I started writing Angel Sometimes a
couple of years ago. She came into my head and wouldn't leave. I had finished the first of many drafts of
her story when I was awarded a four-week scholarship to the Vermont Studio
Center.
For four
weeks, I wrote, walked, met other authors, wrote, listened to lectures, wrote….
Did I mention that I wrote? Then I came home and edited and wrote some more. I
gave Angel the job of swimming as a mermaid because I knew she could do it. I
swam for four years as a mermaid while I was getting my B.A. and M.A.
It took a while
before I felt the book was done. Not long after it was published, Angel Sometimes was awarded a USA Best
Book Award. As you might guess, I was hop-around-the-office happy. But what was
even more fun was talking with readers who emailed me.
I can't
speak for other authors, but for me, my days are mostly spent typing on the
computer, re-reading what I typed, catching grammar mistakes, and re-reading
some more. An email from a reader or a "hi" on my Author Facebook
Page is great. For a few minutes, I'm connected to a reader.
What this
all boils down to is: listen to the voices in your head. Write down what they
say. If it's a character talking to you, pay attention.
If you can vote, that'd be much appreciated. I'd really like for Patty Henderson, my cover artist, to win.
