We recently connected with Chip Haynes and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Chip, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I’ve written a lot of books over the last 40 years (over 60 so far), but for me, the Oliver Possum series of children’s books that are starting to come out this year have always been the ones I want to be known for. In a world where horror, violence, destruction and death are seen as entertainment, I would much rather be the possum on my bicycle and stop for pie. I do think we need more of that in our lives, no matter what our age. Then again, I do more than just children’s books: Full-length novels, some non-fiction, a fair pile of poetry and that pesky stage play with 17 original songs. I’d say there’s no limit to my work, but there is: I keep it all clean and upbeat. I joke that all of my work is rated D for Disney as you could hand any of it to the lawyer’s daughter. And as for “What’s next?”, well, I do have a list.

Chip, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born much younger than I am now (I’m 72), and when people ask me where I’m from, I say “Samsonite”. I grew up as an Army brat and moved at least ten times before I came to Florida right out of high school in 1969. (Haven’t had to shovel snow in over 50 years!) I’m a mostly (but not entirely) retired commercial artist and was, for a time, a professional juggler, but it’s the writing I’m known for now. Well, that and all of my bicycles. These days I try to get in a bike ride every day and write at least a couple of books every year. My bicycle book, “The Practical Cyclist”, has done rather well, and my oil book, “Peak of the Devil” is coming back out in re-release this fall, but it’s the Oliver Possum series of children’s books that really makes me smile.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Captain Jack Sparrow said it best: “Try to not do anything… stupid.”

But how do you know before you try? Sometimes you don’t. (And sometimes you do know and you do it anyway.) I’ve done a lot of different things over the years, all different creative projects, and I’d have to say that almost all of them worked out. Almost. And the ones that didn’t still taught me a lot. There’s no such thing as not learning from your experience. And chicks dig scars. I know that now…

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Everything is research. Every. Thing.

So how is that rewarding? The reward is in knowing that no matter what is happening that day, no matter, good or bad, what sort of day I’m having, there’s a good chance it will somehow end up in one of my books later. Boy howdy and how. I have, for my books, pulled stories out of my life from 60 years ago. Experiences and friends. Places and events. Every. Thing. One kiss in high school became an entire full-length novel. Oliver Possum relived my bicycle ride across America. The Swiss Army Knife in my pocket today will be in the sci-fi novel I’m starting next month.    

There’s no such thing as a dull day.