Last week I told you about the adventurous new MG book coming out on November 13, HERE WHERE THE SUNBEAMS ARE GREEN. This week, we had the privilege of talking to its author, Helen Phillips!
I loved embarking on this book’s exciting quest. I enjoyed the poetic, lush, and visual writing. And I was delighted to talk to Helen about the process of it all!
HERE WHERE THE SUNBEAMS ARE GREEN is your first 
children’s novel. What do you feel is the biggest difference between writing for adults vs. children?
In writing for children, I had to create a very engaging plot with plenty of mystery and suspense. I had to build interesting, relatable characters and a clear arc. In my writing for adults, I’ve tended to focus more on language, ideas, and images. Writing for young readers forced me to use a whole new set of writing skills. I loved the challenge of that.
Crafting a believable voice is often difficult for writers (especially a believable child’s voice). How did Madeline’s “voice” come together for you and what would you say is your approach to writing believable characters?
Mad’s voice is the core of this book, and it came to me loud and clear right from the very beginning. I had a number of struggles in terms of building the plot and suspense, but Mad’s voice was there in my head from page 1 onward, and it carried me along. I think the key to writing believable characters is that the author has to infuse a bit of herself into every character, because ultimately the author must have compassion for each character, must see each character as a three-dimensional person with strengths and weaknesses.
What drew you to writing an “eco-adventure”?
I explain this in my Author’s Note: In the early 2000s, my dad showed me a newspaper article about a recent sighting of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, otherwise known as the “Lord God Bird” for its spectacular appearance. Declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in the 1990s, it had supposedly been sighted in its former territory, causing a flurry of excitement in the ornithological community and inspiring a great search effort. Unfortunately, none of the searches for the Lord God Bird has proven that it still exists. Even so, this tale stuck with me, a tiny bright spot amid the disturbing news about the ever-decreasing biodiversity of our planet. It seemed as magical to me as the sighting of a unicorn or dragon. For years I knew I wanted to write a book about the thrilling possibility that a species believed extinct might have managed to survive.
How much of yourself is reflected in your characters (and which character do you relate the most to)?
As mentioned above, I infuse something of myself into each of my characters. In this book, I definitely relate the most to Mad. In fact, she’s almost a stand-in for me, which is probably why her voice came to me so easily. Like Mad, I made the New Year’s Resolution to write a poem a day; like Mad, I’m less intrepid and feisty than my beloved younger sister.
What were you favorite books as a child?
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle. All the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. On Fortune’s Wheel and Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt. Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit. J.R.R. Tolkein, Lloyd Alexander, C.S. Lewis. And so many others …
Which Middle Grade writers have you been most inspired by as an adult?
WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead inspired me when I was writing HERE WHERE THE SUNBEAMS ARE GREEN. I love the way she incorporates magical elements in a generally realistic narrative, something I aimed to do in my book. I also like the fact that Stead’s book is not written down to kids at all. It’s a clever book that respects its readers’ intelligence.
What advice would you give to aspiring MG writers?
Don’t write down to kids. Write up to them.
Flash Questions:
Private Concert – who’s playing? Bob Dylan
Favorite ice cream flavor? Salted caramel
Book you can’t stop re-reading? Where the Wild Things Are
Living or dead – who would you like to have dinner with? Stephen Colbert
Perfect vacation? To any great international city. With my husband Adam.
Name 5 items on your work desk: Mug filled with Celestial Seasonings Decaf Sweet Coconut Thai Chai tea, bowl of apples, eye drops, Post-it notes, glass of water. (Even though I have a desk, I prefer to work at the kitchen table …).
Thanks so much for stopping by today, Helen!
If you missed my review of HERE WHERE THE SUNBEAMS ARE GREEN, check-it out here.
About the Author
HELEN PHILLIPS is the recipient of a 2009 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award, the 2009 Meridian Editors’ Prize, and the 2008 Italo Calvino Prize in Fabulist Fiction.
Novel Novice 
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