FAQs
Q. What inspired you to write THE SCHOOL FOR OPTIMAL FUTURES?
The idea for the story began with the time capsule. I’ve always found time capsules interesting and liked the idea of kids accidentally discovering one at a new school. I imagined that what was inside would be from when students went to an older version of the school. From there, the story took on a life of its own.
Q. Will there be a second book?
Yes! There will be three Optimal Futures books. The next one will be from Zoe’s point of view and the final book will be from Matty’s point-of-view.
Q. Where does Zoe get her money? Why was Matty so mean to Zoe in kindergarten? What happens to Rick’s store?
I am so excited to answer these questions in the next two books. Let me know if there are any other questions that you must know the answer to :)
Q. Is Jevine based on a real company?
Jevine is not based on one specific company. We do live in interesting times in terms of technology. I based Jevine on things I observed in schools and in our communities.
Q. Is the School for Optimal Futures a real school?
It is not a real school. I drew inspiration for the town from Ojai, California, but the school is not based on any actual school.
Q. You work as a lawyer; how do you have time to write?
I love this question! You would be so surprised at how little time you need to write. I write mostly in the mornings before school and work for about 30 minutes to an hour. If you do this consistently, you end up with a book in less than a year. I recommend picking a word count that feels possible. Try 300 words. That’s about a page. Word count for a kid’s book typically ranges from 30,000 to 60,000 words. (Harry Potter and fantasy books are exceptions) The School for Optimal Futures is about 55,000 words. If I write 300 words every day, I’ll have a 55,000-word book in about six months.
Now let me tell you the real trick. Some days, you’ll end up writing more than 300 words! The 300-word count is a way to make you feel like you can do it. All you need to do is keep writing a page a day. Trust me, this works!
Q. What is the best way to learn to write?
The best way to learn to write is to do it. Haha, people hate this answer. It‘s the only way, though. Once you start writing, you can share your writing with a friend. You can read it aloud to yourself. You can think about books you enjoyed reading and try to do something similar in your own writing. But until you start, you can’t learn very much.
Q. What else are you writing?
I am working on another book that is about ghost hunters. It’s not finished yet, but I am having so much fun writing it and can’t wait to share when it’s done!