NOPE! More like bullies, giraffes and cats. Oh my!<\/p>\n
Post first appeared on Uncommon YA, Friday, 4\/11\/14.<\/em><\/p>\n A neighborhood stray dies in the street near our house. A giraffe graces the blacktop of our local mall. John R * * * * * * * repeatedly punches my arm in Mr. Whealon\u2019s 11th grade history class. This is just a sampling of how any-and-everything slinks from life into my writing.<\/p>\n I was driven to write THE NAMESAKE<\/a><\/em> by a crushing family loss: the 2001 suicide of my cousin, Mark. That initial inspiration, a son lost in the wake of his father\u2019s self-destruction, was just my entry point. As the story revealed itself, I pulled and twisted bits of my history\u2014and daily experience\u2014into the mosaic of fiction. Writing became a mesh of memory and immediacy. In fabricating my character\u2019s experience, I drew heavily on my own.<\/p>\n Evan\u2019s encounter weekend (minus the freaky trauma) so closely mirrored mine, it was equally effortless and unsettling committing it to page. Lighter moments, like Evan drinking Mochakoola smoothies at the mall during a snowstorm, benefited from my location while writing it. At the mall. During a snowstorm. Drinking<\/em>\u2026well, you get the idea. Noticing, and then recording, the truth of small moments brings life to fiction, fiction to life.<\/p>\n My current YA work-in-progress, the story of a cheeky gal named Teddi Alder, borrows liberally from my real life as well. Unlike Evan\u2019s, Teddi\u2019s story\u2014a psychological thriller of mystery, memory and romance\u2014bears little narrative resemblance to my life, but oh, the details of place! Here, a brief similarities quiz:<\/p>\n Teddi lives: She suffers: Teddi\u2019s summer activities include: Sensing a pattern? Life inspires.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been really fun this time around just allowing the story to wander into uncharted territory, while intentionally frontloading details of my life into the creation of setting and character. I\u2019m also grooving on slipping folks\u2019 names into the mix (Andrea? Julia?).<\/p>\n So I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve answered the inspiration prompt yet. I guess for me it boils down to connection. Connecting with the world around me, letting it in, avoiding limits of the \u201cI can\u2019t write that\/go there\u201d variety. <\/p>\n Today in my developmental writing class, a student said, “The key to improving is not accepting limits.” I found that inspirational, too (Thanks, Rob). Truth is my students inspire me deeply; their ability to soldier on in the face of often unfathomable challenges is profound. Sometimes I can\u2019t resist weaving bits of our experience into story.<\/p>\n What inspires me? Everything, I guess. If I had to serve up a sliver of inspiration advice, it would probably be: Pay attention. To everything. You never know how that dead cat, unexpected giraffe, or classroom bully will enrich your fiction.<\/p>\n Like Steven\u2019s author page on Facebook<\/a>!
\na) next door to a park pool (Ditto her creator)
\nb) in a renovated family store (Yup)
\nc) both a & b<\/strong><\/p>\n
\na) a pathological fear of shark attack (Umm, me too)
\nb) a love of giraffes bordering on obsession (Check)
\nc) both a & b<\/strong><\/p>\n
\na) a writing workshop (Oh yeah!)
\nb) spending time with her wonky cockapoo (Best dog ever!)
\nc) both a & b<\/strong> <\/p>\n
\nFollow him on Twitter<\/a>!
\nBuy the Book:
\nPurchase THE NAMESAKE on Amazon<\/a>, Barnes & Noble.com<\/a> or find it on Indiebound<\/a>.
\nReviews
\nPublishers Weekly<\/a> praised my novel as \u201can introspective debut.\u201d <\/p>\n