SEVEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME AS A WRITER:
- I started out as a total panster/discovery writer, but pretty quickly found that I need to have some idea of where a story is headed in order to get there. As I have written more and more books, my process has morphed along the way. Now, I use a number of plotting and outlining tools, in addition to still writing my way in and through to some extent. That said, one of my favorite mantras is, “Process is personal.” There is no right or wrong way to approach your writing, as long as you get what you want out of it.
- I have been writing since I was in elementary school but started truly studying the craft of fiction in earnest over 30 (yikes!) years ago. I continue to pursue that education by attending writing workshops and conferences and reading books, blogs and articles on the subject. And by teaching. Every time I craft a new workshop, it either fortifies a concept or helps me to explore that aspect of craft in a new way. And I often find myself talking to workshop participants about the exact craft element I need to focus on in my own projects. Not to mention, I always learn something from participants when I teach.
- In addition to being a writer, I am a book coach and editor. As a book coach, my main focus is fiction, particularly most anything that falls under speculative fiction. That said, I am certified through Author Accelerator to coach fiction, memoir and nonfiction. I read across all genres and categories, and I am a lifelong learner. I really like to know things! So, it’s no surprise that when the opportunity to become certified across the board, I went for it.
- My roots are in poetry. My first publishing credits were poems in magazines, newspapers and online. I got into Slam and was a regular on the Phoenix SpokenWord circuit. I even published and sold my own chapbooks. (I still have some, just in case anyone is interested. LOL) It wasn’t until 1995 that I realized I had bigger stories to tell and began writing novels. The first (very crappy) draft of my first novel poured out of me in less than eight weeks. It was conceptually a great story with fun characters but was horribly written. It took me years of studying craft and more revisions than I care to count before it was finally publishable and debuted as The Nelig Stones in 2013.
- I have written two published picture books. I have also written dozens of unpublished picture books. Writing a good picture book is harder than people think. Not only does the story have to hold together, if you are writing character driven-stories you have to develop an engaging character and story, tell it in 500 words (or fewer!), and leave room for the illustrations. Picture book structure and format also play into what makes a good picture book. And the picture book market is seriously competitive. That’s a lot! But when you manage to pull it all together, that’s a pretty special feeling.
- I used to dislike the revision process. However, I always want to make sure I give readers the best experience possible. Now, I enjoy and find a great sense of fulfillment in polishing the work and getting it right. I do think I owe a lot of that enjoyment to working with a fabulous editor. Credit where credit is due, Anne Lind.
- I have multiple projects going at any given and all of them are at various stages of development. I am still working on Dating and Demons, the sequel to my urban fantasy Collars and Curses. I have a few more demon stories starring Kel Fazz and Harb. (Fun stuff!) I am usually working on stories to potentially submit to anthology open calls. And I write poetry and flash fiction in between everything else.
BONUS: I host a podcast about writing for kids. It’s called Coaching KidLit and is in its fourth year. Podcasting is a lot of work, but I really enjoy talking to writers and book coaches about books and writing. I don’t only write and coach KidLit, as I said above, I work across genres and categories, but I also really enjoy helping writers create great kids’ books.
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