Prolific Children’s Book Author Tony Abbott Offers Writing and Publishing Advice

By Kayla Krasnow, Apollon Editor Spring 2021

“I hate the idea of writer's block. I think you can create your own enemy.” 

Tony Abbott, award winning author of more than 100 children’s and young adult books, visited Fairfield University’s ENGL 4952 class on March 10, 2021 to share his expert advice.

“I started writing poetry a long time ago, then I took a detour and now I’m getting back into writing poetry for adults,” Abbott said.

Abbott made the shift to children’s writing when he had kids of his own and was reading stories to them at bedtime.

Abbott got seriously involved in children’s series writing for years. He was able to maintain discipline and finish his work within the required deadlines, so he placed himself at an advantage and publishers continued working with him. Many writers are not able to have their book ready at the time it is needed and push back the release date by asking for additional time to make edits.

Abbott takes inspiration from the world around him when writing. In terms of writer’s block, sometimes a nap to reset is all he needs to get the creative juices flowing again.

Now, Abbott is transitioning back to poetry writing. Abbott says this shift is interesting because he has been writing novels for such a long time. Writing poetry is a different experience for Abbott because it involves more micro thoughts and expressions rather than a plot that extends over two or three hundred pages.

The publishing industry has shifted from older writers to young writers “who are really shaping the field of young adult writing,” Abbott said.

Thanks to his years of experience, Abbott is able to give valuable advice to aspiring writers. Abbott advised students to broaden their reach. “If you are interested in writing, the more things you can bring in from other areas, the more unique you can make your work,” Abbott said.