Would you like to talk to the author that wrote the book in your hands? Or meet the illustrator of that game you like to play? I got to meet an author and illustrator, Adam Rex, who lives in Tucson, and was lucky enough to interview him about one of his novels, “The True Meaning of Smekday. ” I was very surprised when I read the opening chapters of this book. The story was turned into the Dreamworks movie “Home.” That wasn’t the only surprising thing I learned!

I asked Rex about his inspiration for “The True Meaning of Smekday. ” Back in 2001, Rex became interested in history, particularly when he read about how the Native Amercians were forced out of their homes and off their land by western colonizers. He became greatly saddened that people could ever treat each other this way. He felt that the struggle of the people who were colonized and mistreated needed to be addressed. Rex wanted to write a book that helped young people understand what colonization means. He attempted this by telling the story through a middle schooler who has lost her only family and her home.

Rex says he begins by writing a bunch of nonsense that may or may not be useful. During the writing process he tries to ignore the fact that it doesn’t make sense, but remembers it has the potential to be great.

According to Rex, having his book turned into a movie “was amazing.” “The True Meaning of Smekday” was his first novel. Unlike other authors Rex talked to, Dreamworks often called Rex into their studio and asked for his suggestions on the movie.

One of the things Rex does is to “not write in order.” If there is a scene that you want to write, he explained, go ahead and write it. Everything doesn’t have to be in order until you finish the draft and are ready to revise. Some characters can be mean, others are kind. To create relatable characters, Rex says, the best thing is to base them on real people. There shouldn’t be a character that is just there. All characters should be their own, full individuals.

In the end, I learned about different techniques for prewriting and writing, the story behind one of Rex’s books, and what authors do when their stories become movies.