Welcome to our #WinterRead2021 Author Spotlight Series! We’re thrilled to be featuring 8 incredibly talented authors from our 2021 sponsor Simon & Schuster as a part of our 4th Annual Winter Reading Challenge. This week, we’ve interviewed Stuart Gibbs, author of the Charlie Thorne series and the New York Times bestselling FunJungle, Spy School, and Moon Base Alpha series. Check out our interview with him below, and learn more about his work here. Twitter: @authorstugibbs on Instagram: @stuartgibbs1
What are you currently reading?
I just finished War Stories by Gordon Korman and started Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X Kendi.
Where is your favorite place to read?
My bedroom. Although a balcony overlooking the ocean is always nice.
What is your favorite thing you've written? Book or otherwise!
I am going to cop out and say that I work too hard on all my books to pick a favorite.
What's your favorite book by someone other than yourself?
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (P.S. No author will ever say that their favorite book is one that they wrote.)
What is your favorite word and why?
Hopefully, it's okay to pick a word in another language: Pamplemousse (which is "grapefruit" in French) is just the most delightfully silly word ever.
What is the funniest typo you’ve written?
I am sure that I have had some real contenders but at the moment, they all escape me.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? And/or how did you become a writer?
I have wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I wrote all the time as a kid and tried repeatedly to get published. Ultimately, I moved to Hollywood and wrote movie scripts. I worked at a company that made kickboxing movies and convinced them that they should just pay me to write the movies. That led to more jobs writing movies. Eventually, I was represented by an agency for screenwriting that also had a book division. I asked to talk to an agent there. That agent, Jennifer Joel, suggested I might try writing middle grade, which I hadn't done before. That led to Belly Up getting published.
If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring writer, what would it be?
Write about topics that fascinate you, and don't be discouraged by rejection.
What is your favorite thing about winter?
Skiing.
Any additional information or fun facts?
For a very brief period, I was an expert on the capybara (the world's largest rodent).
Stay tuned for future Simon & Schuster author spotlights as we gear up for #WinterRead2021, and encourage your community to keep reading!