Interview with Margot Finke, Author of Taconi and Claude: Double Trouble

I recently had the opportunity to read and review two of Margot Finke's children's books; she is a very talented writer. Today I warmly introduce her. Thank you Margot for allowing me to interview you.

I have read Taconi & Claude-Double Trouble and could not put it down until the last page, how did you develop your skills as a writer?

Over many years of sitting at the feet of those willing to mentor me. I also did scads of rewrites, and received enough rejections to paper a small room. If you feel deep inside you that you have the “right writerly stuff,” never give up.

I discovered a love of words early on. I go over what I have written with care. I am always looking for verbs that are more active and more powerful. I love unique adjectives. I look for words that paint a vivid mental picture of a scene or a character. I think powerful and active words are a writer’s best friend. And, if you want to build tension, scatter a few short, punchy sentences within a paragraph. It WORKS!

I do believe that practice makes perfect.

Can you explain what inspired you to write such a riveting book?

The Australian outback and the aboriginal culture always fascinated me. I grew up hearing and reading about it, and living not too far from where it all happened. When kids at school, where I was a teacher’s aide, asked about my accent, I told them about the land Down-under, and their amazing and distinctive animals. I made up stories about some of the Aussie critters, as I had for my kids when they were young, and the kids were rapt. I wrote some of them down, and they ended up titled, “Wild and Wonderful,” my seven book rhyming series of eBooks. Then the idea of writing a book about the aboriginals in the outback grew within me. It didn’t happen overnight. There were rewrites galore,
and many rejections, plus second and third trips through my critique group: what would I have done without those long-suffering and talented writers?

Article Author: Nicole Weaver

Nicole Weaver was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti. She writes children's picture books. She is fluent in Creole, French, Spanish and English. She is a veteran teacher of French and Spanish at both the middle and high school levels. …

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