Frequently Asked Questions

Where do you get your ideas?: It varies, but usually I'll have a type of story in mind, one that I'd like to read but haven't been able to find, and I'll roll it around in my brain and consciously build it up, jotting down notes until I'm ready to work with it. Sometimes I'll come up with a title I love, or a character name, and I'll go from there. With Dull Boy, I was washing dishes (bo-ring) and the first line popped into my head. That's the only time that's ever happened to me. (The first line ended up changing, but it still counts!)
Can you read my stuff?: No, sorry. I legally cannot read your unpublished work, unless I'm like, your teacher or something. Besides, I'm a really slow critiquer--by the time I got it back to you, you'd be old & gray. Or ... older and grayer.
What else have you written?: Pretty much anything you can imagine. But Dull Boy will be my first published work.
Do you draw your characters?: Ooh ... not as often as I used to. My drawing skills have atrophied considerably. But you'll be able to check out a sampling in the "Art Gallery" section of XTRAS--coming soon!
Why do you write?: Because I like it, & I've been working at it long enough to be good at it. ^.^ If I had a talent for math I'd be a videogame programmer, if I was better at science I'd be studying Pallas' cats in Mongolia (or teaching them tricks and forming a circus)--but writing is what I'm good at, so that's what I do. I'm also a story addict. But that's a given, right?
What are you working on now?: Something awesome, also for a teen audience. I am way too superstitious to say more than that. *crosses fingers*
Lockheed vs. Krypto? Redwing (the Falcon's falcon) vs. Streaky?: No impossible questions!!!
Do you listen to music while you write?: Yes! Usually one song on repeat until I get sick of it--it helps me to get in the zone and stay there. I tend to listen to more upbeat, driven music when I'm writing new material, and switch to something slower (like opera arias) while I revise. But it's not an exact method.
How did you know you wanted to write for teenagers?: Is there anyone better to write for? I mean, really. I would answer this question in more detail, but that would just be stroking your ego.
Will you ever write a book for adults?: Not if I can help it.
Did you get in a lot of trouble when you were in school?: Regrettably, no--I was mostly well behaved. But some of my very best friends (uh, and my brother) were delinquents. Sort of.
What was your fave school subject?: Foreign language. I took 3 of them in high school (French, Latin, German) and 2 in college (Russian, Japanese). I'm severely out of practice, but I still love them. ♥ ♥ ♥
Where do you write?: At a desk or a table, somewhere quiet. I can't write in bed, and I need to be wearing normal clothes. Working in your pajamas is supposed to be one of the job perks, but I never feel like I'm ready to start working if I'm still wearing PJs with penguins on them. *cough* ~~Not that I own any pajamas like that.~~
What do you like to do when you aren't writing?: Raid the library for new books, read, watch TV (fave shows: Supernatural, The Shield, Project Runway, Top Chef, Big Brother), play videogames or board games, stalk Pallas' cats, and . . . try to take over the world?
How long does it take you to write a book?: A good book? Probably a year, if you include revision. Anywhere from 3 months to 3 years is my range.
Did you always want to be a writer?: Uh . . . I think so. Once I realized "She-Ra" wasn't a valid career choice.
Every time an editor rejects you, does God really kill a kitten?: Sadly, yes.
Let's be real here: Have you been asked these questions before, or did you make them up because you wanted an FAQ?: Shhh!!!