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Avi |
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Avi |
| Avi was born in New York and grew up in Brooklyn. His twin sister called
him Avi when they were 1 year old and it is the only name he uses. Avi
did not do well in school. In high school, he failed all of his courses
and then went to a small school that emphasized reading and writing. He
still needed special tutoring because he wanted to prove to his family
that he could be a writer.
He never wrote books for children until his own children were born. Before that, he wrote plays. He also earned a master's degree in library science and worked as a librarian at the New York Public Library. Avi says that it takes him, on average, one year to write a book because he has to write and re-write and edit a lot. When asked where he gets his ideas, he says: "Everybody has ideas. The vital question is, what do you do with them? My rock musician sons shape their ideas into music. My sister takes her ideas and fashions them into poems. My brother uses his ideas to help him understand science. I take my ideas and turn them into stories. Now, what do you think you'll do with your ideas?" Avi's advice to people who want to be authors: "I believe reading is the key to writing. The more you read, the better your writing can be. Listen and watch the world around you. Try to understand why things happen. Don't be satisfied with answers others give you. Don't assume that because everyone believes a thing it is right or wrong. Reason things out for yourself. Work to get answers on your own. Understand why you believe things. Finally, write what you honestly feel then learn from the criticism that will always come your way." |
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