Scholastic Book Clubs • December 16, 2024 Topicsauthor interview Book Clubs Book Fairs books December

Interview with the Author of ‘Stopping the Shots’

What inspired you to write your book? Where did the idea for your book come from?

Lorna Schultz Nicholson: Stopping the Shots is a companion book to Taking the Ice. Tree was a great character in Taking the Ice, and I wanted to explore who he was, and I thought it would be fun to write about a goalie, especially after writing about Carey Price for my Amazing Hockey Stories Series. I also wanted to write about a character who didn’t have that aspiration to be an NHL player but still wanted to improve. And then there was the brother element that was fun to write about, and the dynamics of a family who had a superstar son but not a lot of money. How do they manage?

What did you enjoy most about writing? What were some challenges that you faced while writing?

Lorna Schultz Nicholson: I love thinking up the story, developing the characters, thinking of the plotline. Now, I will admit that the first draft is not my favourite. I tend to write it from beginning to end, like I’m running some kind of race. The middle is hard and I have to push through it. For me, it’s getting something down on the page. Just get it done. Then…the fun begins!! The next draft, and the next, and the next, and on and on, are when I have my most fun because I have something to work with, something to mold. I love it when I get another layer of magic in there. And I do love editorial notes, when an editor is as excited as I am and sees the possibility to take the story further. (I love my editors at Scholastic, just saying.)

What do you hope your readers will take away from your book?

Lorna Schultz Nicholson: First and foremost, I hope kids are entertained. I hope they want to keep turning the page to find out what happens. I also want non-hockey kids to read the book. Why not? It’s a story about brothers, wanting to get better at something, relationships, family dynamics, and those issues are relatable for lots of kids. I want kids to make connections to the story.

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

Lorna Schultz Nicholson: Great question. I think they just come to me. I don’t know how it happens.

What books have had the biggest impact on your life? What books were your favourite to read growing up?

Lorna Schultz Nicholson: When I was a kid Anne of Green Gables was one of my favourite book series. I loved Anne. She had spunk and determination. The scene with the puffed sleeves is still etched in my brain. I related to it so well because Matthew arranged the dress, and when I was a kid, my mom made all my clothes. My dad was the one who got me my first store bought dress when I was ten years old. The situation was sort of similar to Anne. That’s the thing with children’s literature – there are always connections that can be made. Maybe a kid can read my book because it’s about brothers, or about being determined to improve at something, or being in a family where there’s not a lot of money, or living on a farm, or playing on a fun hockey team, or for the hockey scenes because they play hockey.

I loved Trixie Belden too. I wanted to be in her club and solve mysteries! And the Narnia series. I was a voracious reader and that’s probably why I became a writer because I loved books so much. Oh, and Pippy Longstocking. I think there might be a theme here with all of these characters I loved so much as a child. They were all determined.

What does your writing process look like?

Lorna Schultz Nicholson: When I start, I start. I set a goal of 1000 words a day for fiction and 500 for non-fiction. If I exceed the goals, great. Of course, sometimes I get a bit derailed if I have a lot of school visits or presentations to do, or family stuff (family is always first for me), but I usually try to hit my goal. I always have an ending in mind though because that helps me get to the finish line. As I write, I make notes in a notebook I keep beside me. If there’s something I need to come back to, I write it down. That helps me keep going. I love listening to the characters talk in my head, allowing the scenes to unfold. It really is a lot of fun!

What’s next for you?

Lorna Schultz Nicholson: I’m so excited to say that the character of Manny shone in Stopping the Shots. So… he will get the spotlight in 2026. Plus, I have an Auston Matthews book out in the fall of 2025 and he was so interesting to write about. Fingers crossed for another female Amazing Hockey Story or even some books for a younger audience. I’m always thinking!

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