Behind the Bylines
Martha
Meet... Martha Pickerill
Birthdate: October 16th
What was your favorite school subject?
Language Arts
When/how did you first know you wanted to write?
I wrote a tragic limerick in sixth grade English:
A sad kidney bean named Tilly
Thought that her life was just silly
She finally said,
"I'd be better off dead,"
And she jumped in a big pot of chili
My teacher, Mrs. Payne, pointed out that I didn't get the limerick rhythm exactly right, but she also told me that I should never stop writing. I never have.
What do you enjoy about your job?
Interviewing gorgeous rock stars and traveling to distant lands. The limos are also not bad.
How did you develop a nose for the news?
I studied journalism at college in Iowa. To be a reporter in Ames, Iowa, you REALLY have to be able to dig. It's not like there were a million fascinating stories just waiting to be told. (I love Ames, though. I was born there!)
How do you overcome writer's block?
At home, I go for a long jog until I think of the perfect lead sentence. In the office, I eat candy from Nellie Gonzalez's candy jar until I get a big sugar buzz. Then I write very fast! The two habits must cancel each other out, because I can still wear the same clothes I wore when Time For Kids began, in 1995.
What do you write best with or on?
In all modesty, I type faster than a court reporter, baby. I prefer my keyboard at work to the one on my laptop computer. But some stories just have to come out longhand. For those, I love to write with a ballpoint pen on a brand new legal pad.
Who do you look up to?
Journalists who report on wars from the battlefield. To risk their safety in order to make sure people get vital information about what's wrong in the world is very brave, and very honorable.
more bylines
