“When I’m in a library, I feel like I’m in a place where anything is possible, where magic can happen and the people around me are fellow believers in the wonder of the world and the power of language. It’s my favorite place to be!”
–Paige Britt
A member of the Writers’ League of Texas since October 2015, Paige Britt lives in Georgetown, TX.
Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?
Paige Britt: My first book was a middle-grade fantasy and my second will be a picture book.
Scribe: What authors would you like to have coffee or a beer with and which beverage?
PB: I’d love to have a double-espresso with Brenda Ueland. I get a bolt of energy just reading her, so I can hardly imagine how much fun it would be to pump her full of caffeine and hang out. She’s the author of If You Want to Write, which contains a chapter titled, “Be careless, reckless! Be a lion, be a pirate, when you write.” Alrighty then! She’s also an avid promoter of moodling, which basically means lounging around, staring out the window, doing nothing, and letting your mind wander. Before reading her, I always felt guilty about moodling, but now I’m shameless. It’s an essential part of the creative process and I have Brenda Ueland to thank for reminding me of that. I love her so much that she’s the inspiration behind the Great Moodler in my book The Lost Track of Time.
Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?
PB: I’m going to cheat and bring the Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin. (It’s technically three books, but it’s also published as a single volume, so it counts as one.) I’ve been reading this book every few years since I was in my twenties, and it never gets old. It’s high fantasy with wizards, dragons, labyrinths, magic—all that good stuff. But it’s also philosophical, exploring the nature of life and death, shame and courage, defeat and power. It’s a story that works on many levels, which is my favorite kind.
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?
PB: The Writers’ League is about providing writers with community and support. It’s about connecting people to opportunities and encouraging them to “be a lion! be a pirate” when they write. Just what I need!
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
PB: I see my writing taking me to the library. I love writing in libraries (and Georgetown has an amazing one). When I’m in a library, I feel like I’m in a place where anything is possible, where magic can happen and the people around me are fellow believers in the wonder of the world and the power of language. It’s my favorite place to be!
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
PB: I wrote a book called The Lost Track of Time, which is marketed to kids 8 to 12 years old, but is really a story for all ages. It’s about a girl who is pressed for time (see, everyone can relate to that!), falls through a hole in her schedule, and discovers the Realm of Possibility. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and called it “an exuberant homage to the power of imagination and creative problem-solving . . .” It’s full of adventure, wordplay, and, of course, moodling.
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Thanks, Paige!
If you’re a Writers’ League member and you’d be interested in being interviewed for our Meet the Members feature, email us at member@writersleague.org for more information. It’s a great way for other members to get to know you and for you to share a bit about what you’re working on!
