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In today’s Author Spotlight, Sydney Dunlap chats with author Amar Shah about his middle-grade graphic novel, Wish I Was a Baller. School Library Journal gives Wish I Was a Baller a starred review and calls it “a perfect example of trying, failing, and rising again.”

Amar Shah is a multiple Emmy-winning writer and producer who has written for ESPN.com, NFL.com, The Wall Street Journal, The Orlando Sentinel, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Slam Magazine and The Washington Post. In the 90s, Amar was a teen sports reporter and got to hang out with the Chicago Bulls during their golden era. He even landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids with Shaquille O’Neal! Learn more about Amar at amarshahwrites.com

All About the Book!

Wish I Was a Baller is part New Kid, part The Tryout, and part Dragon Hoops! Amar Shah has some story to tell! In 1995, he was a fourteen-year-old aspiring sports journalist (and basketball superfan) angling to get into an Orlando Magic team practice. He did, and it took him on the ride of his life! Wish I Was a Baller is a graphic memoir chronicling Amar’s real-life experiences as a fourteen-year-old sports journalist covering the golden era of the NBA, when he befriended Shaq and hung out with Michael Jordan and the Bulls—all while surviving high school, dealing with crushes, and friendships being tainted by jealousy.

Interview with Amar Shah!

Sydney: I was amazed at your perseverance as a fourteen-year-old aspiring reporter. To what do you attribute your ability to never give up, even in the face of such difficult odds?

Amar: There’s a reason the book is called Wish I Was a Baller. It’s named after this iconic mid-90s hip-hop track by Skee-Lo that became my personal soundtrack. I was a short brown kid with glasses who couldn’t make it on the actual basketball court, so I had to find another way into the game.

I think from an early age, I had this quiet, absurd confidence in myself. When someone told me no, I didn’t hear the end of the story…I heard a challenge. I couldn’t accept rejection as final. I always wanted to find a way in, to create a new door if one didn’t exist.

A lot of that determination also comes from my parents. They immigrated to this country without speaking English and had to build everything from scratch. I watched them face setback after setback, and never stop moving forward. They taught me that even if something doesn’t work out, you’re not done: you adapt, you grow stronger, you keep going. That mindset of believing you can do anything if you work hard and stay committed…stayed with me.

Craft

Sydney: You do such a great job maintaining a fast, exciting pace in your book. Was it difficult to craft? What were your biggest challenges in writing it?

Amar: I was really lucky to have an incredible collaborator in Rashad Doucet, my illustrator. He’s an amazing author and artist in his own right, so he really understood the graphic novel form. From day one, working with him was a joy. And I had two incredible editors, Abby McAden and Anjali Bisaria, who helped me take my original manuscript and shape it into something much tighter and stronger.

The truth is, Wish I Was a Baller didn’t start as a graphic novel. It was originally a YA memoir, over 100,000 words long, and the very first book I ever wrote. That version got me my agent, Jas Perry, and even though it got rejected by a number of publishers, we knew the story had something special. Jas had the brilliant idea of adapting it into a middle-grade graphic novel. That’s when she brought Rashad on board, and the two of us started shaping the proposal together.

The biggest challenge? Cutting. I had to take chapters I loved, stories I was deeply attached to, and just… let them go. It was painful at first, but I knew we had to honor the rhythm and form of a graphic novel. Luckily, I come from a screenwriting background, so I leaned on that experience to focus on pacing making sure every page moved the story forward.

It was also a shift going from prose to script format. But once I got into a rhythm and started getting Rashad’s feedback, it became a really fun and collaborative process. Honestly, we had a blast. I like to say we had the chemistry of Wayne and Garth from Wayne’s World, just two guys geeking out over something we loved, completely in sync, and somehow making it all work.

Authenticity

Sydney: You describe the experience of the awkwardness that can be such a part of adolescence so honestly and with such authenticity. What was it like to revisit those years and share them with young readers?

Amar: To be honest, it was both a delight and a challenge to revisit those years. Writing this book felt like being an archaeologist, digging through old yearbooks, school newspapers, and the random things I’d kept from childhood. I remembered how, at that age, every feeling hits at full volume. Everything feels seismic. 

For me, those memories were like fossilized moments trapped in amber. And my job as a writer was to be like a Jurassic Park scientist, extracting the DNA from those experiences and bringing them back to life on the page.

Of course, it came with vulnerability and a bit of embarrassment. I mean, being 14 or 15 in high school, when you’re still a kid surrounded by what feel like adults, is awkward by definition. Even though the book is set in the 90s and packed with references today’s kids might not get, their parents probably will. But the emotional core is timeless: first crushes, friendships and fallouts, the search for identity, and figuring out where you belong.

Yes, I had these surreal moments with Shaq, MJ, and Kobe during the golden era of the NBA, but what I experienced daily at school is what most kids go through. That’s the part I think young readers will connect with: finding your voice, your passion, your people.

Those years shaped everything that came after. They launched my career in journalism and storytelling. And if sharing that helps even one reader feel seen, less alone, or more inspired to chase something they love, then it was absolutely worth the trip back.

Publishing Journey

Sydney: How did you decide to get into publishing books for young readers? Please share a bit about your journey.

Amar: I think I always knew I wanted to write for young readers, even when I was a young reader myself. I’ve wanted to be a writer since fourth or fifth grade. In fourth grade, my teacher read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge to us, and I was hooked. I completely connected with Peter, the narrator. I had a younger brother too, so I felt like those books were speaking directly to me.

By fifth grade, I was writing my own short stories. I even wrote my first novella, which was some kind of mashup between Field of Dreams, Die Hard, and every action or sports movie I loved at the time. In sixth grade, I kept writing and eventually fell in love with journalism. But I always felt that the ages between 10 and 17 were the most emotionally alive years of my life. That window of time is where everything feels massive and defining, and I think that’s why I kept coming back to it in my writing.

I spent years as a journalist, writing for places like ESPN, the NFL, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. I was always writing. But it took me a long time to find the discipline to write a book. Like a lot of people, I started and stopped several times throughout my twenties and thirties. Then my son was born in 2015, and something shifted. I wanted to stop just dreaming about writing a book and actually do it.

I started writing Wish I Was a Baller in 2016, though the idea first came to me back in 2011 after Shaq retired. It became my pandemic project, or maybe my midlife crisis. Instead of buying a fancy car, I wrote a book. I worked on it with my agent, Jas Perry, and we eventually submitted it to Scholastic, where an editor named Matt Ringler loved the voice and gave me a shot at another project.

That led to the Play the Game series. Scholastic asked me to try out for a sports series. I wrote a few sample chapters, and they offered me a three-book deal. I loved it, because it gave me a chance to revisit one of the most meaningful and painful moments of my youth…getting cut from the basketball team. I channeled that experience into Raam’s story, and writing it felt both cathartic and authentic. My kids were also around the same age as the characters, so I had a built-in focus group.

Eventually, the original version of Baller evolved into a graphic novel, and I couldn’t be more grateful for how it all came together. Writing for young readers means everything to me. That age group is where future writers and readers are shaped. They are looking for stories that make them feel seen and understood. I’m incredibly lucky to get to tell those stories and go on that journey with them.

Graphic Novels Vs. Prose

Sydney: Now that you’ve written books in two such different formats, what can you tell your fellow writers about the differences in process between the two? And which took longer to write?

Amar: That’s such a great question. I think I was lucky in the sense that I had never written a middle grade book until I wrote one. I had never written a graphic novel either, but I dove in. If you’re willing to learn the foundations, you can figure it out. I’m not saying follow a formula or chase tropes, but I do think it’s important to study the form. I read a bunch of middle grade novels. I read graphic novel scripts. You have to understand how a thing is built before you can build your own version.

Graphic novels don’t have a strict format the way screenplays do, but my screenwriting background helped a lot. In screenwriting, every page is roughly a minute of screen time. That taught me to treat each page like something needed to happen. The pacing had to be tight. In a graphic novel, you don’t get the luxury of long internal reflection or poetic description. You’re working with panels, dialogue, and movement. It has to be visual. It has to move. The energy is kinetic.

Middle grade prose, on the other hand, gives you more room to breathe. You can let your characters contemplate. You can let a moment linger. You can be quiet. But no matter what you’re writing, the sentences have to carry momentum. They have to move the reader forward.

Writing a novel is a solo journey. It’s just you and the page. You’re living in that world and shaping it alone. Writing a graphic novel is a collaboration. It’s more like making a movie. You’re the screenwriter, but there’s also the illustrator, the editor, the letterer. It’s creative back and forth, more like a DJ and an MC working together.

In terms of time, the prose version took longer, simply because I was figuring out the story from scratch. But writing a graphic novel requires precision. You have a smaller canvas, so every moment has to count. One isn’t easier than the other, just different. And I learned so much doing both.

Takeaways

Sydney: What do you hope readers take away from these stories?

Amar: With everything I write, I want to give readers a sense of hope. I want them to feel inspired, understood, and less alone. Sure, you hope to pass along some wisdom, but more than anything, I want young readers to take away something that helps make the world feel a little more manageable. Life can be tough, but there’s something powerful inside you. You can persevere. You can thrive.

That’s the beauty of storytelling. The things that feel the most personal, the moments you think only you have experienced, often turn out to be the most universal. When you share your story…honestly, vulnerably…you create connection. You let others know they’re not the only ones going through something hard. That’s powerful.

I don’t think of my books as pep talks or coach’s speeches. I think of them as quiet offerings, reminders that you can bounce back. That you can mess up and grow. That you can go after what you want and still be a good person.

I hope readers walk away from these stories feeling like they’ve found a piece of themselves. I want them to develop their own version of the Mamba mentality. I want them to know that it’s okay to make mistakes. You’ll learn. You’ll get better. And you’ll be okay.

Writing

Sydney: Where and when do you prefer to write?

Amar: I’d love to tell you I have a disciplined early morning routine where I wake up at 5 a.m., sip coffee, and crank out a thousand words before sunrise. Or that I stay up until 3 a.m. writing with lo-fi beats in the background. But the truth is, I write when I write.

I write in the margins of my day. I might be in the school pickup line, sweating in the car while it’s 95 degrees outside, and I’ll pull up the Notes app and start typing. I might jot something down right after I get home, while the thought is still fresh. I believe every writer needs a second brain whether that’s your phone, a notepad, or a scrap of paper to catch the ideas when they come.

At home, I like to move around. Sometimes I write on the porch. Sometimes at the kitchen table. I write wherever I feel that sense of flow. And when that flow hits, when you’re fully locked in, it’s the best feeling in the world.

I also write to music. Always. I’ll put on the Lord of the Rings Shire theme on loop if I want something soothing. But I might also need Eminem to fire me up. Or Tupac. Or Ravi Shankar. Or 90s Bollywood songs. Or sad Boyz II Men ballads if I’m in that kind of mood. Music helps get me into the right emotional space, and now I’ve even got a record player going. I only just figured out how to use one a couple of years ago, but it’s become a part of the process.

So no, I don’t have a perfect system. But I write wherever I am, whenever I can, and I try to make sure music is always playing nearby.

Experiences

Sydney: What have been some of your favorite experiences since becoming a published author?

Amar: I’ve had so many incredible moments since becoming a published author. One of the best was when my kids had their Scholastic Book Fair at school, and my book was on the shelves. That was a full-circle, bucket list moment. They got to show their classmates and teachers that their dad’s book was part of the fair. As a kid, there’s nothing more magical than a Scholastic Book Fair, so to be part of that as a parent was huge.

Another unforgettable moment was walking into a bookstore, seeing my book on the shelf, and then being asked by a staff member to sign it. They put one of those “signed by the author” stickers on the cover. That never gets old.

But honestly, the most meaningful experiences have come from connecting with readers. School visits have been incredible. Getting to talk to students, hear their questions, and remind them that their stories matter. When a kid says they want to become a writer or a journalist after reading my book, or when a parent emails to say the story helped their child feel seen, that’s the real reward. That’s the thing that sticks with me.

Sure, it’s cool when someone at Costco says, “Hey, aren’t you the author?” But even if no one recognizes me, just knowing the books are out there in the world, being read, being shared that’s the dream.

And getting to meet other authors, swap stories, learn from each other that’s been a gift too. I still love seeing my name in print, and every time I spot my book in a library, or see that it’s checked out, it’s a little jolt of joy.

Inspiration

Amar: What are some current books that have influenced you as a kidlit writer?

Amar: Lately, I’ve been really inspired by so many incredible books by writers I’m lucky to call friends. Jerry Craft, Ali Terese, Christina Soontornvat. Their work continues to push the boundaries of what kidlit can be, and it’s exciting to be part of that same space.

Of course, Judy Blume will always be my favorite children’s author. Her voice, her honesty, the way she captured what it feels like to be young. That stuck with me from the beginning and still shapes how I write today.

And if we’re talking all-time favorite writer, that would be F. Scott Fitzgerald. Most people don’t know this, but he actually wrote a great middle grade series of short stories. There’s a lyrical quality to his work that I’ve always admired, even when writing for a younger audience.

Advice

Sydney: What is your advice for aspiring writers?

Amar: Read. Read. Read. And then listen. Really listen.

The beauty of language is something you have to learn to appreciate whether it’s a Bob Dylan lyric, a Tupac rhyme, or a Keats poem. Let words move you. Let them linger. That’s how you grow as a writer.

And most of all, learn to love revising. The real writing lives in the red lines. First drafts are important, but it’s what you do after that makes the difference.

Upcoming Projects

Sydney: Can you give us some insights into what you’ll be working on next?

Amar: I’ve got a few different projects cooking right now, all in various stages. I’m revising a YA fantasy that I’ve been working on for a while, and I’m also drafting my first adult novel, which has been a whole new creative challenge.

On the middle grade side, I’m collaborating again with Rashad on a new graphic novel, which I’m really excited about. And hopefully, there’s another sports-themed middle grade book on the horizon too.

I’ve learned I can only write one book at a time, so I’m just taking it project by project but definitely keeping busy.

Lightning Round!

Coffee or tea?

Amar: Coffee, without a doubt. I can’t start my day without my Nespresso machine and at least two cups. Ever since I turned 40, I’ve become a bit of a coffee snob. I take my caffeine very seriously now.

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunset, by far. I love this question because I’m not sure if you mean the natural kind or the Richard Linklater films and honestly, both mean a lot to me. Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are two of my absolute favorite movies. Before Sunset, in particular, is one of my all-time favorites. That walk through Paris with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy? Perfect.

Favorite place to travel:

I’m a total credit card points fiend, so if anyone ever needs tips on how to rack up travel rewards, I’m your guy. We’ve been lucky to travel a lot as a family over the last few years. I’m always happy at the beach, but I had an amazing time in both Italy and Paris. I’d go back to either in a heartbeat.

Favorite dessert:

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with this dessert from Costco. it’s called Island Way Sorbet. They serve the sorbet inside real fruit shells, like mango, red berry, grapefruit, and pomegranate. The mango one comes in an orange rind. It’s ridiculously good and has definitely become my midnight guilty pleasure.

Superpower:

Tenacity. It really is a superpower. Not giving up, pushing forward, staying stubborn in the best way. Call it what you want, but to me, it’s about believing in something and making it happen.

Music?

This one’s almost impossible. I love music as much as I love sports. My taste is all over the map from 90s hip-hop, Bollywood, jazz, rock, Sinatra, Dylan, Pac, The Killers, Vampire Weekend. It really depends on the mood, but I can find something I love in just about every genre.

Favorite book from childhood:

From early childhood, it would have to be Clown Around by Joanna Cole. My mom used to read it to me, and I loved it so much I’ve held on to a copy all these years. As I got older, Judy Blume was a huge influence, of course. But there was also a lesser-known baseball series called The Iron Mask by Robert Montgomery. That one definitely helped inspire my own Play the Game series.

Thanks again, Amar! It was so much fun to learn about you, your writing journey, and your amazing novel! Learn more about Amar on his website and follow him on Instagram.