PNWA Book Doctor Interview: Secrets Revealed

Jason Black

I'd like to introduce author Jason Black and PNWA's own book doctor. I reviewed his latest middle grade book, Pebblehoof on MMGM a few weeks ago. You can see the review here. I was so glad that Jason agreed to an interview here on the blog. Welcome Jason! And now for our first question:
  
1) Why do you write for children?
You know, people ask me that a lot. I sometimes wish I had a deep, philosophical answer, but I don't. I never set out to be a children's author--and indeed, have written in genres all over the map--but somehow, I've ended up writing several books for kids of various ages. I'm not quite sure how that happened, but there you go.

  
That said, for each book there are specific reasons why I wrote it for younger audiences. I've written three novels as gifts for specific children, and therefore, needed to write something that was accessible to that kid. I have a fourth title in the works that is YA because that was the most natural audience for the subject matter.

  
However, having done it several times now, I have to say I really enjoy
writing for kids. My list of to-be-written books is still all over the map,
but you can bet Pebblehoof isn't the last youth title you'll see from me.
  
 2) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer. 
Oh, my least favorite question ever! I'm such a boring subject. :) I'm a technical writer in the software industry by day, freelance developmental
editor by night (hey, everybody needs a secret identity), novelist when I can
squeeze it in, and father of two book-loving children who are occasionally
willing to test-drive manuscripts for me.

Like many writers, I tried my hand at fiction when I was a teenager. Although the kind and supportive adults in my life praised my efforts, to me they were abject failures and best forgotten. I couldn't understand how real writers did it. I would think of ideas for stories, which in my head were grand, epic
affairs. Then when I'd write them, I'd be done after about three pages, and I had no idea where the grand, epic-ness had gone. I figured I just didn't have the magical knack of sustaining a story for hundreds of pages like the published writers did. What followed was two tragically lost decades of not writing fiction at all. That's one of the biggest regrets of my life. I can't get that time back.

Then in 2005, a co-worker at my day job talked me into trying National NovelWriting Month. I was skeptical, but for some reason or other I said yes. I decided to novelize the events of a role playing game I had run with some friends several years prior. Laugh if you will, but thirty days later--and utterly astonished--I held a 100,000 word manuscript in my hands. 

That month of literary abandon, as NaNoWriMo calls it, was easily the single greatest time of creative joy and liberation I've ever had. I was hooked, and haven't looked back since. But don't ask me what changed during those two fallow decades. To this day, I haven't the slightest idea why I can do now what was so impossible in my youth.

  

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3) What was the inspiration for Pebblehoof?

Pebblehoof was written as a gift for my niece. And I'll tell you, for any writer looking for inspiration, nothing beats writing for a _specific_audience. Pick one individual child, and write for her. In my case, my niece loves horses. And I mean, she really, really loves horses. So naturally, I had to write a horse book. Since it's for my niece, I wanted it to have a strong, female protagonist of a similar age.
  
With those two requirements, I started thinking about plots and settings. There were basically two. I could do something set in the modern day, about dressage or show-jumping or something like that. Or, I could do something historical, in an age when horses were as common as cars are now.
      
Of the two, dressage made me yawn straight away. Apologies to those who do
love dressage, it's just not even a little bit my thing. Historical, however,
opens up some great stuff. Like the American West during the homestead era, when the land was wild, the law was basically nonexistent, and the
opportunities for a strong female protagonist to get into some dandy
adventures with her horse were much more readily available.
  
 4) Tell us about your process.
  
Well, I guess I already started answering that, so I'll just continue. Boiled
down to a three-word philosophy, it would be “always increase specificity.” [Step 1]* I start with whatever vague inklings of a story happen to come to me, and from there refine that idea into something that is ever more specific. For Pebblehoof, I was starting with "girl and a horse in the wild west." That's nice, but is far too vague to work with. So, piece by piece, I evaluated
options for making it specific.

 

[Step 2]* Take the protagonist. Since the book is for my niece, I made the protagonist two years older than my niece was going to be by the time the book was in
print. The rule of thumb I've been told for middle-grade and YA fiction is that kids like to read about protagonists who are a little bit older than themselves. Next, as much as possible I want my niece to identify with the protagonist, so I named my protagonist Maria because that's phonetically similar to--but not a dead-on ringer for--my niece's name. I gave the protagonist a family structure that mirror's my niece's family: a mother,
father, and younger sister. I gave them similar names to my sister, my brother-in-law, and my other niece too. My family is of German extraction, so I made the protagonist's family into German immigrants. 

 

[Step 3] Now we're starting to get specific, and to a point where research can help.
America's German population largely came over in the mid-19th century, as a result of civil war in Germany. That fixed the time period pretty specifically, at least as far as when Maria's parents would have come to
America.  
More research: what was going on in America during those years? Obviously, lots of stuff. The question of slavery, predominantly, but I wasn't interested in writing a story with a heavy, moralistic, social-studies kind of message. There’s a place for books like those, it just wasn’t what I wanted to write. I also found that the Homestead Act was passed in that same time period. Ah ha, said I, that's a perfect fit for the needs of an immigrant family looking to
start a new life in a free land.
  
So you see how this works: [Step 4] I look at the parts of my premise or plot which are too vague, then I do research and brainstorm until something strikes me as a good fit for what I'm after.
  
In like fashion, I found a specific location for the story (the Platte River
area around Columbus, Nebraska), discovered and invented various plot elements and turning points in the story, and learned tons of great historical details that provide the color and texture for the story. That same process even gave me the story's central conflict involving the Transcontinental Railroad.
* Red Added.
  
 5) Pebblehoof is an incredible historical fiction and it is clear you did extensive research. Can you share anything you learned about research:how-to strategies, determining what to use and when, and ultimately—how to know you've done enough?
  
I think I've answered most of that already. I'll just add that the process. I've described works incredibly well for historical fiction, but (research) also works great for other types of fiction as well. The only difference is that what constitutes "research" may differ.  
My research was the traditional kind, because if I'm going to write a
historical novel I want it to be actually historical. And if I'm going to
write for kids, I want them to learn something along the way. Not to hit them
over the head with the history, or require that they learn dozens of names,
dates, and significant places just to track the story. I just want the story
to be as close to something that could have happened as possible, while still
telling the story I want to tell.
  
But, if my niece were a space buff and I had instead chosen to write her a
futuristic sci-fi piece set on Mars or something, my “research" would have
involved a lot more "imagining stuff to fill in the gaps" rather than looking
things up in books and on the internet.

The sources may vary, but the process remains the same: do whatever you need to do to turn _vague_ ideas into _specific_ story elements. To that extent, the way you know when you've done enough is when the elements have become specific enough you can actually write about them.
  
Knowing what to leave out is important, too. This is a tough one for a lot of writers, because we are so easily enraptured with the cool stuff we discover while researching. We naturally want to share it all. But not everything we
discover necessarily belongs in the story. There's all sorts of historical detail about the Transcontinental Railroad, for example, which didn't make it into the book. It wasn't germane to the specific plot Maria was involved with. To add it would have been a digression. It would have killed the pacing.
  
You can get away with adding more of that stuff in literary genres. But for
children's literature, you _have_ to keep the plot moving. It is very, very
easy to lose kids' interest if the story bogs down. For children's lit,
knowing what to leave out is absolutely critical.

6) What does a typical writing day look like?
Hah. I wish I had typical writing days. Reality is that the demands of a day
job and freelancing leave me with precious little time to actually write my own stuff. I carve out November for novel-writing (sorry, clients!), but that's about all I get so I have to make the most of it.
Research, fortunately, is something that can be done in odd moments. I spend
September and October doing that, turning my initial vague idea into a
fully-developed scene list, with everything in order, all the plot issues work
out, and scene-by-scene notes of what's supposed to happen. That way, when
November comes, I can make the most out of the two to three writing hours I
can squeeze into an evening after the kids are in bed.
  
During November, my typical writing day looks like this: Wake up. Feed the
kids and get them dressed. Shower while my wife takes them to school. Go to
work. Write boring stuff about software. Come home. Eat dinner. Do baths and story time for the kids. Sit down at the computer. Grab the next scene
description out of my notes. Write what it says. Do the dishes, and go to bed.

Not exactly the Ernest Hemmingway model of adventure, seaside vistas, and
mojitos at the Havana Club, is it?

6) Where is your favorite place to write?

Typically, my home office. But anywhere quiet will do. Someone once said that the greatest asset you have is time. Someone smarter said no, the greatest asset you have is _uninterrupted concentration_. In my life, just about the only place I can find uninterrupted concentration is at home, after the kids are in bed.
  
7) What did or do you find most challenging in creating the story and getting it published? What do you wish you would have known?

Probably the hardest thing in Pebblehoof was in creating a story in which
Maria could be the strong, female protagonist I wanted to give to my niece.
Although it is a story about a girl and the horse who is her only friend in
the world, I didn't want it to become a "super horse saves the day!" kind of
story. I needed Maria to matter to the story. But just the same, I needed
Pebblehoof to matter to the story, too. It wouldn't be much of a
girl-and-her-horse story if the horse was just an afterthought, or was
irrelevant to the way the story unfolded.

What I needed to do was build the plot around what Pebblehoof _enables_ Maria to do that she wouldn't otherwise be able to. That was the key. It was about finding ways that Maria could save the day, but only because she had
Pebblehoof.
Beyond that, the most challenging elements of publication for me are the fact that I have no visual design skills at all, which means I'm basically helpless when it comes to book covers and interior book design. Fortunately, I was able to hook up with an excellent photoshop artist on the NaNoWriMo message boards who created the cover for me. Also fortunately, I found a kindly publisher who happens to have amazing book design skills and was willing to trade publication services for developmental editing services. All of which is good, because as I said, the book was a gift, so I was committed to publishing it with or without help from traditional publishing.The book as a whole turned out really beautiful, and I’m delighted with it.
  
The one thing I wish I’d have been more cognizant of ahead of time was how long to plan for copy editing. I didn’t leave enough time, and didn’t have a copy editor lined up far enough in advance, so that part of the process turned
out to be a stressful, last-minute scramble.
  
8) What is the best writing advice you have ever received?
  
Easy: "Show, don't tell." The person who told me that never explained what it
meant, but somehow it made sense to me anyway. These days, because I do
developmental editing for other writers and constantly find myself having to
explain what "show, don't tell" really means, I have a very clear
understanding of the concept and how it serves as the single, bedrock, guiding
principle for all narrative writing.
  
I know that sounds like a hyperbole, but I mean it quite literally. Explaining
why is probably a whole other interview, though.

9) Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it?

I am! This year's NaNoWriMo just finished up, and I'm pretty excited about
this rough, first draft I just wrote. It is middle-grade book for my other
niece, and will be coming out for her birthday in September, 2013. (Writers,
beware! While it's great to write for a specific, one-kid audience, there is a
potential drawback: having done it for one niece, I'm now on the hook to do it
for her sister and for my own kids as well. Still, there are worse problems to
have.)
  
This one is about a beaver in the far north of Ontario, on the run from the
fur trapper pursuing her for her rare black pelt. I'm reading it to my kids
right now, to see what they think and learn whether I need to fix anything.
I'm not sure what they think of it yet, but so far I'm quite pleased with how
the book came out.
  
10) What advice would you give others that write for children?
  
Respect your audience, both for their strengths and their limitations. Maxim Gorky said, "You must write for children in the same way you do for adults, only better." I do my best to take that to heart.
  
For me, that means two things. First, it means is recognizing that children
are every bit as smart as you or me. There is never a need to "dumb down" a story just because you're writing it for kids. Just focus on telling the
_best_ story you can. Don't worry about making it simple. Pebblehoof is by no
means a simple story; Maria's and her parents have a pretty complex dynamic
(hey! just like in real life!). Similarly, the family as a whole has a
shifting, love/hate relationship with the railroad and the railroad baron who
is the book's central nemesis.

Second, it means to recognize that kids don't yet have the reading skill
grownups do. And why should they? You and I have been at this whole reading thing for decades. Kids have only been doing it for as little as a year or two, depending on the particular age you're writing for. This has a bearing on how you write the story. (But note, it doesn't mean you dumb down the language. Quite the opposite, actually, as the early literacy years also coincide with kids' period of most rapid language acquisition. To dumb down the language of your writing is to do them a disservice by eliminating their opportunity to experience new words in context and figure out what they mean.)
  
What it does mean is that for a kid to read two pages of story, say,
represents a significant investment of time and effort. That's not an easy
thing for them, and you'd darn well better respect their work. They'd better
get some payoff out of it, which means that the story had better _move_ within those pages. If you give the kid two solid pages of beautiful, poetic,
evocative, Pulitzer-worthy landscape description in which nothing happens, you
haven't respected their work and you shouldn't be surprised if the kid decides
your book is boring. Adult readers might happily stick with you for those two
pages. But then, for the same amount of effort the kid put in, the adult might
well read 20 pages instead of 2. For kids, there's a very different ratio of
work to reward than for adults. I said earlier that pace was critical for
children's literature, and this is why. If you're going to write for kids,
keep that story moving!

Thanks so much for stopping by Jason. I hope you all enjoyed the interview as much as I did. Be sure to check out his editing services on his website here. 

I'm going to take a few weeks off to plan for the new year. Join me on January 14th for my first middle grade book review of 2013!

Social Media Mole Exposed

Finally, after a year and a month of lurking around the social media cooler, the mole has surfaced... 

Cracking The Code To Social Media
One Click At A Time

MEET SOCIA MALAISE, my alter-ego spy to the Social Media Frenzy. Over the next few weeks she'll be sharing her findings: the good, the bad and the ugly about social media. 
She's explored and lurked online to understand their influence and language. Her hope is that she can dispel the lethargic discomfort, the unfocused confusion that many writers find themselves drowning in when it comes to social media. 
Twitter, Facebook, Tribe, YouTube, Pinterest, Tumbler, Everloop, Goodreads are just a few of the over 400 possibilities for connecting to other people across the globe. 
Over the next few weeks she will be reporting her findings. Join the conversation as we explore social media every Tuesday and Thursday starting tomorrow! 


In the meantime, you can find me over at The Writing Nut today for an interview. Be sure to pop over and check out this awesome blog. 

YA Review and Interview: Curse of The Jade Amulet by Annie Crawford

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About The Book: Can the mysterious jade amulet transport Nic Porter through time to the era of the classic Mayas? This is just one of the questions the twenty-year-old Mayan history major wants to answer in The Curse of the Jade Amulet. And why does the amulet only come alive when Nic, and no one else, touches it? Most importantly, why does his host family at Chichen Itzá, the ancient Mayan ceremonial site where Nic is living and studying, have one of these amulets—when all the others have been found at the bottom of the Sacred Well of Sacrifice along with the remains of the sacrificial victims they were intended for?

For Nic these are more than just intriguing questions. For at least a thousand years, the women of his host family have suffered from an unexplained wasting condition which gradually undermines their health and strength, resulting in early death—and now beautiful Itzel, daughter of his host José and Nic’s true love—is showing symptoms as well. José thinks the fact that they have one of the amulets can only mean one thing, that centuries ago an ancestor intended for sacrifice somehow escaped her fate, angering the vindictive Mayan gods and causing them to place a curse for all time on the female line of the family. Nic doesn’t know what to think, but it’s becoming obvious that the amulet itself wants to use him to fulfill its long-dormant destiny. . .

Thus begins an adventure that takes Nic from present-day Yucatán, Mexico to the era of the ancient Mayas and back on a magical quest to discover the secret of the jade amulet and save the life of the girl he loves.


First Line: The young girl’s eyes were squeezed shut and her slight figure trembled as she knelt on the ledge overhanging the Sacred Cenote, the stone well of sacrifice whose opaque waters had filled her dreams since the High Priest had spoken to her father.


One Fascinating Passage:  “Though I’ve got a long way to go before I can call myself a Mayan scholar, I do happen to know something about how children were brought up. You’ve all seen pictures of ancient Mayas and how their heads were unnaturally elongated at the top?” People nodded. “That was because four or five days after the children were born, their heads were placed between two pieces of wood, one in front and one in back, which were then tied tightly together..." 
     “How cruel!” interjected a middle-aged female tourist.
     “That was their custom, ma’am. I’m sure they loved their children just as much as people do today.” (Nic during one of Itzel's tours. Chapter 7) You can download the chapter here.

What Others Are Saying: "This is a good book that young readers will especially enjoy. It's well-written, culturally resonant, and best of all, there's a good story that keeps you turning the pages! Very well-written, with memorable characters and situations." -Dr. Kurtz


"On this eve of the Mayan prophesy of 2012, this book is extremely timely for anyone with an interest in fictionalization of this amazing culture. It is a well-written and an easy and engaging read for young adult or cross-over audiences." -Reader At Heart

What I Thought: By now you should know that I'm very interested in books that focus on cultural diversity. It's not so unique. We all read to either escape, validate or understand our world. This is a passionate story of love across cultures and time. I especially appreciated the depth with which Crawford seeped her characters in the cultural characteristics of Mexico. She's adept at creating images and settings that are three dimensional and dripping with detail. After reading I found it hard to bring myself back to the everyday because I felt like I had actually traveled to this exotic setting. Crawford has an exceptional ability to bring understanding and respect to her treatment of the cultural rituals and beliefs of a people long since extinct. Bravo!

About The Author: Annie Crawford
Website: Magic And The Muse
Twitter: @annemcrawford
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1) Why do you write for children?

  

I write for children because I loved to read myself so much when I was a child. Each new book was like a new world for me, with new friends to have adventures with and exciting new places to explore. Books like The Borrowers, Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and The Chronicles of Narnia were magical to me. So when I write for children now I get to relive that wonderful feeling, and it makes me happy to think of other children--and adults as well--opening my books with that same feeling of anticipation I used to have.

2) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer.

Since reading was my favorite thing to do as a child, from as far back as I can remember, I wanted to do something that had to do with books. My grandmother, whom I idolized, was an editor at a famous publishing house (Harcourt Brace) in New York City. When I was a little girl I wanted my adult life to be just like hers. So I always thought I would be an editor, a writer or a librarian (I thought that way I could sit at a desk and read all day and get paid for it!) 

3) What was the inspiration for The Curse of the Jade Amulet?

I lived in Mexico for twenty years, so I had visited Chichen Itzá many times. My first novel, The Ring of Leilani (soon to be published) is set in Yucatán as well. My initial inspiration for the book didn’t come from there, though. In the city where I lived in Mexico there is a huge pyramid, with all sorts of tunnels running through it. I was driving by it one day and thought, “What if I wrote a book about a secret room inside a pyramid, with some sort of magic talisman in it that could send someone back in time?” I knew I would be including something about human sacrifice in the book, but the Aztecs, whom I had originally decided to write about, sacrificed their victims by tearing their hearts out, and I didn’t want something that bloody in a book for kids. So I decided to move the book’s locale to Yucatán, since the Mayan sacrifices were less gruesome.

4) Tell us about your process.

When I write my first draft, I begin with a rough outline. Then, as I write each chapter, I attempt to outline that as well. I don’t necessarily stick to the outlines, though—they’re just there for me to lean on, so I have a general idea of the direction I’m going in. I love the early morning best for writing, because my mind’s freshest then and I find I’m at my most creative. I try to write steadily without correcting or second-guessing myself for several hours. Sort of priming the pump. It usually takes a couple of hours to get into the flow. Then, beginning with the second draft, I will cut, rearrange, add scenes or delete them, try to beef up my characterization, make the different plot lines consistent, etc. 

5) What does a typical writing day look like?

I’m not sure there is such a thing as a “typical writing day” for me. I’m not very disciplined, for one thing, and there always seem to be things that get in the way (such as my day job—I’m a freelance interpreter, so I never know when I’m going to get called to work). My ideal writing day, however, is one where I get up early and begin to write as soon as I can after breakfast. I write until lunchtime, fortifying myself with several cups of black tea with cream (yum!). In the afternoon, I will continue writing if I feel inspired, but if not I’ll work on my blog or devote a couple of hours to marketing. And of course there are always errands to run, laundry to fold and dinners to make! I try to leave all those activities until after I’ve finished writing for the day, though.

6) Where is your favorite place to write?

On the sofa in my living room, where I can stare out the window at the beautiful big red maple across the street from my house.

  7) What made you decide to self-publish? 

For one thing, I’ve been told my characters are too old for a young adult book. A couple of agents even said they didn’t consider it a young adult book at all—it’s more of an adult adventure story (a la Raiders of the Lost Ark).  It’s also not dystopian—or utopian, for that matter. The fact that it’s set in Mexico, and all the characters except the protagonist are Mexican, I think is another factor that makes it “different” from most of the young adult books coming out these days—and “different” is not necessarily good in the eyes of most agents. However, I have great faith in my book, and I know people will like it no matter what genre it’s classified as. I see the world of publishing as an hourglass laid on its side. On one side are the writers, and on the other side is the vast public of potential readers. The tiny part in the middle has until the advent of self-publishing, been controlled by the gatekeepers, agents and traditional publishers. I think that until self-publishing came along, there were many, many deserving books that never got the chance to be read because they couldn’t get through that narrow gateway for one reason or another. Now, with the advent of self-publishing, the gateway has been expanded. 

8) What did or do you find most challenging in creating the story and/or getting it published? What do you wish you would have known?

One of the most challenging parts of writing The Curse of the Jade Amulet was the amount of research I had to do about daily life among the classic Mayas. I have an M.A. in Latin American Studies, so I wasn’t unfamiliar with that historical period when I began the book, but I quickly discovered I needed to research it in much greater detail. Though my book is fiction, I wanted the historical parts of it to be factually accurate. Researching, and then weaving what I had learned into the story, was so daunting that at one point I gave up on the book and began a new one. I didn’t come back to it until a year later!  

As far as publishing it goes, once I had decided to self-publish, it was fairly easy to do. The formatting is a bit laborious, but overall, it’s not difficult. The marketing is what’s daunting!

9) What is the best writing advice you have ever received? 

I’ve heard and read so much excellent advice, especially since I began reading writing blogs, that it’s impossible to narrow it down to just one piece of advice. I guess what I find most helpful, when I get discouraged, is to remind myself never to give up, never to lose faith in my own vocation as a writer, and to enjoy the journey. This doesn’t really address your question, but another thing that I find very encouraging is to look back on my own writing career and realize how much I’ve learned, and how much better a writer I’ve become through practicing my craft. 

  

10) Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it?

Yes, I have several projects I’m working on at the moment. Number one on the list is a new book set in the Pacific Northwest. I’d say this one (no title yet) will be a crossover novel, meaning that it will appeal to adults and young readers alike. It’s about some children who discover a parallel world. I’ve finished the first draft, which is a great place to be! I’ve also got a half-written sequel to The Ring of Leilani, my first novel, which I’ll be publishing in a few weeks, that I need to finish up. The last project I’m looking forward to finishing is an adult novel, a sort of courtroom drama. I’m about a third of the way into that one.  Oh, I’m also planning to translate my first two novels into Spanish (my day job is working as an interpreter/translator, so that project’s not as far-fetched as it sounds!). I figure that since they’re both set in Mexico, they might be popular among Mexican audiences.

11) What advice would you give others that write for children?

I think there’s so much pressure these days on people who write children’s literature to restrict themselves to certain topics and certain styles of writing. My advice would be, be true to yourself. Don’t be discouraged if what you are drawn to write doesn’t fit into one of the genres that are politically correct at the moment, and don’t try to change your writing just to fit into one of those genres! Remember that there are readers out there who will be fascinated and enthralled by what you write, and now that we writers have the option of self-publishing, we have access to those niche audiences for the first time. 


Thanks so much Annie for taking the time to stop by. We appreciate it. Remember that if you want to read a sample of The Curse of the Jade Amulet head over to Annie's blog, The Magic and The Muse.

Remembering Why We Write: An Interview with Cyndi Sand-Eveland

Hello Everyone,

I'm very excited to have author Cyndi Sand-Eveland with us today. Her new book, A Tinfoil Sky was just released yesterday, January 10th. See the MMGM review here. Her first book Dear Toni was a Diamond Willow Honoree and received The Silver Birch Award for 2010. Dear Toni was also nominated for the Hackmatack and Red Cedar Awards. It was also chosen by the Banks Street College of Education in New York as one of the Best Books for Kids 2009 and listed in their 100th Anniversary Edition, and also chosen as one of the Best Books for Kids and Teens by the Canadian Children’s Book Council.Cyndi lives at the base of Morning Mountain just outside of Nelson BC, Canada.


Hi Cyndi,
Thanks so much for joining us today on the blog to talk about your writing and what role it plays in your life.  


1. Why do you write for children? 
I write to tell a story, and the stories I seem to want to write have children or youth as the protagonist. When I work with young people they inspire me.
  When you say you "work with young people" what have you done? Over the years I've worked with the hearing impaired and as sign language interpreter. I've also tutored middle grade students and worked as an assistant for students with disabilities and ESL. Now, I'm working with a student that has a cochlear-implant. It's always been part-time which has given me time to write.

2. Tell us a little about yourself and how you became a writer. According to my mother I began writing at a very young age. Although to that statement she added,"But even with all the pages and pages of scribbles there were no discernible characters, or words, for that matter. Truly, I never really believed anything would come of it."
      So, I guess I began early, but I think that those of us who write, process the world around us in a fairly similar manner. I seem to have two states, writing and thinking about what I will write. While I'm writing I feel a freedom that is addictive. Yes, it is great to be published, but mostly what it has done for me is legitimize my habit.

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3. What was the inspiration for A Tinfoil Sky? A young girl standing on a boulevard next to a man. She was maybe nine, she was working and we made eye contact and in that moment exchanged a certain knowing. I couldn't get her out of my mind. And the title? Those that are homeless, especially children live underneath a completely different sky than the rest of us. Their sky is temporary, fragile and easily destroyed like foil. (See complete review here.)



4. Many of my followers are writers, like myself, and we are always interested in the process a writer uses. Can you tell us about yours? Initially, I am inspired by something I see, read , or hear about. Then I let myself write with no rules: spelling errors, little or no punctuation, anything goes. I set a word count of 250 words the first few days, and then I double it, and then I double that until I'm not getting up from my desk until I have 1000 more words. By this time, I'm somewhere near 10,000wds. It's a game to get me hooked and it usually works. Although I have been known to erase 11 or 12 thousand words and start over. Once I have something I like, I promise myself I won't let anyone read anything until I have the bones of the story, and even then I hold the story close, keeping my characters in my thoughts pretty much 24/7. This is my favorite time; discovering who the characters are and what will happen next.

5. Describe a typical writing day. I am only recently getting back to writing. Last year I was hit head on in a car accident and broke my back, leg, hand, ribs, teeth, etc. Prior to the accident I wrote in the mornings, early, up at 4:30am until 7:30am, and them from 2:30 to 5:00pm. I wrote longer on the weekends and even longer hours in the summer. The process of returning to that rigor has been slow. 
     I'm so sorry to hear that, how has it impacted your writing and deadlines? A lot! After the accident in November 2010 I was on pain killers for the next two or three months. When I did return to writing it was difficult to realize how much energy it took and I would tire easily. In the Spring it was time to do edits on two projects. I had a difficult time keeping the story in my mind and had to read and re-read it to remember. Unfortunately, one of the projects had to be dropped because it took too long. It's been very difficult to accept my limitations. 


6. Where is your favorite place to write? I write in my office with a pot of black tea, my dog by my feet, and music. I like to hit the keyboard as if it was a piano. What do you listen too? Instrumentals mostly, guitar, piano and Oboe solos. Music helps me to leave the world behind and dive into my story. Once I get the story down I like to use music for setting the mood and I even come up with theme songs. Sarah Harmer is someone I often enjoy. 


7. Looking back on your publishing experience, what would you say was most challenging and what do you wish you would have known?  The most challenging part was a few years ago, I was about half way through the process. The publisher had gone from loving the story to rejecting it. Not only that, they weren't sure I had it in me to do it justice. That comment sat on my shoulder, and I needed to continually remind myself why I was writing the story in the first place. Thankfully, in the end the desire to get the story down and to give life to that young girl, well, that kept me writing.
     I think the thing I wish I would have known was it would have been good to wait until I was more recovered from the accident, off the pain medications, etc. There are changes I could see this past August I would have made, but I just couldn't see them back in May. It's just one of those life things, me just wanting to move forward and get on with my life, maybe trying too hard, or pushing too soon. Yes, nothing like hindsight.


8. What is the best writing advice you have ever received? Don't show your work too early.



9. Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it? Yes, I have one, but I am still practicing number eight.

10. Final Question: What advice would you give others that write for middle graders? Know your audience. Read current books in the genre you are writing, and resist teaching, or preaching, or steering away from real issues.

Thanks so much Cyndi for stopping by. We really appreciate what you've shared with us, today. I think one of the hardest things that we all struggle with is accepting our own limitations. It's hard not to get caught up in the rush and anxious energy that seems to exist in the publishing world. I really liked what you said about remembering why you write. I finally hung my reasons on the wall in front of my desk.

Okay, here's a question for everyone: Why Do You Write?