Author Birthday – 23 October – Gordon Korman

Happy Birthday, Gordon Korman, born on 23 October 1963.

Gordon Korman Quotes

1. Make writing a part of your life – something you do pretty much every day. (Book Reviews And More)
2. It was in writing my adventure series that I discovered research. Before that, I’d relied heavily on experience, since I was so close in age to my characters at the beginning of my career. Research is awesome because it replaces the experiences you don’t have. (Questions Kids Ask)
3. Not all of my books are funny, but I do believe in the power of a good sense of humour. Although laughter may not solve anything, it sure makes the bad stuff a lot easier to take. So maybe the answer to all the world’s problems is: keep on laughing! (Questions Kids Ask)
4. Over the years, I’ve written adventure, suspense, mystery, historical fiction, short stories, teen books, and the multi-author 39 CLUES series. But humour will always be my first love. (Website)
5. I don’t really require what you call ‘inspiration’ to write books. Writing is my chosen profession, so it’s my work, right? And most authors write because we have something we want to say. (Author website)
6. My writing process: I think up a plot, setting, characters, and an ending, and write a pretty detailed (5 or 6 pages) outline. I can make changes, of course — add or subtract people and events. But the story and characters must be there before I ever put down a single word of the book. (Author website)
7. How long does it take? It varies, but always comes out to 5 or 6 months to complete a book so that I can send it in to my editor. Shortest: 5 weeks. Longest: 13 months. Reviewing books so that they’re ready to go and as perfectly presented as they can be is partly my job, but largely the editorial staff at my publishers. (I also have a Mom who is a super copy editor.) (Author website)

Gordon Korman is an award-winning Canadian author of more than 100 books for kids and teens. The writer’s books have sold more than 35 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades. He is a big fan of the classic middle-grade genre that started in the 50s and 60s with Beverly Cleary, The Great Brain, The Mad Scientists Club, and early Judy Blume. Korman’s first book, This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald Hall, was published when he was 14 years old. He is perhaps best known for his groups of books. They include the Masterminds, Hypnotists, Swindle, On the Run, and Monday Night Football Club series. His latest book is Sleepless and The Favorite and The Worst will be published in 2027. He explores themes of personal growth, identity, and social dynamics with humour and heart. Follow him on Instagram.

Source for photograph: Author’s Facebook Page

by Amanda Patterson
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