A Little Bit About Me

How did you learn to write a book?

I wrote my first full manuscript with zero know-how. I hadn’t yet discovered writing Twitter, and the only craft book I’d read was Stephen King’s On Writing (which turned out to be just what I needed to get me started and not let me quit). So, I wrote an 80,000 word book, and then I discovered writing Twitter, went to my first writing conference, and discovered a whole world of writers and resources out there just waiting to support me.

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I found the most amazing critique partners who were willing to read my writing and offer feedback, and I read tons of blogs written by writers. I started googling things like character arc and agency. Then, I started diving into books on craft. I learned amazing things from Story Genius, Save the Cat, and Creating Character Arcs, just to name a few. I discovered tools like The Emotions Thesaurus. And I wrote another book, and then another one. Folks, the key to learning how to write is write, and then write some more.

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You’re a stay-at-home parent. Does that mean you get to spend all day writing?

Not at all! Even with my kids being school-aged, my days are filled with driving them around and doing all the things moms everywhere do to ensure their families thrive. Being a mom is the hardest, yet most fulfilling, job I’ve ever had. When my kids were little, I went back to work to get a breather from mom-ing. Now, I write.

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Favorite writing podcasts?

First Draft, Print Run, SCBWI Conversations, Middle Grade Ninja, and Literaticast. All that driving around I do as a mom gives me lots of time to listen, and hey, if any of my kids ever decides to be a writer, they’ll have a leg up.

P.S. I’m dying to be a guest on a podcast. In college I hosted a radio call-in talkshow, so talking on-air is right up my alley. Ping me and I’m in!

Sweet or Salty?

Sweet, hands down.

Summer or Winter?

Winter, though I live in Georgia. If I lived in, oh, say Minnesota, my answer would probably be different.

Your favorite books?

Like most writers, I love to read. My favorite books tug at my heart and have a hero I can root for. Books like:

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• Princess Academy

• The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

• Sweep: The Story of a Girl and her Monster

• The One and Only Ivan

• Brown Girl Dreaming

• Chains

• Anne of Green Gables

• The Little Princess