Stacy Zappala - Neurodiverse Children's Author and Poet

Stacy Zappala is a published children's author and poet. Her children's book Cats Do Not Cheat! is a story about a cat who cheats at a game against his feline friend and must learn the adverse effects of his actions and try to resolve the problem in order to keep a friendship. The question is: Will Milo learn to play fair and have fun without being a poor sport? Her books are on poetschoice.in, online at Barnes and Noble, and on amazon.com. She has also published many love poems in Micromance Magazine.

1. If you could travel anywhere in the world to do your work, where would you go?

I would go to Italy. I'd love to travel all over. I am part Italian and I think Italy looks beautiful in pictures. 

2. Do you carry around a journal to note inspiration?

I always carry a notebook and my computer when I can.

3. Do you write on the computer or freehand?

I mostly write on the computer unless I get a sudden jolt of inspiration. Then I quickly write the idea down in a notebook before I lose my train of thought.

4. Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know (yet)?

I have trouble learning. I have autism, ADHD and dysgraphia. I play to my strengths, though, which is writing. Even if you struggle, never ever give up; you can do anything you put your mind to. I'm in college and doing well despite learning differently than most people.

5. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

Never give up if you love to write. I almost gave up until a friend of mine changed my mind. Now I am a published author! Even if you are never published, if you enjoy writing, keep writing!

6. Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?

Absolutely. My partner and I have a cat named Milo and he always wants attention and is always getting into things. He's even stepped on my computer keyboard. I would not trade him for anything though.

7. Do you only write for one genre?

No. I write poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction and more. I write in just about every genre.

8. Do you prefer ebooks, printed books, or audiobooks most of the time?

I prefer printed books. There's something about holding a book and looking in a store that makes book shopping so fun and rewarding. I think you are limited in what you search online versus what you can see at a store.

9. What is something in your field that you don't yet know how to do, but you would like to learn?

I started to learn how to write movies. I want to get better at that and I want to learn how to write a play.

10. What inspires you the most? (For context: what is something that you look at that immediately puts your brain into creative mode?)

My partner, Brian, inspires me every day, and our cat, Milo, does as well.

Stacy, thank you for the look into your writing journey and inspiration! We appreciate the chance to share your story with our young readers. Please give Stacy a follow and check out her children's book, Cats Do Not Cheat!, in our Bookshop. Keep shining!

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