Welcome to the second installment of my interview show, Waffles with Writers! Every month I chat with a working writer over a nice, waffle-centric meal.
Today’s brunch companion is Tara Lazar, whose first book, The Monstore, hits stores this week. Two other titles are hot on its heels: I Thought This Was a Bear Book (Aladdin, 2014) and Little Red Gliding Hood (Random House, 2015). If that wasn’t enough, this September her essay “Grow Up. Be Serious. Oh, Nevermind!” will be published in the YA anthology Break These Rules (Chicago Review Press).
Long story short, Tara is busy.
***
Mike: Good morning, Tara! The waffles are just about ready and– Um…I know I’m serving breakfast food, but I didn’t expect you to arrive wearing jammies. Do you find that jammies work well with your writing lifestyle?
Tara: Of course! All my life I wanted a job that required me to work in jammies. Since the Macy’s mannequin and midnight boogeyman assassin positions were already filled, being a children’s author was the next best thing.
Congrats on your first book, The Monstore, by the way! I’ve always liked monsters. If you could customize your very own monster, what would be some of his main attributes?
I think I will borrow a monsterly attribute dreamed up by a student from Mrs. Mozer’s second grade class: a monster that shoots cupcakes out of its foot.
Why its foot?
Well, it’s better than from the mouth, I say. That would be an ABC Cupcake (Already Been Chewed).
In addition to your writing skills, you are also an accomplished figure skater. If you were to compete at the 2016 Winter Olympics, which 1980s pop ballad would you choose to accompany your routine?
“Rio” by Duran Duran. Because she “dances on the sand,” so it would be a hot, beachy number. If you haven’t noticed, ice arenas are really, really cold.
You recently introduced your daughter to a number of episodes from The Brady Bunch – and shame on you. Is there anything about that show that could help a writer improve his craft?
You can often learn by non-example. The Brady Bunch writers came right out with the lesson, smacking you the way Alice whacked that award-winning sculpture of Mr. Brady’s head.
Mike Brady would tell his kids the lesson with a stern yet loving stare, or the kids would repeat the lessons aloud for themselves (and the audience). When Jan campaigned for most popular girl, she made many promises but didn’t keep them. Her entire family admonished her for not making good on her promises, but she ignored them. At the end of the show, Jan finally learns her lesson and reads a speech apologizing for her selfish ways. Instead of showing that Jan was sorry, the writers told everyone she was sorry. I guess they only had 22 minutes and had to tie things up neatly with a bow. I say leave neat bows for gifts, not stories. Nothing ends on that perfect a note.
Have you ever discovered a good nugget of writing on The Brady Bunch?
How about “Oh, my nose!”?
In addition to the children’s book thing, you and I have something in common: we both headed up public relations departments. Let’s see if you still have the old magic: You work for BP. In 100 words or less, please put a positive spin on a two million-gallon oil spill off the coast of Atlantic City.
Come on down the shore! Just bring a bottle of balsamic and there’s free salad dressing for all! Bon appetite!
Yep. You’ve still got it. You once mentioned that you collect junk for inspiration. What is the junkiest thing that has ever inspired you?
Junkiest thing that ever inspired me has to be a piece of shriveled pepperoni.
What did it inspire?
A pizza story, silly! What else?
What is the junkiest thing you own that you hoped would provide inspiration, but hasn’t?
A chipped, miniature ceramic kitten with a ball of blue and red string. I thought it was really cute and would make a good writing mascot, but I’m perplexed because I don’t even like cats and I have no intention of writing a cat manuscript. Yes, we writers can be strange.
Well, thank you so much for stopping by, Tara! It was a pleasure. Would you like to grab a piece of junk from my house as a souvenir?
May I have that rusty bicycle wheel in your garage? With writing, you gotta just keep rolling on…
Hey, Look! A Writer Fellow! 
Waffle-centric! What a phrase:-) BP oil + balsamic = seaside salad dressing.That’s ssoooommme imagination your lady friend has! But you missed out some important info…what does she like on her waffles?
I think the world would be a better place if it was more waffle-centric, don’t you?
But of course:-)
Oh! And congrats for being my first commenter! At last, you did it!
Yay – hooray for me!!!
Great interview, Mike and Tara! I can’t wait to read the Monstore, and I love the art – so bright and fun! What did you guys have on your waffles this morning?
Before our interview could take place, Tara’s “people” made me sign a contract stating that I would only serve her waffles and chicken. Only white meat. With gravy on the side for dipping.
Sheesh! It was like trying to feed Beyonce.
And hey! According to my calendar, you are my next brunch guest! I’ll be in touch soon with questions. In the meantime, do consider your waffle order.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say Susanna will take waffles with chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, whip cream, strawberries (to make it healthy), and a caramel fondue for dipping. About right, Susanna?! Let me know where to find this podcast when you start streaming!!
Chicken and waffles!
Yum!
Hilarious! I love you more with each interview I read and I can’t wait for the MONSTORE Debut this week! Squeeeeeeee!!!
Too funny! I wish this could be on radio too. :0)
I think you’re right, Catherine! Waffles With Writers WOULD be a ding-dang delightful radio show!
And the gears are turning…
:0)
Podcast! Podcaaaaast!!
Yes. My gears are turning in that direction.
And, Sarah, please use your indoor voice.
Sorry—I accidentally used my Indoor Mommy voice.
I’ll tone it down.
Great interview Mike. Free salad dressing for all…hehehe. 🙂
Thanks, Wendy!
I was expecting a flip response to my oil spill question (the question demands it, after all) but Tara’s salad dressing response was inspired.
Now I’m craving waffles and chicken..yum! I enjoyed this interview! I love the idea of collecting junk to inspire writing. I’ve been doing the collecting part but now I’ll follow through with the writing connection. Thx for the inspiration!
As a neat freak, I prefer to clean out my own house and look through other people’s junk to find inspiration.
So! Can I come over? I’ll bring coffee!
Excellent eccentric questions! Yes, I mean that in a good way 🙂 Well now I need a writing mascot.. or do I ?!!
So glad you like my eccentricity, Christy! This certainly won’t be the last time Tara will be interviewed, so I’ll let other reporters handle the run-of-the-mill questions.
Fun interview with fresh, unique questions!
Thank you kindly! I’m having great fun with this interview series.
Feel free to check out my first Waffles With Writers installment here: https://mikeallegra.com/2013/05/05/waffles-with-writers-madame-weebles/
I must have a copy of The Monstore! I’m not even pretending it’s for the kids this time.
I’ll swap you the kitty for a betel-nut mouse, who frankly hasn’t been pulling his inspirational weight around here, either . . .
And I’ve gotta share my favorite Brady Bunch line, spoken by Greg after his first big show business break . . . broke: “They only hired me because I fit the suit!”
Yes, Greg. Yes they did. Because Lord knows, none of y’all could sing.
Now, don’t you go dissin’ Johnny Bravo!
Ugh. I hate that I know that.
LOL! I know, that was the worst ever. He fit the suit! And when Greg was strumming the guitar the guy was flipping out over how “groovy” he was…and he was just strumming a chord!
To be fair, Greg did strum the chord in the grooviest way possible.
How did I not know that?
Not knowing that is a GOOD thing, Sarah.
When I learned that Tara was showing The Brady Bunch to her children, I contemplated calling Child Protective Services.
This is hilarious. Tara is my new favorite person. I love that Monstore. I would shop there. And her PR spin for BP is nothing short of genius. If I ever cause an environmental disaster, I’m calling her immediately.
Oh, I, too, would so shop at the Monstore. I would want one who can put up sheetrock and install a toilet.
Hm. Maybe I just want a contractor.
But a contractor who can shoot cupcakes out of his foot.
Well, that goes without saying.
Love the illustrations! Does the Monstore ever go to the Moonstore?
Thanks for not wrapping things up all neat n tidy-like, Tara. I’m a fan of uncontrolled chaos.
Oh, and I know a young man (my son) who’d be happy to take that chipped ceramic kitten off your hands should you ever decide it’s not workin’ for you.
A monster that shoots cupcakes out of its foot-I want one! Can’t wait to read THE MONSTORE!
She seems so nice! Also, love the illustrations! (ps. those waffles look CRAZY good…. imma have to make me some this week.)
You can never go wrong with waffles, Kaleidoscope. Never.
Waffles, chicken and . . gravy? Not a combination I would ever have considered palatable, but hey, who am I to judge another’s palate preferences? Loved the interview. You come up with the most amazing, or should I say amusing, questions! And Tara managed to meet you quip for quip. Fantastic! I will definitely have to get a copy of Monstore for my grandson. The concept of a monster who shoots cupcakes out of his foot sounds positively delightful! 🙂
Waffles and gravy is not as bad as it might sound. I’ve had it before. While I might not go outta my way to hunt it down, I’d gladly eat it again.
Glad you liked the interview, my friend!
Loving this waffle series! 🙂
I’m glad! I gotta good one for July.
Another excellent installment Mike! Love the nuggets you uncover…and speaking of nuggets, we in the south are very familiar with chicken and waffles, yums!!!
You don’t see too many chicken and waffle offerings up in this neck of the woods, I’m afraid.
what y’all are missin’! 😆