Augusten Burroughs: On Writing His First Book for Children
#1 New York Times bestselling author Augusten Burroughs discusses the process of writing his first children’s book, My Little Thief.
Augusten Burroughs is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Running with Scissors, Dry, Magical Thinking: True Stories, Possible Side Effects, A Wolf at the Table, and You Better Not Cry. Augusten's writing has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world including the New York Times and New York Magazine. He was twice named to Entertainment Weekly’s "The 25 Funniest People in America." His books have been translated into over 40 languages and a movie adaptation of his memoir Dry is in production.
He lives with several pets in a 200-year-old house beside a river in Connecticut. This is his first book for children. He invites you to visit him online at www.augusten.com, and on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
In this post, Augusten discusses the process of writing his first children’s book, My Little Thief, his hope for readers, and more!
Name: Augusten Burroughs
Literary agent: Christopher Schelling/Selectric Artists
Book title: My Little Thief
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Release date: March 7, 2023
Genre/category: Picture Book/Children’s
Previous titles: Running with Scissors, Dry, Magical Thinking: True Stories, Possible Side Effects, A Wolf at the Table, and You Better Not Cry
Elevator pitch for the book: An unforgettable story of friendship between a curious girl with a rich imagination and a winged thief with a very big heart.
What prompted you to write this book?
Well, I read an article in a British newspaper about a young lady who befriends a clever crow, and this is what inspired the book.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I would say from start to finish the book took a bit over three years. The gorgeous illustrations took time, of course. And yes, the text did evolve. I was fortunate enough to work with a brilliant editor who made the book better and better.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I’m almost embarrassed to say this, but I wasn’t prepared for just how next-level the illustrations would make the story. There is so much to see, so many tiny and unexpected details on each and every page.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
For me, the biggest surprise was how hard it is to write a book for a young person! I’ve written a bookshelf of memoirs for adults, but I had to be very careful to not be so very careful, if that makes sense? I didn’t want to ever speak down to my reader.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Oh, I hope lots! For one thing, I hope the book emphasizes the importance of friendship in all our lives. And I also hope that the story shows readers that those friends don’t have to even be human! Some of my very best friends have been animals.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
I would say, make sure you love the story you’re going to tell because you are going to be working on this story for a long time.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
