Writing

Writing three young adult novels that are primarily character driven. In our modern world of constant action and stimulation one of my novels slows things down a bit. Another one uses vignettes to share an intense story and the third is set in a world of fantasy with so much reality it might be hard to tell which is which.

Listening to Maurice Sendak on Fresh Air recently, I was reminded that I need to write books that respect young people as complex and capable. I truly think that most young people fall in love with characters when reading and while the plot/action is important, spending time with characters one comes to love is the heart of storytelling as much now as it was when we sat outside around open pit fires much more often. I may not remember what Weetzie Bat did but I will never forget her as a character.

I am also at work on non-fiction biographies for young readers and loving the research!