About Me

“Most of the basic material a writer works with is acquired before the age of fifteen.” –Willa Cather

I always knew I wanted to be a writer, and I have the hand-drawn, stapled together construction paper books to prove it. After hearing Natalie Babbitt speak, I bought and read her middle grade novel The Eyes of the Amaryllis. And then, something amazing happened: I experienced my first epiphany as a writer: I liked children’s books better than I did adult books!

So I devoured children’s book after children’s book, and found they held my interest, reminded me what it was like to be young again, and were often times better crafted than any of the adult titles I’d been picking off the bookshelves.

Then, a second epiphany hit: Just because I was an adult and a writer, I didn’t have to write just for adults.

So off I went on an entirely new and exciting road with all its bumps, forks, sharp curves, and roadblocks.

And for any of you on the same kind of route, here are a few things I’ve learned along the way:

• Writing is a craft, and like any learned skill, it takes time, patience, and grit to get it right. Consider your first completed manuscript a practice run. Set it aside, start something new, and then maybe a few manuscripts later unearth it again. Sit back, and prepare for some giggles. (Oh, my lord, did I actually write that??)

• If you want to write, you must read. I acquainted myself with the YA and MG shelves of my local library and bookstores—the classics, the bestsellers, the back listers, everything. I discovered how other writers set up their characters, their plots, their subplots, their pacing, and more, so I could uncover my own style in a way that works.

• Networking is a must. Writers are usually solitary people when they are working, but to gain insight into the field of publishing, they have to get out there. Conferences, retreats, workshops, critique groups, online communities, and organizations will help writers learn the craft, the business of writing, and even better, they’ll learn they are not alone!

• Rejection Bites. Plain and simple. The mailbox and email inbox are your sworn enemies when you’re submitting to agents/editors. Prepare yourself when you go into battle with that letter opener (or mouse!) for a dagger through the heart. But be thankful, too, because you’ve come one step closer to that life-changing “Yes!”

• Support is key. I’m lucky to have a family who supports my ambitions as a writer. I live in a small New Hampshire town with my husband (and high school sweetheart) Chad, our two little girls, our big black lab, and two rather frisky kitties.