FAQs

Where do you get your ideas?

Where DON’T I get ideas? Stories are everywhere! Sometimes I’m inspired by other people’s stories, whether in books, movies, or TV. Sometimes ideas come to me in dreams. (Really!) And sometimes they just come out of the blue, often when I’m least expecting it. I have more ideas for stories than time to write them all!

Are you a “plotter” or a “pantser?”

I’m definitely a plotter. I like to work from a pretty detailed outline most of the time. (Though as with everything in life, there are exceptions!) While pantsers like the freedom of winging it through the first draft of a story, I need to at least know where it’s going.

Do you base your characters on people you know in real life?

Not usually. Sometimes I’ll borrow an interesting name from an old classmate or colleague, a quirk from a friend or acquaintance, or even an element of appearance from strangers on the street or on TV. But I generally don’t like sticking too close to anything too “real” in my stories, whether you’re talking about characters, location, or storyline. (I don’t even like watching movies that advertise by saying “Based on a True Story!”)

Where and when do you write?

I have a home office and I do most of my writing there, sitting at my desk, on a desktop computer (with a semi-ergonomic keyboard). I’ll sometimes jot down thoughts and ideas in other places, usually with the Notes app on my phone, or occasionally with pen and paper. But I’m not one of those people who can write on a laptop at a coffee shop. Too distracting! (Plus I hate those tiny keyboards, and I can’t handle too much caffeine…)

As for “when,” I’m a night owl, so you won’t catch me waking up early to write. But any other time of the day will do. Usually, though, I try to treat it as a “day job” and fit most of my work in from 9 to 5 (give or take). Unless I’m on a tight deadline, of course, in which case all bets are off and I might still be at my desk at midnight!

What are your favorite books as a reader?

Too many to list! I studied English literature in college and loved many of the classics I read there (and even in high school), including Lord of the Flies, Frankenstein, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Bell Jar, The Magic Mountain, The Song of the Lark, Lolita, The Trial, 1984, and just about anything by Edith Wharton, Jane Austen, Toni Morrison, Hermann Hesse, and John Updike.

I’m also constantly reading YA and kidlit. Some of my current favorite authors are Suzanne Collins, Patrick Ness, MT Anderson, Angie Thomas, E Lockhart, April Henry, Blythe Woolston, A.J. Sass, Tiffany D. Jackson, Amelinda Berube, Melissa Marr, Nova Ren Suma, Peadar O’Guilin, Barbara Dee, and Lish McBride (among many others). For adult books, I’m in the process of reading everything I can get my hands on by Ruth Ware, John Ajvide Lindqvist, and Stephen King.

I like to post about recent reads on my socials, so check there for more!