#NoSeriously

Interview: @nngabor

The Five Standard Questions:

Question One: What inspired you to research and write the tough topic(s) that your novel centers around?

CATWALK is about a girl who enters the modeling biz. As a teen and young adult, I was a model in New York and my hometown area of Philadelphia. I had a lot of positive experiences, but some not-so-positive ones. There was sexual harassment, mistreatment of minors, lack of timely compensation, scams, and other practices that shouldn't happen in any profession -- much less one where the majority of employees are vulnerable girls and young women. There were no unions, few guidelines to follow, and no one really looking out for you. Girls were expected to tolerate this treatment if they wanted to continue working. I was appalled by this, and felt compelled to tell this story.

Question Two:  Has writing said tough topic changed the way you view writing, or the world in general? How has it impacted your creative aesthetic?

Working as a model and realizing that the industry was decades behind other industries when it came to labor laws definitely changed the way I saw the world at the time. And writing about it was a cathartic experience for me, but this was just one of the things I wanted to address in the book. Modeling is a backdrop for the story, but there are other universal themes that many people can identify with: growing up, leaving home, falling in love, deciding what to do with your life, making hard decisions – these are all challenges faced by characters in the book. It is these challenges that I most enjoyed exploring, and what ultimately helped me to learn more about myself.

Question Three: How do you hope to help people with your writing?

For girls who are interested in modeling, I would like them to take it as a cautionary tale. It's very important to research the industry before you get involved in any profession, but with modeling, you really have to make sure the agency you're working with is vetted and reputable. There have to be rules and systems in place, but you also have to trust your instincts: if something doesn't feel right, (no matter who is asking you to do it) it probably isn't.

But beyond the modeling angle, CATWALK is a coming-of-age story about following your heart and learning to make the tough choices -- the best choices for yourself -- even if they're not the popular ones. I hope CATWALK inspires readers to pursue their dreams, but, at the same time, to be guided by their internal moral compass.

Question Four: What does your writing process look like?

When I have a writing project, I treat it as a job. I "clock" my hours every day and have specific goals set. For example, with CATWALK, I have an idea of how many words I want to write each day. A typical goal might be "write the next scene to chapter 20" or "write 1,000 words" -- but it doesn't always happen that way, and when it doesn't, I try not to stress about it. Sometimes you just need time to think or gather your thoughts, and that counts as writing time, too. My best time for writing usually comes first thing in the morning, before my kids are awake.

In terms of plotting, I use an index card system and put a different plot idea on each card. There are many different storylines in CATWALK (i.e. Cat and Benji's relationship, Cat and Seth, Cat and Jonnie, Cat and her parents, Cat and her modeling endeavors), so it was hard to keep them all straight and make sure each plotline was progressing. I found using index cards helpful because it let me visualize the thread for each story line and identify any "holes." It also helped me balance the story by alternating somewhat evenly between storylines.

Question Five: What are your long-term goals with writing? What are your long-term goals outside of writing?

I'd love to eventually publish CATWALK. I also love to continue writing for children. I've published several early readers and picture books and I'd love to continue doing that. I've never written middle grade fiction or chapter books so that's something I'd love to write eventually. My kids are really young right now, so I think I'll have to wait until they are a bit older before I have more time to dive into a new project.