According to Philips, what inspires him to begin his career as a writer?

W: Today we have the famous children’s books writer, Grant R. Philips here. I’m Liana. Thanks for your coming, Mr. Philips.
M: It’s my pleasure.
W: Could you tell us how and when did you get started as a writer?
M: Growing up I hated reading. I did all I could to avoid books. Turns out later I learned I was suffering from a reading comprehension disability. It wasn’t until 7th grade that things changed. My English teacher announced that we’d be reading 4 books written by S.E. Hinton that year, respectively The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, Tex and That Was Then This Is Now. She explained that Hinton was 16 when she wrote The Outsiders. From page one until the end of the book, I was catapulted into another world. The book amazed me. I thought about it for days after reading it. I could not wait to read another book. And it was like that for all of Hinton’s books. Before I knew what was happening to me, I was buying books in stores and reading at least a book a month. And I knew, at age 13, that I wanted to be a writer. When I was a freshman in high school, I wrote a short story about a busboy working at a party house. It was published in the school’s annual magazine. My career, you might say, had begun.
W: How do you usually find your ideas?
M: It’s a great question. One I can’t answer in black and white. Sometimes I get a character in mind. Sometimes a plot, or a twist ending. Lots of times I just start writing and see where it leads me. Occasionally I get inspired with something that has a beginning, middle and end.
W: Did you ever get any rejections of your works?
M: Hmmm. Maybe only enough to wallpaper my entire house, monthly. Part of being a writer is having a thick skin. Finding an interested editor, I believe, has to do a lot with luck and timing.
W: If yes, how did you react to them?
M: There are two types of rejections. Form Letter and what I call Positive Rejection. A Form Letter is just like it sounds, no signature or a rubber-stamp signature. You wonder if they didn’t just open your submission, attach a Form Letter, and return it to you without so much as reading a word. A little depressing at times. But what can you do? The Positive Rejection is when an editor actually takes the time to personalize the rejection letter in some way. "Close, try us with your next story idea." Anything that makes it more than just a Form Letter Rejection. Those I consider inspiring.
W: What are the major challenges that you have faced in your career?
M: There are many major challenges I think most writers face. For me, frustration is one of them. I’m always wondering if my story is good enough, if my writing is good enough. Then once I sell a work and it is published, I worry that no one is going to buy the books, read them, like them. I worry about marketing and sales figures and getting out and promoting. Then there is finding enough time in a day to do all that needs to be done. I work full time as an employment law paralegal, I freelance part-time for a community newspaper, write book reviews for a web site and am married with three children. I try to schedule 40-60 book signings a year, teach creative writing classes a few times a year and give presentations to schools and clubs as often as possible. So where do I find time to write? Saturdays and Sundays I wake up at 3:00 AM. I write until about 9:00, when the family starts to stir. By this way I do not take time away from them, as I have them at mall bookstores all over the place at least once a week, almost every week, from September until May. So for me, time and energy are the most frustrating. But I wouldn’t do it, if I didn’t love it. You have to want it. Write because you love it. If it sells, that’s icing on the cake.
W: What do you advise new writers to do?
M: There is an old saying. I forget who said it. So forgive me. "If you always do what you have always done, then you will always get what you have always gotten." Those are words to live by. The key is never give up. Save every query letters. Work and rework your query letters. Those are, perhaps, more vital than the story themselves. They are the first thing and maybe the only thing an editor will look at. If the query letter is full of mistakes, the editor won’t bother with your story. If you’ve been using the same style letter for years and are getting no where—try revamping it. Look at some other letters. And keep at it. If it’s what you want, always keep at it.
W: I appreciate your help! Thanks a lot!
M: Thank you, Liana.