Welcome to Jordan Bell's interview.
What
genre would you say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?
I write nonfiction books about science for kids in
the 7-11 yr age bracket - the so-called “middle grades”. These are the kind of
books that have short chapters and illustrations, but still deal with complex
ideas. Putting “grown up science” in a story format means the ideas are easier
for kids to take in and remember.
What made you choose that genre?
I deeply believe that we need a scientifically
aware and well educated citizenry to face the challenges of the future. I want
to make sure that parents have the tools to help their children learn about
important aspects of science, and that curious kids can self-educate in these
areas if they are drawn to this field.
How long does it take you to write a book?
I think in terms of actual writing, I am quite
efficient, in that I can turn out 500-1000 words in a two-hour
writing session; but because I’m balancing writing with a full-time job and
parenting, I don’t get to spend as many hours writing as I’d like to!
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I tend to take a couple of hours in the afternoon
on the weekend; I’ll review where I left off and then start my next section.
I’m a plotter, not a “pantser” so most of my next steps are pretty well mapped
out. Although sometimes, something I think I can write about in one chapter,
will end up taking me three chapters to accomplish! So my current work in
progress draft is numbered Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3a, 3b, 3c, Chapter 4,
Chapter 5a, 5b, Chapter 6, Chapter 7. I’ll fix these up in the next draft of
course!
Tell me something about yourself your readers might not know.
I periodically take up a visual art or craft form -
in the past it’s been painting, papercraft, sewing, and my current hobby is
embroidery. It’s a great form of relaxation to have something practical to
focus on, and I love creating something tangible when most of my creative
expression is otherwise so cerebral. I’ve gone slightly down the rabbit hole of
modern cross-stitch lately, and there are some really great patterns out there.
I’m currently cross-stitching a Stag head in silhouette, to donate to a charity
auction raising money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
When did you write your first book and how old were you?
As a child I loved to write and illustrate my own
stories into little books. And I’ve written a lot of short stories and poetry
through my life.
But my first real book, Aunt Jodie’s Guide to Evolution, was initially drafted in 2011-12, and then spent a long time hanging out on my hard drive after my daughter was born in 2013. Then in 2018 when my daughter started school, I got serious about doing something with it, and went through a crowd-funding and self-publishing journey to bring it to the world.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I love music (lately I’ve been obsessed with the Hamilton musical); I enjoy going walking
in the fields near my house; and I used to love meeting friends in cafés, but
COVID has put a bit of a stop to that lately!
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
In researching my current work in progress, I was
really shocked by how many powerful carbon dioxide mitigation strategies
already exist and are ready to be rolled out at scale. We could be doing so
much more than we are.
How many books have you written?
I published the first in my series of children’s
books about STEM topics, Aunt Jodie’s
Guide to Evolution in September last year. I’m currently working on the
sequel, Aunt Jodie’s Guide to Climate Change.
Do you Google yourself? What did you find that affected you most (good or bad)?
Weirdly, I share my name not just with a pro
basketballer but also with another author (who writes “curvy romance” - quite
different from my genre of children’s STEM!) If you google just my name it’s
wall-to-wall basketball, but if you add “writer”, I come up as the fourth
result, with a very nice article about my book in the main city newspaper from
my state. So mostly, if I google myself it’s not too bad.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I loved writing and baking, so I could never decide
between being an author and a chef. Adults used to suggest I split the
difference and write recipe books, which I found really annoying at the time!
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have on your computer?
Just my current work-in-progress, which is 75%
done, and the outlines for the next two books in the series.
Bio and links:
Jordan
Bell is a psychologist and educator with a passion for helping children and
parents learn about science. As a parent to a curious primary-schooler who
always wants to understand the “why?” of life, Jordan balances her knowledge of
children’s developmental capabilities, with a practical lived experience of
putting “grown up science” into words that little brains can understand.
Aunt Jodie's Guide to Evolution
clearly outlines the science of evolution, in a child-friendly way. It makes an
excellent gift option for adults wanting to help inspire a love of science in
children aged 7-11yrs.
Not
just another boring bedtime story, this science adventure into the ancient past
makes learning about the basics of evolution fun and engaging, and uses words
and concepts that are right for kids in middle and upper primary school. For
anyone new to science, Aunt Jodie's Guides also include an
easy-to-read glossary, explaining the scientific terms used in the book and how
to pronounce them.
Aunt Jodie’s Guide to
Evolution is available at www.gumroad.com/jordanbell
Website: www.auntjodiesguide.com
Twitter: @AuntJodiesGuide
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuntJodiesGuides
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