From the moment you conceived the idea for the story, to the published book, how long did it take?
From concept to publication was three years. And it's going to be nearly as long for the sequel! But the writing part is taking much longer for the sequel, Witch on the Water, whereas the publishing part (finding a publisher, revising, etc) was longer for Rowan of the Wood. We've been working on the sequel already for 1.5 years. It should be published later this year, though. Hopefully we'll cut off another year in the process for the third book!
Do you write non-stop until you have a first draft, or do you edit as you move along?
I certainly write the first draft before doing any editing. The story flow moves better that way for us. After I complete the first draft, I hand it over to my husband/co-author who takes it, alters it, and introduces sub-plots for the second draft. I take it back over for the third, and so on. After the fourth or fifth draft, we sit down and read it cover to cover together, looking for continuity problems, etc. Then the fine editing begins! It's a long process to say the least.
They say authors have immensely fragile egos… How would you handle negative criticism or a negative review?
Although I'm very sensitive as a person, I have an uncharacteristic thicker skin for as a professional. Sure, a negative review might sting a bit, but it passes quickly. So for for Rowan of the Wood, the positive reviews far outweigh the negative ones, so I keep that in mind. During the revision process, however, is where I see the biggest difference. I can take pretty rough criticism and suggestions before the book is published (or query letter is sent), because it's still a learning process. Every new critique is a new opportunity to learn and grow and improve my craft. Even negative reviews. I welcome any and all feedback, especially if it's constructive.
Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? What seems to work for unleashing your creativity?
Believe it or not. Writing. My degrees are in English Literature (BA/MA), so I've written and read a lot. But I never truly got it until I wrote this novel. I used to sit in front of a blank screen, trying to figure out a way to begin my novel (or screenplay or short story), but I finally got it. You don't have to write the beginning first. You can write the beginning last! That's the beauty of the revision process! So when I don't know what to write... I just start writing anyway because it can always be revised later. The most important thing is to keep writing.
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