A Conversation with
​Mark H. McCraw

• What are your favorite  screen distractions?

The Game of Thrones television series, The Lord of the Rings movies, Star Trek films and television, all Star Wars films, Indiana Jones movies, and Mission Impossible movies.

• ​What is your favorite snack?

Chex Mix with peanuts and M&M’s.

•  How many countries have you been to?

Eleven;    South Korea, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Mexico, Belize, Canada, France, and Japan.  My favorite is South Korea.

• Where would you like to travel to?

Israel, Egypt, Ireland, Scotland, England.

• How long were you in the military?

I was in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve for twelve    years.
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• What is or has been your favorite magazine?

National Geographic.

•  Who is your favorite musician and what are some of your other favorite bands?

My favorite musician is Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac.  I also enjoy music from Mercy Me, Journey, and The Eagles.

•  Who was your favorite author, as a child?

Dr. Seuss Also, I love all of the movies about Dr. Seuss books.​
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• Do you have any animals?

Yes. I have two Pugs, one Chiweenie, one Labradoodle, one Bengal cat, one Axolotl, one Bearded Dragon, and lots of freshwater fish.

• How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

I realized that I must be patient going through each step of the writing process, illustrations, formatting, publishing, and marketing. The first book took me nine months, but I went through each department of the publishing company.

• As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

I would choose a fox for my spirit animal since I was in a leader program camp out where our group of men selected the “Fox Patrol.” A fox is sneaky.

• What is your favorite childhood book?

My favorite book was “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss.
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• When did it dawn on you that you wanted to be an author?

In 2005-2011, I was a teacher’s aide. I used to see authors come to my school that I worked at. I would often ask the authors’ questions while being fascinated with them. It was not until 2020 that I began to have all these stories in my head from my previous time as a teacher (which I became after being an aide), my military experiences, childhood stories, and my own four children’s stories. After that, I started to dedicate books to each child and grandchild that I have for the most part of my books.

• Who are your biggest literary influences?

Tammy Sauer (Author of 37 children’s books), who is an Oklahoma Author, is one of my biggest literary influences. She has been instrumental in conducting training at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference in which I learned so much on how to be a better children’s book author.
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Another literary influence is Diana Kathryn Penn who has been instrumental in being a mentor to me on how to be a better author.

• How did it feel when your first book got published? How did you celebrate?

When my first book was published, I got so excited that I continued writing four more books right away and took my first selfie picture of me with the new book in my hand. Then, I began a tradition to have an author event with my family and friends once a year to celebrate my achievement as a children’s book author.

• Could you be housemates with your characters? Why or why not?

If I were a housemate with Babbling Betty, I would not get a word in because she always babbles. Oh, wait! I am a known babbler too.

• What is your typical writing routine or schedule?

I do not have a set time. When a thought for a book starts in my head, it always starts with a special title in mind. Then, I build stories off that title. Next, I pre-write a lot when the thought first begins. I put the pre-written manuscript in a file folder attached to my door so I can come back to it later as I work on the current book. Then, I come back to the files to begin the rest of the writing process.    I am more of a “pantser” in which I write when the creative juices begin to spark in my mind.

• Which celebrity would you choose to narrate your audiobook?

Martin Freeman- Bilbo Baggins in the movie Hobbit would be the one I would love to have narrate my audiobook.

• What well-known author, living or dead, do you wish could be your mentor? Why?

I would choose Dr. Seuss. -Theodor Seuss Geisel to be my mentor if he was still living. He has an amazing way of manipulating words in all his stories.

• What is your favorite of the six senses (touch, taste, smell, sound, sight, intuition) to write about, why?

My favorite sense is intuition. I would like the children reading my books to be able to understand right away through my writing what I am talking about in my stories.

• What is something about your hero or villain that drove their character, but you didn’t specifically tell your reader?

In Brains Over Brawn, my grandfather visited me in New Hampshire during the time I was being bullied in school. He gave me a distraction from the constant worry of going to school just to be bullied. My grandfather was from South Carolina where I was born. I did not tell the reader the significance of my grandfather’s presence.

• Have you ever resuscitated a project you had shelved? What helped it work better the second time around?

I have resuscitated many times a book that may come out by the end of 2024 or in the first quarter of 2025. I have had to re-write it a few times. The second time of re-writing was important to me since I realized I needed to revise the story structure.

• What do the words “literary success” mean to you? How do you picture it?

“Literary success” is when your books are expanded beyond one medium to include mass distribution. In my mind, success does not always mean money. If one child is reading my book, I have done my job to encourage literacy. My philosophy is “literary, learning, and legacy.” These are my marching orders.

Authors' Alcove: Writing Children's Books with Mark McCraw: Themes, Self-Publishing, and Marketing

• What inspired you to be a Children’s Book Author?

 ​My journey began because of a military dependent story I had in my mind. I never thought I would get past book one. I am now self-published with ten books and have stories published in two anthologies now. I am also in over 20 different countries and about 20 other websites to include Audibles, Kindles, e-books, Softcover, and Hardcover books.

•  ​ What is your philosophy as an author?

Literacy, Learning, and Legacy.

• What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

I have attended my publishers conference in New York- Manhattan – Times Square in 2023. Then, I was on an author panel at Books by the Bay Festival in Pensacola, Florida in 2024 as well as attending an Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc. Conference.

• What is your writing Kryptonite?

In my opinion, Kryptonite is the editing I must go through since I tend to be a perfectionist which is good to some degree but not good in other cases. I tend to hold on to a piece of manuscript when it may be simply fine.

• Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

I want each book to stand on its own but with the possibility of a future book having a sequel.

• What did you edit out of your books? 

I edited the term ‘Bull in a China Shop” which was what my mom used to tell me when I had accidents as a child. This was taken out of the book, “It Happens.”

• What one thing would you give up becoming a better writer?

I would give up some more of my time to become a better writer.

• What is the most difficult part of your writing process?

Editing is always challenging me since there is more than just grammar and punctuation to look out for such as point of view and person (1st, 2nd, 3rd) as an example.

• What is the easiest part of your writing process?

Pre-writing is the easiest part of my writing process.
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• A common misconception entwined with authors is that they are socially inept, how true is that?

I have always been a “social butterfly.” For me, I am not socially inept because of am truly an extrovert. Many authors know that exposure in marketing is important.

• What is your favorite movie which was based on a book? Why?

The Lord of the Rings series is my favorite movie based on books. There is so much action in these packed stories with more coming in which I am excited about seeing new ones soon.

• What is one thing you think readers generally do not know about authors?

Many readers do not realize the costs entailed in writing a book such as editing, formatting, illustrations, publishing, and marketing costs. They may not realize the “sweat equity” behind the scenes for the author’s labor of love.

• When it comes to research for your books, are you a hunter or a gatherer? Talk about your research process.

I am considered a “hunter.” This is because my family often calls me the “Resource Man” sort of like a superhero. Also, I am good at researching new things on the Internet to help me be a better author.

• Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. How do you recharge?

I re-charge by spending time watching movies or listening to music. My favorite stress reliever is comedy.

• Do you prefer music or silence when you write? Do you have a writing playlist? What is on it?

I usually enjoy having Christian music going on in the background or sometimes the television. It just depends.    As far as a playlist is concerned, I do have an idea of what book will come next. Sometimes, I change the order depending on the Illustrator’s schedule. I do keep a list of future book titles and have written manuscripts ahead of time for books for the next year. I have written two books so far in 2024 with possibly one to two additional books to be completed by the end of 2024. One of the upcoming books is a K-2nd book and then another book will be around fourth-fifth grade level.

• What is your favorite location about which you have written? Have you visited that place? How did you choose which details to include?

I wrote about my experiences in New Hampshire. I visited that place as a child when I moved from Florida to New Hampshire. Some of the names of places were changed in the book.
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• Travel back in time (without negative effects for you or the timeline) what year do you visit? Why?

I have always been fascinated with Rome. I would want to be there when the Coliseum was built in AD 70-72.

 The first time I stood in the Coliseum in Rome was when I was a Tour Leader with high schoolers. I stood there in awe. I always wanted to be in the Coliseum due to the stories I heard about gladiators as well as to learn more about the Roman Empire. I told myself that I would never get to come to Rome again, especially the Colosseum but “never say never.” I ended up going on another tour in Rome again right back to the Colosseum that I said I would never be able to be there again.

• Can you tell us about your current projects?

I am working on Book 11 with an Illustrator, video trailers, audible files, preparing for another author panel, and collaborating with publisher on my first book I wrote to be introduced at the Miami Book Fair in November 2024. Furthermore, I am also preparing for Books by the Bay Festival in 2025. Finally, I am wrapping up the year with several venues.

Defining Moment with Mark McCraw: Don't Quit Writing