What inspires you to write?
Life throws a lot of curveballs at a person. Writing helps me make sense of it. Journaling, writing, and, of course, reading books of all genres is a gift I don’t take for granted. The thing about writing and reading is, you don’t need anyone’s permission to do it. Over and over, I’ve turned to writing to heal, to understand myself, and to find the readers who will find value in the stories I share.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I was about 7 years old, I started writing stories. My mom saved my first “book,” which was written in crayon on construction paper. From the beginning, my parents let me read whatever I wanted, until they discovered me at age twelve with a copy of Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask on my nightstand. After that, I think they started paying more attention to my choices! They encouraged me to get my first library card, to frequent bookstores, and to feed my curiosity, which turned me into a lifelong reader.
Why did you choose to write in your genre?
Writing a YA novel wasn’t something I expected to do, though I’m always curious about what teenagers are listening to, reading, and talking about. I’ve spent time raising them, tutoring them, and being friends with them. With my debut novel, Weirdos Welcome, once I knew I wanted to explore neurodiversity and mental health, the characters that began to form in my head were high schoolers. There’s something so hopeful and gratifying about discovering yourself, possibly for the first time.
What have you written so far?
I’ve been told by a previous literary agent that skipping around in genres would kill my career. Not only did I skip around genres, writing a memoir, Love, Mom: A Mother’s Journey From Loss to Hope, and an illustrated history, The Santa Barbara Trail Riders, but now, a YA, I have also been a blogger and a screenwriter. I think it’s important to go forward, to please yourself, to satisfy yourself creatively. I’m not one of those who can go with the trending concepts and “big” ideas. I have to go with my gut.
Do you work with an outline or plot sketch, or do you prefer to let a general idea guide your writing?
OMG. Outlines. Notes. Snippets of dialogue on the back of a Starbucks napkin. Notes in my phone. Texts to myself. Notebooks with articles ripped from newspapers and photos of what I see for mood, character, and settings. I’m ridiculous, really. I put all this mess together like a puzzle. I color code tabs in notebooks on characters. I toss the pieces that don’t fit, even if I love the way they sound or look. Who was it who said: “Kill Your Little Darlings?”
What role does research play in your writing?
I can’t overstate how important research is in my writing. Have you ever read a book and you realize the author got some detail wrong? It ruins everything. It’s like a piece of eggshell in your omelet. Your meal is suddenly crunchy and unappetizing. A book missing some essential truth? Why give it your time?
How long does it take you to write a book?
It took 7 years for me to complete my novel. There was a tremendous amount of research. Plus I’m slow. Obviously.
What new authors have caught your interest and why?
Virginia Evans, who wrote The Correspondent, fascinates me and inspires me. She wrote seven unpublished novels over the span of twenty years before she found success. Plus, her main character is 73 years old. I can’t tell you how much this thrills me!
What do you like to read in your free time?
I am obsessed with Walter Mosley, Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Niven, Jandy Nelson, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Dashiell Hammet, Susan Orlean, Cheryl Strayed, Larry McMurtry, TC Boyle.
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