Q & A
When did you start writing?
What has surprised you most in your career as a writer?
What has surprised you most in your career as a writer?
I've been writing since college when I co-edited a undergraduate journal on public policy at Colby College. I didn't start writing fiction until much later when I wanted something different and fresh to keep my brain active. I learned fiction writing the hard way--rolling up my sleeves and just doing it. I used readers to give me feedback
I've been writing since college when I co-edited a undergraduate journal on public policy at Colby College. I didn't start writing fiction until much later when I wanted something different and fresh to keep my brain active. I learned fiction writing the hard way--rolling up my sleeves and just doing it. I used readers to give me feedback, and a just slogged away at stories and characters and plot. I don't really recommend that approach (except for the writing part). Lot's of resources exist to help writers get started and improve today. Writers today can make a lot of progress much faster as long as they remember they have to crawl before they can walk, and they should walk before they run.
What has surprised you most in your career as a writer?
What has surprised you most in your career as a writer?
What has surprised you most in your career as a writer?
Earning more than 10 literary awards for my fiction and nonfiction writing. I never thought my books would do as well as they have, but I believed in my characters and my stories. Fortunately, the judges seem to like them, too!
Why pirates?
What has surprised you most in your career as a writer?
Why pirates?
The ideas and characters that drive the Pirate of Panther Bay series are rooted in failure. At the time, I had a literary agent who was trying to place another novel. She heard about a new imprint for young adult romance and asked if I would be interested in writing and submitting something. I had never even thought about writing romance,
The ideas and characters that drive the Pirate of Panther Bay series are rooted in failure. At the time, I had a literary agent who was trying to place another novel. She heard about a new imprint for young adult romance and asked if I would be interested in writing and submitting something. I had never even thought about writing romance, but I'm always up for a challenge that stretches my boundaries or takes me out of my comfort zone. So, I said "sure!". Now, I've got a series with Southern Yellow Pine Publishing.