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.
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.
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.
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:
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