Matt Christopher opens by reading from The Kid Who Only Hits Homers. He states that all of his books are written to entertain the readers. He expresses the importance of writing with emotion. He started writing at the age of 14 and wrote all kinds of stories. Because he played a lot of sports, his stories about sports were easier to write and sold well.
When he was 14, Mr. Christopher loved to read. He was the oldest of nine children, and his parents were from Europe and weren't well-educated, and didn't speak English well. He thought it would be wonderful to be able to write and share his experiences with someone else, and make a living at it, if possible.
Mr. Christopher tells the students about several of his books and how he uses problems he has had as a backdrop for his stories.
When he was younger, Mr. Christopher used Roget's Thesaurus to find words but doesn't use it much now. He plots his story and characters before he begins to write. He says he might be considered a commercial writer, and that correct pacing is important. He tries to write, so that the editor will like the story well enough to publish.
Mr. Christopher died on September 20, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
