The WMF Archives

By Alyssa Ast

Recently, the WM Freelance Connection was granted the opportunity to interview author, editor, and researcher Conrad J. Storad. With over 30 published books and awarded as the “Arizona Children’s Author of the Year,” he offers valuable information for aspiring writers and even the seasoned professionals. Part one of this intriguing interview will be published today, but look for part 2 and the conclusion of the interview next Tuesday, July 6th.


WM: You have a very diverse background as a writer, including editor, researcher, children’s author, and reporter. Why have you chosen to acquire such a wide variety of writing skills instead of sticking to one genre?

Conrad: I actually always thought I would be a scientist. The writing bug bit me hard a bit later. Growing up in Barberton, Ohio, I was the little boy you’d always find wading through the pond, poking around rotten stumps in the woods, or lifting up rocks to look for insects and snakes and other wild treasures. We had a wonderful area of woods and wetland near my parent’s home. It was a natural playground and provided a new learning experience every day. I also figured out early how to channel my interest in science and nature into entrepreneurial activity. At age 10, my buddies and I set up a business to catch and sell insects to the high school girls of the neighborhood. They were required to create an insect collection for biology class in those days. We made a tidy sum of “Dairy Queen” money catching butterflies, beetles, and creepy crawlers of every shape and size for those young girls. Dragonflies were the big money makers. We charged 50 cents each for a blue darner or a snake doctor. They were tough to catch.

Actually, my very first writing journals were for science class. They were lists of the creatures I had observed, both under the microscope and in the woods and swamp. I found I had a liking for writing, and that I was pretty good at it. It all developed slowly. Just like life. Doors opened, and I was ready to walk through. I never lost my love of science and nature. Eventually, I got the chance to combine both my loves. Instead of doing science in the laboratory or in the field, I got to write about it. And not just about a single discipline. I got to write about everything. And for audiences of varying ages. What could be better than that? For me, nothing has come close…so far. Writing for children has become the ultimate challenge. It is the most difficult writing I have ever done. But the results are the most satisfying.


WM: Throughout your writing career you have received numerous recognitions and awards. What would you consider to be the highlight of your career and why?

Conrad: That is a tough question. I have been blessed during my career with the opportunity to work with many talented colleagues, including writers, editors, graphic designers, illustrators, and photographers. Together, we earned more than 350 regional, national, and international awards from all kinds of professional communication organizations for various of bits of work on magazines, web sites, and television productions. Some of those awards went to me as an individual; others were part of the team effort. My biggest personal honor as a children’s author came in 2001 when I won the Judy Goddard Award as Arizona’s Children’s Author of the Year. Many of my books have won awards as well. It is always a great feeling to have your work be judged by peers to be the best of their kind. As a science writer and magazine editor, I am most proud of winning Gold Medal Awards of Excellence from CASE, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education based in Washington, D.C. My ASU staff and I won for both ASU Research Magazine and for Chain Reaction Magazine, the science publication for young readers that helped to create at Arizona State University. The gold medals meant that our magazines were judged to be the very best of their kind among competition from throughout North America.


WM: You’ve written more than 30 books. How do you stay focused? What does your writing routine look like?

Conrad: Part of me feels as if I have not really done as much as I could. I have so much more that I want to write, that I want to contribute. But writing books is a team effort. It takes commitment, a good partnership with a publisher, and a bit of luck to see the process through from idea to final product, be it as an actual published book or some other readable format. I do have goals for each and every book that I write. First, I hope that my words provide enjoyment at some level. I try to write books that are actually FUN to read. I also hope that the information I provide might spark a bit of curiosity in the reader. I hope that they actually go beyond what I have written in the search for more information. On a higher level, the goal is that my work might actually demystify a topic for a reader. I try to provide easy to understand and accurate information. If everything works the way I want it to, my words may help the reader to have a greater respect and appreciation for the amazing world in which we live. If I can accomplish any one of these things with a child or an adult, then my work is a success.

In terms of writing routine, I don’t really have one. I work in bursts that can last for days or weeks. I need a concrete assignment to focus my energy. I would really like to be like the authors who work for so many hours per day, every day. So far, that is not me. But stories are always bubbling and computing in the back of my brain. When the time is right, the words flow through my fingers to the keyboard and onto the page….or screen.


WM: I met you at a local books and authors festival. Do you feel participating in these kinds of events have enhanced your career? Why or why wouldn’t you encourage other writers to participate in these events?

Conrad: Yes, indeed. I like to meet members of my audience, and hear from the people who read my work. As a writer of any kind, you better be able to take criticism. And praise. And you should be able to handle both with professionalism and humility. If you can’t, I think you are in the wrong profession. Book festivals and writing conferences are very important. I feel that my work is all about promoting literacy in general and science literacy in particular. A good writer should be a good reader. These events are all about promoting reading. They are about communicating person to person and face to face. We can’t let technology be the end all, be all. Technology should help the communication, not take its place.


Look for Part 2 of this interview next Tuesday, July 6th!!