Kidlit Blog Tour

(Yep. Random pretty fall photo. :)

My dear friend R. T. Freeman asked me to participate in this Kidlit blog tour, and as she is pretty much one of the most wonderful people in the world, I said 'yes.' :)

What are you working on right now?

I’m querying my YA Historical, CIRQUE--a story about a 16-year-old comtesse who, in the process of searching for her missing father, ends up entangled in the world’s first circus.

It’s been hard to decide what to move onto from there, but a few days ago I came across a first chapter I had written while in the middle of drafting CIRQUE (during one of those “This is a great idea and I have to get something down now” moments). I could hardly remember writing it, and was delighted to find that someone with access to my Google Drive was actually a decent writer and had a really good voice. (Love when that happens!) Anyway, it’s a humorous mystery/ghost story set in WWII England, and its working title is THE GOODFELLOW GHOST.

How does it differ from other works in its genre?

Let’s take this book by book. :)

CIRQUE, as far as I’ve seen in my extensive research, is set in a world yet untouched by juvenile fiction: Astley’s Amphitheatre in London, the very first “real” circus in the world.

The ghost story is really too early in its development for me to distinguish it much from other classic-feeling MG novels. Like every good story, it’s about human nature... Every human being is simultaneously just like every other human and intrinsically unique--and I think stories are like that, too.

Why do you write what you do?

I know this sounds very cheesy, but I feel called to it. Writing for children has always made sense to me, because the most interesting/dramatic years of my life happened when I was a kid--and because I want to fill up the shelves for kids like me a couple generations later, who are scanning through the library stacks to find a book that they’ll see themselves in. I write historical fiction (mostly) because the past fascinates me and because I think there are things that should never be forgotten.

How does your writing process work?

Most of my thinking happens while washing dishes and going for nature walks with my girls and knitting and daydreaming during my daughter’s math lesson. Pretty soon all those thoughts have to become concrete in a notebook, because I will go crazy if I don’t have half a dozen lists going at one time. When enough thoughts have become incarnate in my notes, I try writing a few chapters. If the voice is working, I’ll make a rough outline to guide me through my first draft--which generally gets re-written at least three or four times before the draft is finished. Somehow I finish books this way. :) Then I revise them, a lot.

Of course, sometimes during the revision process, I feel like this.
Even sparkly princess dresses don't help, and all I can do is throw my head down and take a nap...

Any departing words of wisdom for other authors?

Get up early and write every day--at the same time if possible. I’d be a little hypocrite if I told you to eschew social networking entirely, but do use it wisely and never, ever let it poke into your actual writing time.

As I’ve been a little preoccupied waiting for Baby to come (any day, er, minute now), I haven’t actually formally asked these three writers to participate next week, but they are incredible writers with lovely blogs, and I hope they will consider sharing some of their experiences with you:

Caroline Starr Rose

Laurel Garver

Mark Langdale Hough (He is a dear husband, but he needs a little kick to start blogging again. :)