As a retired teacher and tutor, how has your experience in education influenced your approach to writing for young adults?
I taught elementary school, but I did deal with older children at times. Mostly, it was my experience observing my daughters and their interactions with their friends. Also, I watched a lot of young adult TV with them, so the dialogue helped me.
What first inspired you to start writing fiction, and how did that evolve into a full-fledged novel series?
While I was taking a course on Writing we had to write a story. I recreated a story I had told to my brother when he was younger and then told to my daughters. After praise from the teacher, I decided to expand it and submitted it to several publishers with rejections from all of them. Later, I was taking a children’s writing workshop from Paula Danziger, a very famous children’s author, and she required three pages to be let into the class. So, I started If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor. Paula wrote Cut, Cut, Cut on every page. But then she rewrote and allowed me to keep her edits. The workshop taught everything you needed to know about characters, plot, and how to publish. Afterward, I wanted to continue writing and eventually finished the book. I thought I was done, and it was a stand alone when a line editor wrote that his daughter after reading the book wanted to have a sequel. So, at National Novel Writers Month or NaNoWriMo, I began the second novel of the series I then called: The Mill Valley High series. I finished that and realized there needed to be a third book. So, I wrote the still unpublished: The Mill Valley High Five. This book is written in many different perspectives. Chapters are dedicated to one character and repeat with different characters throughout the whole book. By the end of the series, you should know all about the characters who were introduced in the second book very well.
You've written poetry, fiction, and screenplays—how do you balance and transition between these different forms of writing?
Poetry comes naturally to me so I can write poems throughout the time I am writing anything else. When I am in the middle of writing a novel I don’t do much of anything else. For each book I dedicated my time to writing it. In between, I wrote some short stories. Writing a screenplay was probably the most difficult writing I have ever done. Learning the format and then fitting your story into it was not easy. I was very pleased to have gotten praise and awards for it. During the time I was writing that I concentrated only on it. So, to sum up my writing, I would say that if someone asks me to write something, and I am in the middle of something else, it depends on timing. I concentrate on the project that is due first. But if I get inspired to write a poem I will do it on the spot no matter where I am or what I am doing. Only rarely, can I wait to write what I am thinking.
Can you tell us about your young The Mill Valley High series? What themes or messages do you hope resonate with your readers?
My series is about the life of high school kids. It starts with an entire book based on Carolyn Samuels, who doesn’t like her body and wants to be a cheerleader and popular. Jennifer Taylor is the girl who has bullied her throughout middle school and is popular and a gymnast. Because they’re in the same math class they get paired to do a project and after an initial period of blackmail and fear the girls become friends. Carolyn worries that her friends won’t like her anymore. So, she keeps the friendship a secret. She then finds out Jennifer’s terrible secret and has to keep that to herself. She and Jennifer are freshmen and things escalate with Jennifer to the point where Carolyn has to make a choice. The second book has the girls as sophomores with all of the problems that come along with this. It is told from Jennifer’s point of view and deals with Jennifer’s problem and how her family is coping with it and other factors. Jennifer’s mother is an alcoholic and that causes problems as well. Jennifer is set on trying out for the Olympics and worries her mother’s problem might destroy her chances. The third book deals with all of the friends who were introduced in the first and second book and fleshes out their stories. I don’t want to go into any more detail, since the second book is scheduled to be published very soon. The third book will follow next year. All I can say is the third book ties everything up so you feel satisfied.
The themes I hope will resonate with readers are: eventually all secrets become public, you don’t need to be popular to be happy and many popular people are not happy, follow your dream no matter how hard it might be, friendship is very important and should be treasured, be true to yourself, be brave and show support to your friends.
What was the inspiration behind your book, “After?” Was there a particular challenge you faced while writing this book that taught you something unexpected as a writer?
My husband had a heart attack, and he had triple bypass surgery. I kept asking myself what I would have done if it had been my father. Actually, my father had a heart attack. So, I knew those feelings from both a child’s and an adult’s point of view. The challenge I faced was in one scene I had to move a character from one place to the other while another one was in a different place. I don’t usually outline but this scene with its location logistics required me to stop and make an outline of where the characters would be. If you read it, it’s the scene where they go back to Amber’s house after the Sweet 16 and hang out at the pool. It showed me that sometimes I need to stop and outline. But mostly, I just write.
How do you approach writing characters that speak authentically to today’s young adult readers?
From the start I had my daughter Rachel’s help. I read it to her, and she told me if dialogue needed to be changed. And, as I said, I watched a lot of TV with young adults with my other daughter. Between the two of them they helped a great deal.
You’ve had your poetry published internationally—what draws you to poetry, and how does it differ from your prose work in terms of emotional expression?
For me, poetry expresses feelings that you can’t quite get into prose. It’s a way to let out whatever is inside of you at the moment. Sometimes it’s a scream of anger. Sometimes, it’s to express love. When I started to write after my husband passed away, it was to try to get rid of the sadness inside of me. I never thought such personal poetry would be acclaimed by so many. In prose, you are dealing with a character’s emotions. Sometimes, I do put in an emotional scene, and I try to keep it authentic. But in poetry I feel much freer. Since it comes easily to me I never thought it was good. But I understand that people find value in it now.
How did it feel to win first prize for your romantic screenplay, and what inspired the story behind it?
My friend Amy Leigh McCorkle, who is now an award winning movie maker, said that she thought I could win if I entered a screenplay into a film festival. She encouraged me to write one. So, I did. She helped with the formatting too. I wrote it about a true story that happened to me when my soon to be husband to whom I had been writing for three years, came back from the Army. It is about the night he came over and when I fell in love in an instant. I had told the story for years but now that he had passed away, I wanted to write it down. At the time it was magical and I wanted to convey that in the screenplay. Winning prizes for it and especially first prize was amazing!!!
Do you find that your poetry influences your fiction writing or vice versa?
I think because I write poetry I put in poetic images sometimes. But I would say that most of the time neither is affected by it. My poetry style, though sometimes it is prose, is very different from my prose style.
What is your writing process like—do you follow a routine, or do you write when inspiration strikes?
I don’t have a set routine for writing. I belong to a professional writers critique group, Greenwich Pen Letters, which is a part of the National League of Pen Women. We hold meetings once a month and submit our work to them. So at least once a month I will look at my WIP and send in a chapter or a piece. I am working on a memoir now, so it is not fiction. But I did send in a story I wrote that I may or may not work on. I also founded a Poetry Group within this group, and we meet once a month to share poetry. So, for that I usually write two or three poems. During the month of April, which is Poetry Month, I usually write at least one or two poems a day. Three times a week I go to a Zoom meeting with other writers, and we meet for a few minutes then go on to write for the next fifty minutes and get together to discuss and support each other’s work. Many times, after these sessions I will continue to work on whatever I started until it is finished.
Who are some authors or poets who have deeply influenced your voice and style?
When I first started writing poetry I was so in love with Denise Levertov. When I read her poems I realized that I could write poetry too. They were so clear and something I had never seen in poetry. Also, I love Maya Angelou, Emily Dickenson, Robert Frost, William Wordsworth, Charles Bukowski, Byron, Keats, and the poetry of my fellow poets online. There are too many to name, but all are amazing. In fiction, my favorite writer is Jane Austin. Last year I read all of her books. But I also like John Irving, Barbara Kingsolver, and most of Stephen King.
Do your former students or classroom experiences ever make their way into your stories or characters?
Actually, I used some of my own observations in my descriptions of hallways and classrooms. Also, I used a lot of my past experiences with classroom routine in general.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers, especially those who may be starting later in life or after retirement?
My advice would be to make sure you are aware of the writing process. I took my Masters in Reading and Writing K-12 to be able to teach literacy to students. Knowing the writing process enables you to understand what you are doing and keeps you on track. Don’t be discouraged by a few rejections. I have kept all of mine. They are how you know how to improve your writing. Don’t take everyone’s critiques and change everything. I don’t change anything unless more than one person feels it should be changed. Above all, believe in your own writing. If you wrote what you wanted to say then someone will want to read it. Revise everything until it is what you feel is your best work. Older people can shine in this industry. Find a writing group and they will support you. Online groups are good, especially poetry groups. The most important of all is to be persistent. If you want something published and it isn’t accepted just publish it yourself. Self-publishing is very accepted these days.
What can readers expect next from you—more YA novels, poetry, screenwriting, or something entirely new?
Hopefully, depending on when the cover is settled, the second book of my series: Who Is Jennifer Taylor, will be published. A lot of people are waiting for that. Right now I am working on my memoir: Just A Girl from Brooklyn, which starts with my family history and moves into my life in various places. I’m not sure when it will be finished. Also, my poetry is in many anthologies on Amazon. I am a Staff Writer for Wildfire Magazine, an excerpt from my second novel, my poetry and a travel article will be in the June issue. I am also in Writing on the Wall Magazine all issues. If you go to Amazon and put in my name you will find it there. I am also hoping to put out another book of poetry soon.
What has your experience been like using AllAuthor, and how has it helped you connect with readers or promote your work?
I have enjoyed being on AllAuthor. I like how I am treated and the coverage I get. Recently, I featured my book, and I like the banners produced for it.
