Jake Lockett - Children's Author and Nature Explorer
- litkidsmagazine
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Jake Lockett writes books and stories for children, including My Life as an Asthmanaut. His short stories for young readers have appeared in Smarty Pants Kids, Skipping Stones, and Spider. Jake enjoys learning about space, exploring nature, building Lego sets, and watching movies on his home theater projector. He resides in the forested Allegheny Mountains, where the night skies are clear and blanketed with countless stars!
1. If you could travel anywhere in the world to do your work, where would you go?
New Zealand! Its geography is breathtaking and would provide no shortage of inspiration when writing stories. Plus, The Lord of the Rings was filmed there, and those movies were instrumental in sparking my interest in storytelling.
2. Why did you begin writing?
I wanted to help and inspire people with stories that would make a difference in the world.
3. Would you and your main character get along?
For sure! He's basically me in every way.
4. If you could spend a day with another popular author, who would you choose?
R.L. Stine. He's one of the funniest human beings out there, so I know I'd be laughing with him that whole day!
5. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
Write the genre that you read regularly.
6. Do you prefer ebooks, printed books, or audiobooks most of the time?
Printed books! Gotta go with the format that makes books books. Yet, audiobooks have a power all their own and can be more entertaining or dramatic than reading a printed book.
7. Does anyone in your family read your books?
My whole family does. They're the best beta readers!
8. If you could invite any three people for dinner, who would you invite?
Mark Hamill from Star Wars, William Shatner from Star Trek, and David Tennant from Doctor Who. I love science fiction, so I'd invite the biggest names from my favorite franchises to see how they'd get along and compare experiences.
9. Do you write more than one thing at a time?
I often work on one project at a time. This helps me focus and give a story my full attention.
10. Do you only write for one genre?
I currently write picture books, but I want to start writing middle-grade.
11. Do you carry around a journal to note inspiration?
I actually watch a ton of history and science documentaries and keep a journal to record interesting facts I discover. I go back to this journal for inspiration time and time again.
12. What do you do when you feel stuck?
I take a break and do something other than writing. I take a walk, watch a movie, or read. This helps my brain relax and figure out my problem naturally, almost subconsciously, without forcing results. After a while, if I'm still stuck, I often take a longer, more extended break from a project and don't return to it until new ideas emerge on their own.
Jake, thank you for the wonderful writing advice for our young readers! Please follow Jake on social media and check out his marvelous picture book, My Life as an Asthmanaut, in our Bookshop. Keep shining!
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