Ada Schouten-Verrips
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Ada Schouten-Verrips
1. Can you tell us briefly about yourself?
As Ada Verrips, I was born in Giessenburg in 1969. After primary school, Mavo, and Havo, I pursued training as an intellectual disability nurse at the Stichting Philadelphia in Vierhouten. I worked with multiply handicapped individuals until the birth of our first child. In 1997, Frans and I got married, after which my author's name changed to Schouten-Verrips. Our marriage was blessed with six children. Through Woord & Daad, we sponsor a seventh child, Valencia in Haiti.
2. How did you start writing books?
I began writing at the age of 10. My first (girls') book was published when I was 17. After that, writing became a part of my life. It sometimes took up too much time; I even had to repeat a year of school because of it. Our children say I get grumpy when I don't write. During vacations, my writing stops, but I do make vacation reports, the old-fashioned way with pen and paper, as we prefer to vacation where there is no internet connection.
3. You write in various genres. What is your preference?
I write girls' books, children's and preschool books, Bible stories (initially for intellectually disabled individuals), columns, short stories, and articles for adults, reading books for the elderly—and even a book with a historical background. I think I enjoy them all equally, although after 25 years of writing, I discovered that writing "historically" (about Rev. G. van Reenen) is very enjoyable, even though I thought I couldn't do it for years!
4. Do you conduct in-depth research before starting on a topic?
It depends entirely on the topic. You don't need to research for a "simple" preschool book. The story unfolds naturally from family, neighborhood, or family life. A thematic story does require research. Most research can be done from the comfort of home via the internet. Only for the life of Rev. G. van Reenen did I make a beautiful journey to the places where he lived. I always want to write "real." That's why I often check things.
5. How long does it take you to write a book?
One book might take a month, while another might take four years.
6. Do you receive many reactions from the reading public?
Sometimes I do get reactions. Maybe there would be more if I had my own website or gave more lectures. But I am an author who loves to quietly go her own way (and secretly doesn't know how to deal well with positive feedback). Ultimately, we haven't received our talents from ourselves, but from the Lord, our Creator.
