If you are a college-aged student, you probably grew up reading Wendy Mass’s children’s books. She wrote “A Mango-Shaped Space,” “Every Soul a Star” and “11 Birthdays,” to name a few. Having published 31 novels, Mass is an incredibly prolific children’s author and has been named to The New York Times’ best-seller list numerous times. Mass herself is a Jumbo, having graduated from Tufts with a bachelor’s degree in English.
“I started out [in] archaeology and then realized I just loved my English classes more, so [I] became an English major,” Mass said. “I knew I would do something with writing afterwards, but I didn’t know if it would be journalism or writing non-fiction or advertising.”
Mass remembers a foundational creative writing class she took through the Experimental College.
“It was the first time I got to play around with writing different types of things,” Mass said. “A poem one week and a short story another week and haikus … It just was really playful.”
Mass also worked her way into an upper-level seminar taught by a published author. Students were admitted into the 10-person capped class based on their short story submission. The professor then posted the names of those selected on a list outside his door.
“I was like, ‘if my name’s not on there, can you say something like, “You know, but Wendy, that’s so strange, because you won that contest,”’” Mass said.
Mass’s friend followed through when her name wasn’t on the list, and, overhearing them, the professor came out of his office and eventually offered Mass a spot.
“If I hadn’t been brave enough to do something random like that, I wouldn’t have started taking my writing more seriously,” Mass said. “This class was really full of people who really were passionate about it, and we got to write really long stories. So it was the first time that I kind of expanded on a five-page story to a 20-page story, and it really gave me more confidence.”
Mass had an interest in writing for television, so, after moving to Los Angeles, she worked in the industry. But, her interest was pulled back to a middle-grade audience.
“I realized that writing for a middle-grade audience, for kids who were maybe nine to 14, nine to 13, [were] the books that I loved [to write] so much,” Mass said.
Mass was completing a masters’ degree in creative writing at the time, and a class on writing young adult literature sealed the deal.
“That’s really when it all came together,” Mass said.
More than anything else, children’s books helped Mass identify her passion as well as study her craft. Mass loved “The Chronicles of Narnia,” fantasy books by Edward Eager and coming-of-age books by Judy Blume and Paula Danziger. Mass also cites “Allegra Maud Goldman” and “Harriet the Spy” as the two most inspirational books in her journey.
“I loved a book called ‘Allegra Maud Goldman’ by Edith Konecky,” Mass said. “In the book, [the main character] wanted to be a writer … [That] and ‘Harriet the Spy’ were the first books I’d read where the main character was a young girl who wanted to be a writer and wrote down their story ideas.”
In terms of finding a niche within the world of children’s literature, Mass tries to find stories and plotlines that haven’t yet been written.
“I remember going to hear Ray Bradbury speak, and he said that writers write the books they wish they could read, and that’s really very true,” she said. “I try to think of myself as the first reader, preferably like the 12-year-old version of myself, and I write to that audience.”
Mass’s writing process typically begins with the plot.
“I almost always start with the plot, and sometimes even before the plot it’s the theme,” Mass said. “‘What do I want to say?’ ‘What’s the best story to say it?’ And then comes, ‘Who are the best characters to live out this idea?’”
Once a theme and plot have been identified, Mass constructs characters to fit the story. She even ‘interviews’ them to get to know them better.
“I have this questionnaire that I [use to] ‘interview’ my imaginary characters first so I know a lot about them before I start and that helps build the plot,” Mass said.
For emerging writers, Mass has several pieces of advice: For one, read what you want to write.
“Read what’s important to you. Read the things that you love, get a good idea of what's happening in that genre — not necessarily to follow the trends, because by the time vampires are trending again, then they’re not trending by the time you write your book,” Mass said.
Mass also encourages authenticity, citing it as a key factor in creating a meaningful story.
“Really try to write the story that’s in your heart, because that’s the one that will feel the most authentic,” Mass said. “I think if you write with enough passion, then it’ll get the reader on the other end to feel something, and that’s really the goal.”
Mass also emphasized the importance of being comfortable with rejection and having the willingness to persevere, as epitomized by her scroll of rejection letters that she laminated and bound together.
“When I go to schools to give talks on writing and reading and publishing and all that, I bring this prop with me … It’s all of my rejection letters,” Mass said. “I really learned a lot about perseverance through all of this … I knew I wanted to do this as a job and to get my books out there, and so I just didn’t give up.”
Mass has traversed many genres and co-written books with other authors, all while focusing on creating engaging and fulfilling novels for middle-grade readers.
“One thing that’s been really fun with the whole journey is getting to write really different types of things,” Mass said. “I thought when I started that I would just want to write realistic fiction and coming of age stories, [but] I’ve really enjoyed writing like action adventure and mystery and fantasy and science fiction.”
Mass cites the impact she has on readers as one of the most fulfilling parts of her job.
“I certainly read so many books that wind up changing something about my life,” Mass said. “Hearing from kids over the years that … my books have had that impact on them is really great.”
