How do you know being an author is the right choice for you?
I honestly do not know if it is the right choice for me forever. I hope so, but we’ll see if I can keep coming up with book ideas! I never thought about being an author until I started writing Just Friends With Benefits on a whim and loved every minute of it. And I’ve enjoyed writing my second novel just as much. As long as writing novels continues to make me happy, I assume I will keep doing it.
I read that you were interested once in writing books for children. Do you still have an interest for this?
Not at all. After dabbling in children’s stories, I realized it wasn’t for me. I’ve often thought about writing a Young Adult novel, but teenagers are so different now than they were back in my day. (Yikes that made me sound REALLY old.) I was a pretty innocent kid and don’t know if what I would write would appeal to a more sophisticated generation of teenagers.
Is any part of Just Friends With Benefits is based on your life?
Yes and no. Stephanie is a lot like me and most of the other characters are inspired by people I’ve known. That being said, the story itself is completely fictictious. While some events/conversations might have actually taken place, they were used completely out of context.
I see that you are currently in the revision stage for your second novel. Can you tell us what this story will be about?
I’ve actually begun the tortorous process of drafting my query letter and pitch! Here’s what I have so-far. It will be tweaked: “Exactly 365 days after breaking up with her high school sweetheart of nine years, 26 year-old Jane Frank is ready to fall in love again. Although the plan is to be in a committed relationship by the time she starts law school the following year, Jane discovers that finding and maintaining a boyfriend in high school circa 1999 is entirely different than dating in NYC post-millenium. When Jane finds herself on the receiving end of the silent ‘fadeaway’ three times too often, she is determined to take back control, but risks losing her friends, family and a little bit of her sanity in the process.” The working title is “Taking Back The Fadeaway”.
Do you have a certain writing routine?-
Actually I don’t. I work full-time and have a lot of other things going on that make it impossible for me to write every day. I do belong to a writer’s group that meets every week. And I try to write on lunch hours, while commuting, and often while waiting my turn for a hair or doctor’s appointment, and even online at the grocery store. I do a lot of writing remotely on my phone.
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
As far as the writing itself, I struggle the most with description. I usually write the first draft pretty sparingly and then flesh it out during revisions.
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?
EXTREMELY important. Especially for e-published writers like myself whose books cannot be bought at brick & mortar stores. There is definitely less chance of an impulse sale so getting yourself out there using social media is very helpful.
What are some of your pet peeves?
People who stop at the bottom of an escalator and just stand there. Similarly, people who stop in the middle of a NYC city street to look up at a building or billboard without any thought to the fact that people are directly behind them. People walking on the streets who don’t move to the side to send texts. I think I have a lot of issues with commuters in NYC!!
What are a few things on your bucket list?
I would like to see one of my books in an airport book store. Observing someone buy it would be even better! I’m going to get a little corny here and say that I’d really like to fall in mutual love with the right person. The right person is key as there have been a few wrong ones. Oh, and the “mutual” part is key too! Running a marathon is a possibility but I’m going to reserve judgement until I complete my first half marathon in September.
What is your advice to aspiring writers?
I believe writers should write the story they want to write and not only what they think will sell. Also, writers should learn to take construction criticism and learn from it, but also be able to trust their own instincts. There is a fine line between editing blindly based on someone else’s comments and being so stubborn (and foolish) that you aren’t able to see changes that could really improve your story. Finally, I think aspiring writers should not be afraid to explore new options of publishing. It’s a changing industry and there are a lot of different ways to publish.
Where would be your dream vacation?
I have so many dream vacations and they run the gamut in type. But common to all are good company, delicious food and drinks “a-plenty”!
August 22, 2011
