Son and I had the pleasure to meet Kate DiCamillo at her recent book signing in our home town. Kate was funny, charming, and so very willing to take a few minutes to answer my burning questions:

*No, she doesn’t outline her novels before she writes. She just lets her muse guide her. She calls herself a plodder, not a plotter. She writes two pages every day. No more and no less.

*Yes, she is in a critique group and always has been. She was very adament about how important such a group is.

*The Magician’s Elephant was inspired while visiting New York. She had a sudden vision of a magician shortly before noticing a notebook with pictures of elephants on it.