Last updated: Monday April 7, 2008, EDT 6:07 AM
Author Ridley Pearson has written adult novels and young adult novels, but until now he's never done a crime novel for young adults. He's broken the mold with "Steel Trapp: The Challenge" (Disney Press, $16.99), the story of a 14-year-old who solves a crime with his photographic memory.
The father of two took time to tell us about his harshest critics, writing for younger readers and battling middle-age memory loss.
Q. What are the challenges of writing a young adult novel?
I don't dumb the books down, and I think that's one of the challenges.
There are a couple things that I do different. One is, instead of it being an R-rated book, it becomes a G- or PG-rated book. Those changes are simple.
Another thing is, it focuses more on the younger characters. Since I'm about 12 at heart, that's not too difficult for me. It actually was a ton of fun, because I love the idea of a kid who has an absolute perfect photographic memory. It's a blessing and a curse. You think of it as such a blessing, but it's also a curse because he can't forget the lousy times he's had with his dad or his mom, or maybe some time he made a mistake. As humans, we tend to be able to brush these things aside after awhile, but he can't. They stick to him like Velcro.
Q. If photographic memory were a superpower, would you want to have that power?
Yeah, I'd want it. Especially at my age, you'd want even a quarter of it.
I'm noun-challenged. You get to a certain age, and you start going, "Do you remember what's-his-name, with that thingy — you know, where it was?"
Q. Are there kids in your life who inspired you to begin writing more young adult novels?
Well, yes. This is why I began writing these books, I think. I have an 11-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old daughter. I make up stories for them every night as they're going to bed, and I also read to them, even at their age, although they can read perfectly fine on their own.
As a writer, you start thinking, "I could write this book. Maybe I could write a fun book." And you tackle it. It's been really rewarding in my life. ...
But kids are unbelievable critics. They give a book about three paragraphs. If it starts to slow down, or if it starts to disinterest them, they look for another book.
I've seen this time and time again with my own kids. I'm on notice in this whole thing to do it right.
Q. Are your kids fans of your books?
I don't let them sleep in the house if they aren't.
My oldest daughter, Paige, is the first person who reads all my YA books. ... She'll say, "What about this? What about that?" And I'll know I wasn't clear enough.
She doesn't know this, but I also monitor how interested in it she is. Some books you can't get her out of the room with — "Steel Trapp" was one of those. Others, she'll read for a while, and then I notice she's picked up another book. And she'll go back to it, but it still interests me that there was some chapter somewhere that allowed her to put this book down and pick up another book.
Q. Do you enjoy interacting with your younger fans at events?
I have a blast. ... This time, I'm also giving a talk or two each day at middle schools around the country. I do writers workshops and involve them in my books. Right now, I'm working on a memory test that I'll use to talk about "Steel Trapp."
E-mail: shih@northjersey.com
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