Q: I noticed that you have written in a wide variety of contexts and for a range of target audiences. I was surprised to realize that I am already familiar with some of your work, Sid the Science Kid and the Barbie DVDs. How do you decide what to work on next with so many different writing opportunities? How do you organize all of the different ideas that come to mind?
A: I gravitate towards great characters, compelling relationships, and comedy. The tone and depth of those elements are very different in something like Sid versus something like Populazzi, or the grownup screenplays I’ve written, but all three elements are always there in projects I love.
As for what I decide to work on next, quite honestly, sometimes it comes down to which deadline is approaching fastest. The turnaround times for TV and the DVDs can be pretty tight, so when those assignments come up, they get my full attention. When I’ve turned them in, I go back to projects with more drawn-out deadlines, like manuscripts, or passion projects I’m doing on spec.
When it comes to organizing ideas, I’m all about notes. I keep files dedicated to random ideas and thoughts about ongoing and future projects on every electronic gadget I own. For some reason, I need these notes to be typed – they don’t feel real if I handwrite them. This is most likely because I can barely read my own very messy writing, and yet I’m the polar opposite when it comes to my to-do lists. Those only feel real if they’re handwritten in my fabulously large and clunky daily planer.
Q: How did you discover your voice as a writer and what (if anything) do you do in order to help others discover theirs?
A: I believe you discover your writing voice simply (and not so simply) by writing. I’ve been writing fiction for as long as I can remember, and vividly recall my first “published” piece. I wrote it in fourth grade, and it centered around my cat, who naturally happened to be a hard boiled film noir detective. My first novel-writing experience spanned grades seven through nine: the book was a sprawling opus co-written by my then-best friend, chronicling our romantic exploits with George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of Wham! (that particular exclamation point isn’t for emphasis, it’s actually part of the band’s name)
The more you write, the more comfortable and confident you become on the page, and the more your individual voice shines through. Naturally then, to help others discover their individual voices, I encourage them to write. A lot. Without fear of being judged, and without judging themselves. I believe that’s the greatest pitfall to anyone finding their voice, whether they’re a newbie or a seasoned pro: fear of judgment. If you let that little voice get in your head that says your words aren’t good enough, you’ll do more second guessing than writing, and you’ll never find your flow. It can be hard to get out of your own way – it’s often hard for me – but it’s absolutely vital.
That said, while finding your voice is all about writing, honing your voice is all about rewriting. I love rewriting, and I encourage others to embrace it as well. I agree with the plan Stephen King lays out in On Writing. Pour everything onto the page, then leave it – go away and do something else entirely for at least a week, so it’s not fresh in your mind. When you go back, you’re less feverishly attached, and it’s much easier to see what needs to be clarified; where you’re over-explaining and saying the same thing twice (like I just did); and when you’re telling your reader information instead of showing them the world you’ve created.
Q: I ran cross country in high school, and I have realized with time that I learned many life lessons through the experience. Since you love running so much, do you plan on writing a YA novel with a main character who is a runner?
A: I was thinking of this question today, as I did my ten-mile long run! I’m in the very early stages of training for the New York Marathon, so I’ll be running a lot for the next few months. I absolutely agree with you that running – especially long-distance running – is a profound experience, and the perfect metaphor for so many journeys in life.
At the moment, I don’t have any YA novels in the works with a runner as the main character, but I do have a TV project bouncing around that centers on marathoners, so we’ll see if anything comes of that.
Q: Cara ended up having some pretty crazy twists in Populazzi. What was the most fun about the process of developing the plot?
A: By far, the most fun was discovering things I had no idea would happen. From the time I sold it, Populazzi went through three major rewrites. While the large bones of the story were there from the start, everything else changed enormously. It was the characters’ fault – the more I got to know them and the richer and deeper they became, the more obvious it was that they’d never do what I had them doing in draft one. Left to their own devices they were far more creative than anything I could impose on them.
Q: What, so far, has been the most the most fulfilling with having your debut YA novel?
By far it’s hearing from people who have read the book and had it resonate with them. I write because it’s my passion to write, but I don’t feel like any of my stories are alive until they’re shared with other people. It’s beyond gratifying to talk to people and hear their favorite parts, the moments that made them laugh out loud, and the characters they loved, even when they wanted to shake them. One reader live-tweeted me as he was reading, and he got so anxious about the bad choices Cara was making that he practically jumped through the computer. I loved that, because Cara was real enough to him that he cared.
I feel incredibly honored by anyone who takes the time to read the book, and I’m always thrilled to hear from and chat with those who do. I’m very easy to get to through my website, and practically sutured to my computer, so it usually doesn’t take me that long to respond.
Thanks so much for having me on the blog, Mrs. V.! The visit was an absolute pleasure!
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