HERO

Q & A with Jim Miles

Is there really a place called Templeton Prairie?

Templeton Prairie is a fictitious town, but it was inspired by a real town, Shakopee in Minnesota. I taught in Shakopee from 1999-2001, and I based it on the Shakopee I knew then. Shakopee has grown and changed a lot over the years, though, so some of the layout is the same but the personality of the town is changing.

Why did you have your book set in a small town instead of a city?

The best answer is probably that I just wanted to set it in a small town. I grew up in suburbs and the country, so I know those areas better. I guess most superhero stories are set in big cities—New York City, Metropolis, Star City, Gotham City—so maybe I should have done the same. I had more fun writing about Templeton Prairie, though.

How long did it take you to write Hero?

I don’t exactly know anymore. Writing is a lot of work, and I work a full-time job outside of writing. Technically, probably three years, but I also went to graduate school during that time and couldn’t work on it much when I was studying for two years.

What suggestions do you have for kids who want to be writers?

Read! Read! Read! Reading teaches you about great writing, particularly when you read many different kinds of stories from different authors—classics, new books, different genres. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of reading. So much of what a fiction writer does cannot be taught in a school; it can only be learned through astute reading. Schooling helps you become a better fiction writer, but I don’t believe it can make you a good fiction writer. In fact, when it comes to how to create characters and tell their stories, working hard in literature classes is probably the most important thing.

Write! Write! Write! At some point, if you want to be a writer, you have to write something! You have to write a lot of bad stuff to get to the good stuff, and you can only get to the good stuff by writing the bad stuff.

Do you have a favorite superhero?

I think it changes. Right now, I’d probably say Captain America or Clark Kent as depicted in Smallville.

What’s your favorite superhero movie?

That changes as well. I’d probably have to say the original Spider-Man movie from 2002. It captures the pure fun of the genre without trying to be too serious or dramatic.

Check back for more answers to more questions!