ideas for writing the "Mr. Tucket" books?

Gary Paulsen
I traveled around the West on horses and on a Harley at one time . . .

Gary Paulsen
and saw the places that Tucket would have seen. . .

Gary Paulsen
This was many years ago and I realized that I needed to write about it then.

ATJK
doesnt it make you sea sick writing in a boat.

Gary Paulsen
No, you get used to it. The first three days you get sick.

G.H.
do u have a name for your boat

Gary Paulsen
Scallywag.

Susan Lindgren
How many dogs have you had in your life and what is your favorite breed?

Gary Paulsen
Several hundred, counting sled dogs . . .

Gary Paulsen
and I loved them all. There's no favorite breed . . .

Gary Paulsen
right now I have 2 border collies, a basset and 3 chihuahuas.

Angels/Michelle/Chelsea
What do you do when you get a writters block?

Gary Paulsen
Write the next thing that comes to my mind . . .

Gary Paulsen
whatever it is. . .

Gary Paulsen
like, I wish I had a taco.

dko
what is the grossest food that you have ever eaten before

Gary Paulsen
Raw snapping turtle eggs . . .

Gary Paulsen
they taste like rotten Vaseline . . .

Gary Paulsen
I puked them up.

Truck
how old are you?

Gary Paulsen
63 but I've got a 26-27 year old brain.

Sabooooo!!!!!
What inspires you to write?

Gary Paulsen
Stories . . . the stories are always there . . .

Gary Paulsen
like a river and you just dip in.

kg
Do you miss living in MN

Gary Paulsen
I do . . .

Gary Paulsen
I miss the woods a great deal . . .

Gary Paulsen
but my body does not agree.

dko
have you ever got turned down by a publisher

Gary Paulsen
Many times . . .

Gary Paulsen
I still get rejected . . .

Gary Paulsen
I really do.

Soccer/Jillian/2002
How can your brain be a different age?

Gary Paulsen
[laughing] It's very painful [laughing]

Truck
you have alot of humor

WH
your fuuny

N.J.J.
youre really funny so like did you get it from somone or did you just get it?

Gary Paulsen
[laughing] It's apparently inherited from my grandmother.

D.S
Do you like camping in the woods?

Gary Paulsen
Oh, yeah, I love it. I hate living in a house.

DR
do you have fun writing your books

Gary Paulsen
Yes, I do. . . it's a great dance.

EH
i love your great books

gw
How do you know were to start when on a book

Gary Paulsen
Stories will tell you where to start . . .

Gary Paulsen
you just start where the story tells you to.

bookdragon
How did you know that raw turtle eggs taste like vaseline? have you eaten that too?

Gary Paulsen
Yes, when I put it on dogs' sore feet. You get the taste in your mouth from your hands.

dko
when do you think you are going to retire from writing books

Gary Paulsen
I won't . . . I'll write til I die.

kg
How long did it take to write your longest book?

Gary Paulsen
The title of the book was Building the New, Buying an Old, Remodeling the Used Comprehensive Home and Shelter How to Do It Book. . .

Gary Paulsen
it was a stultifying 612 pages.

JH
where are you in the ocean

Gary Paulsen
Right now in Southern California . . .

Gary Paulsen
but I'm going to Tahiti before [going to] the Horn.

JL
how long will you be on the boat?

Gary Paulsen
Years.

kw
i like how your ideas are put in books

WH
did you get good grades for writing when you were in school

Gary Paulsen
No.

Gary Paulsen
I had to take 9th grade over . . . I flunked everything . . .

Gary Paulsen
and I was a poor reader . . .

Gary Paulsen
if I could make this happen, anybody could.

N.J.J.
sorry you flunked!!

sherrell
hi gary how are you fine I hope I really want to meet you also and i love your books

Saboooooo!!!!
do you ever just start a story from a random idea?

Gary Paulsen
Yes, I do , and it's fun to just see where it goes . ..

Gary Paulsen
to let it lead you.

G.H.
are u writing any books at this time

Gary Paulsen
I have a book coming out in February called How Angel Peterson Got His Name.

Gary Paulsen
or it's subtitle is: How I Lived through the Birth of Xtreme Sports.

Librarian
We've got about 5 more minutes with Gary. We'll answer a few more questions.

Elephant
keep gooooooooing please

HACHET
noooooo don't leave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bookdragon
I've noticed that a lot of your books are about BOYS, have you ever written about a GIRL main character?

Gary Paulsen
Yes, The Monument was about a girl.

Gary Paulsen
Also, Nightjohn was about a girl.

Angels/Michelle/Chelsea 6
If I wanted to start a book,how would I start it?

Gary Paulsen
Just sit down and write just anything that is in your mind . . .

Gary Paulsen
and see where it goes.

dko
do you use thusaurases

Gary Paulsen
Yes, I do . . .

Gary Paulsen
less now than I used to because I've learned more.

Susan Lindgren
Why are you going to Cape Horn?

Gary Paulsen
It's the maximum expression of sailing a boat alone . . .

Gary Paulsen
the way the Iditarod is the maximum expression of running dogs.

gw
Do you enjoy talking to kids?

Gary Paulsen
I love it a great deal. I really do.

Librarian
Hi Mr. Paulsen -- "Harris and Me" is one of my daughter's favorite books; since she's in school, I'll have to ask her question for her: is that book based on your own boyhood?

Gary Paulsen
Absolutely.

bookdragon
Did something once change your life forever? I had to have heart surgery when I was five.

Gary Paulsen
Yes, the Army did . . .

Gary Paulsen
and running the Iditarod did . . .

Gary Paulsen
and having heart disease did . . .

Gary Paulsen
falling in love . . .

Gary Paulsen
they are all profound changes.

funkychicken2
keep going

Saboooooo!!!!
YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TWINS RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saboooooo!!!!
when is the next time you are going to chat online?

Librarian
We'll be chatting with Gary again next month, Saturday November 9 at 11:00 a.m.

kw
your awsome

D.S
YOU ARE COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

D.S
Voyager Elementry says that your cool!!!!!!!!

Bill Humongous
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!! We really like your books!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kw
gary you are a wonderful writer

gw
Thank you so much Gary........... this is an honor talking to you!!!

bookdragon
I always like to chat with you!

Big
thank you

Mallorie
thank you gary

JJ
thank you.

Latiffany
bye

Librarian
Cokato Elementary says thank you very much for inspiring us!

Gary Paulsen
Thank you very much for reading my work . . .

Gary Paulsen
continue to read not just me, but other books, too. . .

Gary Paulsen
reading is really everything . . .

Gary Paulsen
Thank you again.

Librarian
This has been really fun having you answer so many questions. Thanks!!!

Librarian
Thanks everyone for joining us today. We've had great fun chatting with Gary and hope you have too! Sorry we weren't able to answer all your questions.

Librarian
We have kids chatting with Gary today from many schools including Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Susan Lindgren in St. Louis Park, and public schools in St. Paul, Osseo and Alexandria.

Librarian
To request books by Gary Paulsen go to Hennepin County Library and choose Library Catalog.

Librarian
Gary Paulsen's book are available at the Hennepin County Library. Many are also on Audio Tape and Compact Disc.

Librarian
Check out Gary Paulsen's home page.

Librarian
Read more about Gary Paulsen in an article by Jim Trelease.

Librarian
If you want more information, check out the article called "Gary Paulsen: Writer of His Time"

Librarian
Go to Twin Cities One Book for more information.

Librarian
Good-bye everyone and thanks for joining us!!!!