When do you think someone should call themselves a writer?
A writer is obviously someone who writes but also someone who resonates with readers. If a writer cannot capture the attention and imagination of the person reading, then the writer has not done their job well. I always strive for excellence. Sometimes, I hit the mark.
What difference do you see between a writer and an author?
An author is a writer who has published their work. It's one thing to sit and write (or dictate and transcribe), and quite another to have to guts to put out one's work for public scrutiny. Authors take that extra step. Anyone can write, but not everyone wants others to read their writing. The authors are the latter.
What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you?
Days of frustration. I write when I am most creative. I don't force words onto a page.
How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
It takes a certain degree of confidence and pride in one's work to weather negative reviews. Everyone's a critic. Someone is bound to give a negative review sooner or later. The key is to focus on the positive reviews, and realize that we cannot please everyone.
What is the most challenging part of your writing process?
Writing something good. I like my writing to be meaningful. To be effective, I am always focusing on marrying clarity with meaning.
How long have you been writing, or when did you start?
I started at a very young age ... as a child, to be exact. Writing is in my blood.
What advice would you give writers working on their first book?
Persevere. Do not give up. Muddle through and edit if you have to, but write the story. People are interested in a good story no matter how it is told. Craft the story with the characters first and then write for your audience.
How do you develop your plot and characters?
I have a very fertile imagination. I live in a fantasy world. It's easy to create new stories and characters. I should have written for TV soap operas.
How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?
I have written two books so far and I am currently working on a third. The second is being published under a pen name, so I won't go into detail. My first book is my favorite. "That's Ridiculous, Said Nicholas" is a children's picture book about a little boy who walks to the beat of his own drum and how his parents direct him to become focused and productive. It's for ages 3 - 8. The illustrations are fabulous.
What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?
The ending. For some reason, the ending did not come to me as easily as the plot. I had to work for it. Children seem to like it.
What inspired the idea for your book?
I know a "Nicholas" and I liked how the name rhymed with "ridiculous." Adults are always telling children things that are ridiculous. Nicholas simply calls them out on it.
What was your hardest scene to write, and why?
It was hard to tell the back story of Nicholas. People are so used to children's stories progressing in a linear fashion that some of them might have been confused when I told the back story.
What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
Lots of breaks. I write in spurts.
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
Dead or alive? Does it matter? If it doesn't matter, then I would spend the day with Edgar Allen Poe, the master of detective fiction. As a native Baltimorean, I have always been obsessed with Poe.
When was the last time you Googled yourself and what did you find?
I try not to Google myself. I think it's a waste of time. Maybe I'm naive.