What was your first piece that you can remember writing? What was it about?

Pathetic poem about a forest and a stream. Published by Horn Book.

Alas, I now have the first two lines stuck in my head. Thanks a lot.

What’s the best part about writing?

I love writing! I love revising! I love critique groups! I love having an excuse to drink lattes and eat cookies in the afternoon. But mostly what I love is that once you write something, it will still exist whether or not anybody reads it or publishes it.

What’s the worst part about writing?

It’s a business. Show me the writer who loves writing queries and I’ll show you…it doesn’t matter what I’ll show you, you won’t find one*

*If you do would you get me their contact info? They may write mine. Seriously

When did you start working on this project?

Ok, oldest, 3 years ago, newest (my very, very favorite) 6 months. Guess which one is pretty much done? If you said the newest, you’d be right. It’s not because I’m drinking more coffee. It’s because I’ve learned how to write*

*Until you’ve read novel #4, you’re not allowed to disparage it. After you’ve read it, you’re not allowed either. It will hurt my feelings. Not really. Well, maybe a little.

It’s another installment in “Questions you never asked me, but I’m going to answer them, anyway.

What genre do you write?

At the moment I’m writing Young Adult.

Can you tell us a little about your current work in progress?

Which one? There are four, including a Magical Realism a Modern fantasy, a Coming of Age and my very, very favorite, a mystery. I am either very creative, ADHD or both. All have female protagonists, three of whom are likeable, though snarky, wiseasses. One is just likable. She’s also cursed. Well, you can’t have everything.

 

Today, gentle readers (and the rest of you) I will answer the first question. See previous post…or don’t.

When did you first start writing? Was being a writer something you always aspired to be?

The Horn Book for Children published one of my poems when I was 7. They paid me five dollars, which in a time of nickel Cokes and popsicles was big money.

I’ve co-authored over a dozen murder mystery scripts for Now This, the improv troupe I direct. Collectively they’ve been performed a at least 200 times* mostly for young adults audiences, but also for a lot of companies that make lists with numbers like ‘500’ in their titles**. I like to write in ‘victim’ parts for myself so I can leave the show after 30 minutes and read a book.

 

*No, honestly

**Also honestly

This is a wonderful writers’ sport where we get to interview ourselves. No, honestly. And I didn’t start it. And I think I maneuvered someone into tagging me, because if I don’t talk about myself, who will?*

It is a very long interview. Some people put beautiful pictures between the answers. It makes it far more entertaining. I can barely take a photo with my iPhone, so I will answer one question a day. Tune in tomorrow**

The spellings have been changed to reflect the fact that I’m not British, or English or whatever the proper term would be.

*This is rhetorical, so no witty remarks.

**You tuned out about about four lines ago.

I mention this, because this is the topic about which the young man with the loud voice two tables away from me is currently delivering a monologue. It follows his thoughts on chicken pot pies, Potbelly sandwiches, and the length of time he waited to be seated at Eggspectations. He’s into his second hour of non-Zagat’s reviews. There seems to be no chain restaurant he’s missed.

Oh, good. He’s moved on to ice cream stores.

It says “I should be writing, but I’m #1Linewed.”

*Yeah, I know. You don’t care. That’s because you’re jealous.

Ok. Not really. But I did learn how to crop a photo today. This makes me almost as tech savvy as any 4 year-old. However (drum roll, please), last week I fixed a kernel panic on my laptop. I’ll bet you don’t even know what is.*

Unless you are younger than 15.

One of my critique partners started her comments with the words, “I hope you don’t think I’m being too harsh.” Harsh is good, so long as it’s not mean, and she hasn’t a mean bone in her body.* Harsh means you’ll see the error of your ways before an agent or editor does.

Her harsh words were that my mystery had lots of romance, but not enough mystery and the stakes had to be higher for the protagonists.** Boy, was she ever right. So I’m happily revising, and it’s so much fun.***

*It’s difficult for me to visualize a mean bone, or understand what’s so mean about it, but you get the point.

**I can never, never, ever remember how to spell this. Thank god for spellcheck.

***This is absolutely true. I am one of the six writers on earth who love revising

The original version of the YA novel I’m working on has no explicit, but a lot of very funny implicit sex. It is less sex-ridden than, say, any Simone Elkeles YA novel, but a little more than, say, the Jessica Darling series. So, I’ve decided I need two versions; one for agents/publishers who are more on the cautious side and one for those who…aren’t. Sort of like the director’s cut vs the final film. Maybe I could include a literary version of a ‘Blooper and Outtakes’ reel in the deluxe edition.