By Margaret Lea Wendelin Van Draanen, author of over 30 books across all age groups, will be the speaker at the Houston chapter meeting, August 4, 2025. Her 2001 novel FLIPPED was made into the 2010 movie FLIPPED , directed by Rob Reiner. Her presentation for our chapter is going to be “Keeping Hope in the Mail” and will focus on personal strength, commitment to craft, and strategies for not giving up. Below is my interview with Wendelin. 1) Your website says it took ten years for you to get published. How did you find an agent? Have you stayed with your original agent? It did take ten years! But I recommend writers work smarter than I did. I didn’t join SCBWI until after I had my first book deal. I definitely did everything the hard way! Trying to help others who are presently struggling is the main reason I wrote Hope in the Mail —my non-fiction book for writers in pursuit of their publishing dreams—and why my husband Mark a...