Q&A

What do you like best about being a writer?

I never stop learning! It’s a lot like being a student. I spend a lot of time reading, researching, and learning about new topics. After that, the writing begins.

How do you get your ideas?

I keep my eyes and ears open to what’s going on in the world, what people are talking about, and what’s in the media. I also consider ideas that I am really interested in and ideas that I’m sure I won’t get tired of, even after months and months.

Ideas are hard! I often think of cool ideas, or ideas that seem cool at the time. Then I dig in and start researching and try to build a book concept. Moving from the idea stage to the book concept stage can be really difficult. Lots of ideas never make it past this stage.

I get ideas that publishers reject. They might think it won’t sell very well. Making books is a business, and it costs a lot of money to create books. Publishers need to be selective about what they choose to add to their list. This is just good business sense. They will be investing in the project, and want to choose books that will make an impact and sell.

Where do you write?

I write at a desktop computer in the loft (attic) of my house. I have a big desk made out of a door. It’s covered in books, notepads, pens, sticky notes, and so on. My window overlooks a beautiful park with lots of trees. I hear traffic sounds on my street, and my dog is usually snoring behind me on the floor. I write in relative silence to the soft click of the keyboard. Long stretches of time are best for writing, but I get up every hour or so to stretch and walk around. After too much time sitting, my body will say, “Get up, get up!” Sometimes, if I’m having trouble focusing, I listen to the whoosh of waves on a noise-cancelling machine. I drink tea or sip water as I work, and always have an afternoon snack.