I work full-time in a used bookstore. I get up. I drink a cup of coffee. I think, The last thing I want to do is write. Then I go to the computer and write.
Kate DiCamilloThe Tale of Despereaux came at the request of Luke, my friend's then-eight-year-old son, who asked, "Write for me the story of an unlikely hero with exceptionally large ears."
Kate DiCamilloIt is important that you say what you mean to say. Time is too short. You must speak the words that matter.
Kate DiCamilloOpen your heart. Someone will come. Someone will come for you. But first you must open your heart. (Old Doll)
Kate DiCamilloIn luggage claim at the Minneapolis airport, the guy came up to me and said, "Maybe you're wrong, maybe stories do matter." I wrote that on a scrap of paper and put it above my desk. That was the thing that pushed me through to the end of telling Despereaux, that comment, "Maybe they do...maybe stories matter."
Kate DiCamillo