About R.L. Ullman
R.L. Ullman is the bestselling, award-winning author of books for young readers. He writes the kinds of books he loved reading as a kid, featuring fast-paced action, laugh-out-loud humor, and lots of heart. R.L. lives in Connecticut with his laptop and family.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Hello and thanks for dropping by! I thought I would use this space to answer some frequently asked questions I receive from readers. If you have other questions, please feel free to email me at RL@rlullman.com. I guarantee I’ll email you back (just give me a few days to respond)!
1) When you were a kid did you want to be an author?
Well, sort of. When I was a kid, I wanted to write and draw comic books. I didn't make that dream happen (yet), but I’m happy with how things turned out because writing books for kids is the best job in the world!
2) When did you start writing books?
I didn't start writing books until I was in my early 40s (yep, I was ready for a nursing home). When I was younger, I wrote screenplays that never got made into movies. However, it was great practice for writing books because I learned all about character development, pacing, and plot. Fortunately, my work wasn't totally wasted because one of those screenplays became EPIC ZERO and I haven’t looked back since.
3) Where did the idea for EPIC ZERO come from?
I've always identified with underdogs. Growing up, I was never the best at anything, but I always tried hard. So, when I was coming up with my first story concepts, an idea popped into my head that combined my love of superheroes with my own feelings of being an underdog. EPIC ZERO is about a boy who lives in a family of superheroes, but he doesn't have any superpowers. He was an underdog to the extreme! So, while Elliott’s story is filled with action-packed fun, it’s also a very personal coming of age story.
4) Will there be an EPIC ZERO movie or animated series?
I would love to see EPIC ZERO on the big and/or small screen. If you know a Producer or Director who would be interested, please send them my way!
5) Will there be more EPIC ZERO books? How about graphic novels?
I love the EPIC ZERO universe and I hope to write more books for Elliott and his friends. I'm also currently working on an EPIC ZERO graphic novel and it's looking AWESOME! Hey, look at that, I guess I'm a comic book writer after all!
6) Where do you get your ideas from?
Well, sometimes they just pop into my brain, and other times I'll start with a simple question: What if? Then, I'll combine things that may not go together naturally. For example, what if a kid vampire became a hero? That idea became MONSTER PROBLEMS. What if a unicorn lived in the apartment next door? That became the PETUNIA THE UNICORN picture book series.
7) Do you write full-time?
Yes, I'm lucky that I can stay home all day and write stories in my pajamas. Occasionally, I leave my house to walk the dogs, although I don't think my neighbors appreciate my taste in pajamas.
Well, that's it for now. If you have any other questions or you just want to reach out to say hello, feel free to email me at RL@rlullman.com.
Be EPIC!
R.L.