*Thanks for the interview Kerry and I look forward to reading your upcoming pieces.How many hours a day do you spend reading/writing?
I try to write while my kids are in school. I have also written in the car waiting for them outside one practice or another but mostly I work all day when the house is quiet. Once in a while, I go away to write, and that's the best of all - no distractions. I read at night...I read a lot...I read to my youngest daughter.
I try to write while my kids are in school. I have also written in the car waiting for them outside one practice or another but mostly I work all day when the house is quiet. Once in a while, I go away to write, and that's the best of all - no distractions. I read at night...I read a lot...I read to my youngest daughter.
What inspires you to continue being a writer?
I don't have a choice. I get anxious when I'm not working on a story.
Why do you write children's books and not books for adults?
Why do you write children's books and not books for adults?
My first novel, OFFSIDES, was considered a book for adults, but I think it's also YA. I have written for adults, and my essays are certainly for adults too. But I found that with the Maggie Valley Trilogy, I wanted to escape back into the world of childhood and write about something I cared about - something that mattered. Before I wrote the first book, GENTLE'S HOLLER, I had fallen into a dark period of ghostwriting and health writing and shadow-soap writing. The lines I had to write like "My that bathrobe looks familiar were humiliating," so I decided to write about something I loved.
Do you think you will ever change audiences?
I will continue to write kids, but I'll also write for adults too.
Who is your favorite author and why? Which books have you read by them? Betty Smith was my favorite author as a young girl. I just loved her. I still do. A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN is a book I've read over and over. I also loved JOY IN THE MORNING. I loved Flannery O'Connor in college and read everything by her and even went on trips to Milledgeville. I tend to fall in love with authors and read everything by them...
If you could have been the author of any novel, which title would it be and why?
I will continue to write kids, but I'll also write for adults too.
Who is your favorite author and why? Which books have you read by them? Betty Smith was my favorite author as a young girl. I just loved her. I still do. A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN is a book I've read over and over. I also loved JOY IN THE MORNING. I loved Flannery O'Connor in college and read everything by her and even went on trips to Milledgeville. I tend to fall in love with authors and read everything by them...
If you could have been the author of any novel, which title would it be and why?
I wish I could write like Donna Tartt. I would have loved to have written THE LITTLE FRIEND, but I stand back in awe and admiration.
When you finish your latest project on Harper Lee, what will you tackle next?
When you finish your latest project on Harper Lee, what will you tackle next?
A book about a boy called THE FIFTH GRADE LIFE OF JACK GETTLEFINGER.
What advice would you give anyone who wants to become a published author?Work hard, be disciplined, be focused. Treat it like a job. Be absolutely gracious and respectful of people in the business. Don't take no for an answer, but do take advice and feedback from trusted readers to make your revisions sing. Don't send your manuscript out too soon. Take joy in writing. Be protective of your writing time. Read everything...Brenda Ueland and Ralph Keyes wrote great books on writing. Be a good listener too...be aware. Notice things. Write them down.
What advice would you give anyone who wants to become a published author?Work hard, be disciplined, be focused. Treat it like a job. Be absolutely gracious and respectful of people in the business. Don't take no for an answer, but do take advice and feedback from trusted readers to make your revisions sing. Don't send your manuscript out too soon. Take joy in writing. Be protective of your writing time. Read everything...Brenda Ueland and Ralph Keyes wrote great books on writing. Be a good listener too...be aware. Notice things. Write them down.
