[originaltext]W: Today we have the famous children’s books writer, Grant R. Phi

W: Today we have the famous children’s books writer, Grant R. Philips here. I’m Liana. Thanks for your coming, Mr. Philips.
M: It’s my pleasure.
W: Could you tell us how and when did you get started as a writer?
M: Growing up I hated reading. I did all I could to avoid books. Turns out later I learned I was suffering from a reading comprehension disability. It wasn’t until 7th grade that things changed. My English teacher announced that we’d be reading 4 books written by S.E. Hinton that year, respectively The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, Tex and That Was Then This Is Now. She explained that Hinton was 16 when she wrote The Outsiders. From page one until the end of the book, I was catapulted into another world. The book amazed me. I thought about it for days after reading it. I could not wait to read another book. And it was like that for all of Hinton’s books. Before I knew what was happening to me, I was buying books in stores and reading at least a book a month. And I knew, at age 13, that I wanted to be a writer. When I was a freshman in high school, I wrote a short story about a busboy working at a party house. It was published in the school’s annual magazine. My career, you might say, had begun.
W: How do you usually find your ideas?
M: It’s a great question. One I can’t answer in black and white. Sometimes I get a character in mind. Sometimes a plot, or a twist ending. Lots of times I just start writing and see where it leads me. Occasionally I get inspired with something that has a beginning, middle and end.
W: Did you ever get any rejections of your works?
M: Hmmm. Maybe only enough to wallpaper my entire house, monthly. Part of being a writer is having a thick skin. Finding an interested editor, I believe, has to do a lot with luck and timing.
W: If yes, how did you react to them?
M: There are two types of rejections. Form Letter and what I call Positive Rejection. A Form Letter is just like it sounds, no signature or a rubber-stamp signature. You wonder if they didn’t just open your submission, attach a Form Letter, and return it to you without so much as reading a word. A little depressing at times. But what can you do? The Positive Rejection is when an editor actually takes the time to personalize the rejection letter in some way. "Close, try us with your next story idea." Anything that makes it more than just a Form Letter Rejection. Those I consider inspiring.
1. What happened to Philips when he was under 7th grader?
2. According to Philips, what inspires him to begin his career as a writer?
3. How does Mr. Philips usually find his idea?
4. Why does Philips say that a writer should have a thick skin?
5. What can we learn about the two types of rejections?