Kerry Hansen

Kerry is the author of Polterghost (to be released in 2027) and a writing coach. After earning her Master’s in English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she spent over twenty years in education as an English instructor, high school Learning Resource Center Director, and college Writing Specialist. She also works at an independent bookstore, serves on her local library board, and volunteers for the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). She lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband and huge dog.

Polterghost is about twelve-year-old Finn who has more fears than friends. His fears grow when he realizes his new house is haunted by the ghost of Mary Margaret Jensen—a girl who died there in the 1800s. Together with a group of local kids—Cricket, Isa, Sully, and Lewis—Finn tries to solve the mystery. And in the end, Finn isn’t the only one who realizes that there’s a unique opportunity to make new friends.

I first want to express my gratitude for SCBWI. Only after joining this wonderful community did I finally call myself a writer. When aspiring children’s authors ask for advice, this is the first thing I tell them: join SCBWI.

What types of books do you write (picture, MG, YA? Genre?)?

 The middle-grade world feels like home to me, especially horror with humor. When I was a kid, I was a horror wannabe. I wanted to love it, but I couldn’t even sit through the opening music of Halloween. Like craving cheese when you’re lactose intolerant. Then Scooby-Doo came along, just the right mix of creepy and funny. That’s what I want in my books, to counter each scary moment with a laugh. I still can’t watch horror movies—my son says my screams are more terrifying than anything happening on screen—but in my books, I want to make horror accessible for the Scooby-Doo kids like me.

 When and where do you usually write?

 Alas, there’s this thing called employment. But I steal time when I can. I call it pasta writing, using the nine minutes it takes to boil spaghetti noodles to edit a paragraph or two. I used to write in my chaotic kitchen. Then, when I got my first book contract, my husband and sister-in-law surprised me with an office renovation. Now I have a space of my own, where I surround myself with antique typewriters and my friends’ books. When the stars align, you’ll find me in there, writing in the morning with a cup of tea and my dog at my feet.

 What's the most surprising thing you've learned in your author journey?

 Mostly, I never expected the journey to be so loooong. Or to have so many hurdles. Every aspect of writing is hard, but maybe that’s what makes each milestone so gratifying. There have been times when I’ve said, “Why am I doing this?” But when I picture a life without writing, it feels incomplete. Even the limbo times in between novels are hard for me. I need to create. Like those bewildering joggers who brave sleet and subzero weather to get their runner’s high, I need the writer’s high.

 Tell us about your Tension Toolbox.

 This needs more heart.

Develop your characters more.

Add more tension.

 Have you ever received general comments like these about your work? I sure have, and they overwhelm me. Like how, exactly, do I do that? Therefore, when I create a presentation about the writing craft, my goal is to develop a list of pragmatic tools authors can refer to, along with specific examples from mentor texts. The idea for the Tension Toolbox came to me after reading a passage in Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter. In it, the main character is working an event. Her phone vibrates, but she’s busy and doesn’t check the message. Then she notices other people taking out their phones and gasping. After she sees their shocked reactions, she takes out her own phone and gets the terrible news that someone has been murdered.

 The character could have simply checked her phone as soon as she got the notification, but Boulley drags out the moment by showing others’ reactions first, making us clamor to find out what happened. I call this technique react-reveal, one of ten ways to slow the pace and add tension to a scene. That’s Part I of the Tension Toolbox. Part II focuses on smaller techniques like naming your chapters, adding cliffhanger chapter endings, adding a time constraint, and including emotions (internal & external).

 What else do you do besides writing?

 I need to pick up a new hobby or I’m going to turn into the boring party guest no one wants to talk to. Between writing, working at Books & Company, and serving on the Library Board, I’m pretty much all books all the time, but I love walking my gargantuan dog, thrifting with my fashion-savvy daughter, traveling to places with beaches, and attempting to watch horror movies. 

 Where to find me:

 Website: www.kerryhansenauthor.com (under construction)

 https://www.instagram.com/kerryhansenauthor

 https://www.facebook.com/kerry.hansenpeller/

 https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/171626334-kerry-hansen

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-hansen-1b6a53138