How do you pronounce your last name?
In Poland you would say “Stah-nee-shev-ski” but the Americanized way is “Stan-y-zoo-ski.” Mostly people just call me Anna.
Where do you get your ideas?
Writing often starts with the question “What if?” It’s one I like to pose a lot, even in everyday situations. You never know what possibilities might come from considering what could have happened or what might happen one day.
Sometimes I also get my ideas from things that other people do and say. For example, my husband was the one who came up with the idea for my dystopian novel After the Failure. One day he told me he’d love to read a book about people tinkering with things. I did my best to write that book for him.
What made you decide to become a writer?
I’ve loved writing for as long as I can remember. When I was young I wrote lots of poems and stories. I also wrote plays and made my (sometimes reluctant) friends perform them. Since I was shy, writing was a way I could still make my voice heard. As an adult, I had a hard time figuring out what my real passion was. For a while I thought theater was what I was meant to be doing. Finally I came back to writing and realized that I’d never stopped loving it. I haven’t stopped since.
What should I do if I want to be a writer?
Read a lot and write a lot. It may sound simple but it’s true. Also, learn to love revising; remember that a story is never perfect the first time around. Most importantly, make sure you’re writing the kinds of stories you would want to read. Really think about the things in books that pull you in. If you write about what interests you, you’ll never get bored.
You can hear more of my thoughts on writing on my blog.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I read A LOT. I am also a professor of writing and children’s literature in the Boston area. Teaching is a perfect contrast to writing because it allows me to interact with people (a nice change from the solitary profession of writing) and it also challenges and inspires me. I enjoy walking, biking, watching television, rooting for the Red Sox, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
What are some of your favorite books?
There are so many that I’ve enjoyed over the years but here are a few that come to mind:
• Skellig by David Almond
• Any book by M.T. Anderson (especially Feed and Whales on Stilts)
• Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman
• The Giver (and anything else) by Lois Lowry
• A Step From Heaven by An Na
• Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien
• The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
