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September 20, 2012 Scientific discovery, everyday heroes, and hobgoblins. Where else would you find such a diverse collection of indie book reviews? Only in FTW's staff picks!
Author Interview
Provocative interviews with great writers who have earned c coverage in ForeWord Reviews. Our editorial mission is to continuously beam a light on the versatile . achievements of independent publishers and their authors.
What was your favorite book when you were a child? rite
My favorite book was A Wrinkle in Tim , which I read when I was nine. It kicked off Time, several years of devouring science fiction and a passion for astrophysics. Later I loved the Chronicles of Narnia series, the Dune series, and, of course, the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I read LOTR yearly for a decade after that first astonishing read.
What did you have to unlearn, un-believe about yourself to find your truth as a writer?
This is a great question. Since I had not written a book ever, an article, journal, or even an essay in years, I thought, at some level, that I was no longer a writer. Then I realized that I had been writing case notes, psychosocial assessments, and discharge
summaries for my twenty years of being a psychotherapist. I realized that those counted, and this thought helped me let go of the idea that I was not a writer.
What does finishing look like? Is it harder than starting? Is there a part of you that doesnt want to let go?
In The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, there is this wonderful line that Schmendrick the magician says, There are no happy endings because nothing ever ends. Putting the period on the end of that last sentence didnt feel like finishing. Writing the words to the book is only a part of the mission of the book. After the last sentence, there is editing, then proofing then publicizing then workshops and speaking, and so on. There is no end in sight. In terms of just the writing itself, I have a strong internal sense of when pieces are done. I always have. I dont know where it comes from. I was very happy on the day I realized the book was complete.
Do you have any particular story to tell concerning the writing of this book?
Yes. This book, any book perhaps, needed a certain amount of kismet to find a publisher and an agent. If it were not for the annual Willamette Writers Conference here in Portland, Oregon, my daughter would not have won an award for writing. If not for her award I would never have attended that year. If I had not attended I never would have met my first choice agents from Jeff Herman Literary Agency. When I met Deb Herman she did not even let me finish my book pitch because she had such a strong positive intuitive feeling about my book, and her husband, Jeff, did end up becoming my agent. Author, Julie Fast encouraged me, at that same conference, to use my training in the Harvard medical system to help promote myself as an expert (it had never occurred to
me). What these synchronicities have meant to me, is that, for whatever reason, this book was meant to find an agent, a publisher, and an audience. I am very grateful to be along for the ride.