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This month The Edge of the Forest talks with children's author
René Colato Laínez about his writer's life.
The Edge of the Forest: First of all, René, thanks for agreeing to talk with me for our Day in the Life
series...
René: It is an honor to be asked, and as we say in Spanish—Muchas gracias, thank you very much.
The Edge of the Forest: Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? Where do you work?
And what attracted you to children’s literature and writing for children?
René: I live in Arleta, a city of the San Fernando Valley in the Los Angeles Area. I work at Fernangeles
Elementary School in Sun Valley. It is a nine-minute drive from home. When I was growing up in El Salvador, I loved to
write poems and short stories. All my friends and teachers said that I had a talent in writing. At the age of 15, in
Mexico City, after finishing the first draft of my manuscript, LUCIA, I said to myself, "Wow, you are indeed a writer."
I wrote seven other novels, many short stories, and even a play during my high school/college years. But, it wasn’t until
I became a teacher and I was surrounded by picture books that I decided to concentrate in children’s books and send them to
publishers with the hope that one day I would become a published author.
The Edge of the Forest: I understand you spend the day with kindergartners. I imagine the experience is exhausting,
invigorating, and ripe with story ideas.
René: Working with four- and five-year-old children is a wonderful adventure. I have the chance to dance,
sing, paint, read great picture books and teach them the reading and writing process. I really enjoy being in the
classroom and I even get paid for being there. The idea for my first picture book Waiting for Papá was born
in the classroom. One of my students, Elvis, asked me to help him write a letter for his Mom in Guatemala. He missed his
mother so much and wanted to be with her. When I got home, I wrote a poem about my father, and this poem was the seed for
Waiting for Papá.
The Edge of the Forest: How do you keep up your energy long enough to write at the end of the day?
René: At the end of the day, after making copies and getting everything ready for the next day, I am exhausted.
In order to get more energy, I need to take a walk in a nearby park or run on my treadmill. I am even a member of a gym,
but I seldom use it. After a good shower, I am ready to write.
The Edge of the Forest: So, you return home after a day in the classroom, your notebook brimming with possible
stories. How do you decide which ones to develop?
René: : I write in a journal for the first 20 minutes. Many times, I find ideas there. Maybe it is a poem for
Iguana Magazine or a better idea to shape a manuscript. Sometimes, I sit at my desk with a clear idea for a new
story, but after opening my e-mails, I find a message from my editors or my fellow writers, and my original plan
changes. What works for me is to write Post-it notes and paste them around my computer. "REVISE OLD FRAME," "CRITIQUE
MARA’S MANUSCRIPT," "FINISH THE PROPOSAL FOR THE BOOK FESTIVAL." I work on my Post-its before opening my e-mail. I also
love deadlines. If you want me to write something, just give me a date and I will do it.
The Edge of the Forest: Many of your books celebrate family, friends and community within the context of the
Hispanic experience. Your stories are also filled with hope. Were these messages intentional, or did they emerge out of
your process organically?
René: I work with Hispanic children. Many were born in the United States. Others are from Mexico or Central America.
I am an immigrant myself and had lived the odyssey of crossing three borders (Guatemala/Mexico/United States) on my way to
this country. Many of these incidents are painful: children separating from their parents because of the “Migra”
(Immigration), students who are afraid of being in the middle of a war again, and boys and girls who are struggling to
learn English, and how to read and write. When I write, I need to give these children a message of hope. There is always a
light at the end of a dark tunnel, and I don’t want these children to give up. I write from the heart and I really don’t
know if my messages are intentional. I only know that if I can help these children to achieve their goals, I am doing my
work both as a teacher and as a writer.
The Edge of the Forest: Tell us about a typical writing day. Do you write at home, in a café or while commuting? Do
you work in long-hand or at a computer? How much time do you spend each day doing the hard work of writing?
René: I usually come home around 4:00 pm. I work out from 4:30-5:30. Then I take a shower and have dinner. I write
in my bedroom, which looks more like a disorganized room with a bed and books and papers everywhere. My plan for 2007 is to
add an extra room in order to have my very own office. In a really good day, I write in my journal, read my post notes and
work on those ideas. Finally, around 10:40, I read and answer e-mails. At 10:00 pm, I go to bed with a book and try to read
for an hour.
When I am on vacation, I prefer to go to a library and work from 8:00 to 3:00. My best productive work is during my
vacation time. I work on my computer or my laptop, but when I am writing a first draft, I write all the ideas on paper.
Most of the time, the first draft is in Spanish, but I translate it right away and then work in English in all the revisions
until the manuscript is ready to travel to an editor’s desk. When, my editor told me that my manuscript Waiting
for Papá was ready in English and it was time to write in the Spanish version, I said to myself, this is going to be
easy. I opened my first draft in Spanish and to my surprise only four lines of the original draft remained. My final draft
was a totally new story.
The Edge of the Forest: Some writers write for very personal reasons, using their art to help make sense of the world.
Others write because they’ve a story to tell. Why do you write?
René: It depends. Sometimes, I write from very personal reasons like in I am Rene, the Boy. In Latin
America, Rene is a boy name. But, when I arrived in the USA, people were expecting to see a girl when they called my name.
In this case, I used my writing to find out my own identity. I found out that I have a rich culture, a beautiful native
language and that I am an individual that can accomplish all my dreams. This book has received two awards and I am glad
that the message is reaching all those children who do not believe in themselves. Other times, I write to tell a story.
One day, I found one of my ex-kindergarten students at the supermarket. He was around fifteen years at that time and he
told me that he did not speak Spanish anymore because only English was good in this country. I went home and wrote
Playing Loteria. In the story, a boy goes to Mexico to visit his grandmother. The boy can understand Spanish
but he is not confident speaking it. Through the Mexican game of Loteria, he begins to speak his native language and
discovers how important it is to speak two languages.
The Edge of the Forest: Writing can be a lonely and isolating avocation. Where do you find the support you need
to survive the process?
René: My critique group is awesome. We meet in the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles and also critique our
manuscripts through the internet. Also, I visit the Vermont College writers group page and read what my VIP friends are
reading and writing. I am a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and I go to their conferences
and retreats. Now I am part of Macondo, a Writer’s Workshop lead by Sandra Cisneros. I indeed have a lot of writer friends
around.
The Edge of the Forest: Who or what inspires you?
René: My own students and my own experiences inspire me to write. But also, my mother’s uncle, Jorge
Buenaventura Laínez inspired me as a child and now as an adult. Uncle Jorge was a famous writer in El Salvador and
visiting his house was like going to the library. In his family biography book, Los Lainez de la Soledad, he
wrote, “This story is just the beginning. I hope that someone from my family can complete it.” Reading these lines at
twelve, gave me an opportunity to dream and to fight for that dream. I could be that person who can complete that
biography.
The of the Forest: Tell us about your favorite stories from childhood.
René: As a child my favorite poem was "Cantaritos de agua. "I found this poem in my second-grade reading book.
Uncle Jorge wrote it and that was enough reason to love those pitchers who were very thirsty and want to drink water from
the river. My favorite book was Charlotte's Web.
The Edge of the Forest: Why do you think these stories influenced you as a writer?
René: Uncle Jorge’s poems were very special not only because I could see my last name in print, but also because I
had a strong model who influenced me to write as a child. I loved Charlotte because she was a loyal friend, a smart spider,
and a good writer. I wanted to be like Charlotte too: friend, smart and good writer.
The Edge of the Forest: Do you have a favorite quote to share with other writers?
René: The Spanish language is full of proverbs and my favorite translates into:
Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
Sometimes, we don’t like writing
but it is important to write each day
and tomorrow we can write something new.
The Edge of the Forest: Any advice for aspiring writers?
René: My advice is to never give up. Believe in your writing because you have beautiful
stories that only you can tell. Keep writing, revising and submitting.
The Edge of the Forest: What can you tell us about your most current project?
René: My picture book under contract is My Shoes and I. It is about the journey of a Salvadoran child from
El Salvador to the United States. His shoes are his best friends and together they have good and sad adventures. It is
practically my own journey. The book will be published by Boyds Mills Press. I also have an electronic book titled
A Fairytale of Colors and it will be published by Smart Duck.
The Edge of the Forest: Anything else you want to add?
René: Books are full of surprises and adventures. Read and reach for the stars.
The Edge of the Forest: Thank you for chatting with us, René. It’s been fun.
René: Thank you and once again, muchas gracias.
About René:
Known by his students as "the teacher full of stories,” René Colato Laínez is the Salvadoran author of several bilingual
picture books including I Am René, the Boy/ Soy René, el niño (Piñata Books), Waiting for Papá/Esperando a papá
(Piñata Books), and Playing Lotería/ El juego de la lotería (Luna Rising). His picture book I Am René, the Boy
recently received the Latino Book Award for Best Bilingual Children’s Book of 2006 and a Special Recognition in the 2006
Paterson Prize for Books for Young People. Playing Lotería was named a Best Children’s Book of 2005 by Criticas
Magazine and won an International Book Award for Best Cover Illustrations. His latest book My Shoes and I is
forthcoming from Boyd Mills Press. He also writes poems and short stories for the Spanish-language children’s magazine,
Revista Iguana.
René Colato Laínez is a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults. He is also one
of the few children’s books authors to be invited to Sandra Cisneros’ Macondo Workshop for Writers held in San Antonio,
Texas.
René’s website is www.Renécolatolainez.com
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