Blog Tour Q&A

When I met Becky Shillington at the Carolinas SCBWI Conference, she asked me whether I'd like to participate in a blog tour. I wasn't sure, but she said she'd email me instructions. In my physics lab the motto was: If all else fails, follow the instructions. 

What are you working on right now?

My YA historical, Emergency. I’m polishing my manuscript right now and giddy with excitement.

How does it differ from other works in its genre?

Although there have been many scholarly works published by journalists about this period in India’s history (1975-1976), there’s not much fiction, save that of Rohinton Mistry’s A FINE BALANCE, and no children’s books. Actually, this is the book that turned me into a writer, as I delved into my own memories of this period. Shortly after, I bought Anne Lamott's BIRD BY BIRD, and filled a half-used biochemistry notebook with words. My story looks at this period through the lens of a 13-year-old who is directly affected.

Why do you write what you do?

I write in a great many areas, spanning many ages. But it is curiosity that drives the writing. I write to understand, to make sense of the world we live in. I write to make a difference in people’s lives. I write to give a voice to those who have none. It reflects what I read once by Anais Nin: "The role of the writer is not to say what all can say but what we are unable to say."

How does your writing process work?
 

Write, Research, Revise, Rest.

Repeat as needed.
But in all honesty, I bite nails, procrastinate, read, read, read, clean house, blog, cook, walk, journal, goof-off, play, and pray far more than I actually place my BIC and write. But all these other activities feed my writing (except when they don't).

Any departing words of wisdom for other authors?

Write. Just do it. Throw out the TV. Stop browsing the web. Don't talk. Be still. Write.

Look at these writers to find out how they answer these same questions next week. I hope they all share something about their wips.

1.      Ruth Schiffman
2.      Anne Bingham
3.      Rosemary Freeman