1. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
I'm a former reporter for the Chicago Sun Times and author of four books--all nonfiction--and Huffington Post blogger. I think I have probably been writing longer than many Wattpad writers have been alive. I live in a house at the foot of a beautiful mountain range on the outskirts of Tucson now, after spending about eight years on the Hopi reservation as the wife or a Hopi artist. I was a teacher and school administrator for many years, too—my second calling is education. And I have one gorgeous daughter...and a charmed life, now that I've retired 'way early to do nothing but write. I'm working on my first novel, Educational Experience, and posting the first draft on Wattpad as I go.
2. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?I started writing before I could actually write. As a tiny tot, I used to scribble "stories" on any little scrap of paper I could find and "read" them to myself and others. So I knew I wanted to write from the minute I realized there was such a thing! I loved books, and I wanted to write them.
3. How long does it take you to write a book?I'm just writing my first fiction book, so I can't say yet. But it took me about a year to do my last non-fiction book.
4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I'll be writing my third novel in five years, and discussing the filming of the second with a producer who wants me to offer notes on the script.
5. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?I start writing first thing in the morning and write until I feel my eyes and mind need a rest. Then, I return later, usually after 10 p.m., for the "second wind" rewrite. Writing is all I do, so I don't have to worry about creating a formal schedule, though.
6. If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
I wish I'd written either The Catcher in the Rye or The Crossing. Both books feature young protagonists of extraordinary sensitivity and insight, who face ordeals that test them to their limits. "Catcher," I love for presenting the world through the eyes of a remarkable character whose love of beauty and truth almost kills him. My first novel, Educational Experience, is my attempt to do something similar.
"Crossing" has a similar protag from a totally different background and time period, and I love how similar they are, even so. One is written simply, in the voice of the character, the other is ornate and complex and rich—gorgeous language. I am awed by how both authors managed to delve so deeply into the minds of not just their characters but all of us, too.
7. When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I wrote my first book when I was about 24 and I refuse to tell you how long ago that was!
8. What do you like to do when you're not writing?When I'm not writing, I'm thinking about writing. But I read and watch lots of movies, usually. Both help me with my writing.
9. What does your family think of your writing?My family is very proud of what I've accomplished and very supportive of everything I do. I think my parents were shocked that I made a living at it, but they got used to seeing my byline and hearing my stories from the road when I traveled with rock bands and celebs back in my Sun Times years.
10. Imagine you're characters from your favorite book are on survivor. Who will they vote out of the book?My characters would get rid of the judge who "sentenced" Colton to go back to high school. He's a vindictive and twisted individual.
11. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?I've written four, and the one I like best is the one that I published myself about two years ago. It was a compilation of pieces from Salon and Open Salon called The Keka Collection—my blog on Open Salon is called Keka's Blog. I had stopped writing full time when I started blogging just for the love of it. And when my blog "took off," I was pleasantly surprised. So the book was my way of celebrating that, and it was delightful to see it all come together and not to have to work with a traditional publisher.
12. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?I do hear from readers. They are inspired by particular pieces from The Keka Collection, and my blog posts as well. Many want to share similar stories with me. And of course, I hear from Wattpad folks, who are keeping up with my novel-in-progress. They are following along and sometimes learning new ways to write by reading me, just as I learn a lot from them.
13. What do you think makes a good story?For me, a good story has to challenge me in some way. I love difficult books—I remember how none of my classmates could stand The Sound and the Fury, but I was crazy about it because it was so indecipherable at first. I don't look for page turners—they bore me. I need a writer to do something completely new and surprising that takes me a while to figure out.
14. Imagine your main character dies on page one. Everything else remains the same. Describe the new plot to your book.If Colton died at the beginning of the book, the book would be the musings of all of the people he knew and had loved and helped in some way—and some of the people he had pissed off, too. It might be a series of short stories by each supporting character, each one about a particular day in his life. It might also be a book written by the older woman he loved, explaining how he changed her life. These are some thoughts—it would take a while for me to come up with something really unique!
15. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?As I child I wanted to meet all of my favorite celebrities, travel and write. I did all three!
16. Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?This was tough, because I met almost all the ones I wanted to meet—the living ones. I would've loved to meet John Lennon, though. Ringo and George I did meet. Haven't met Paul yet. John was and is a big inspiration to me on many levels. I loved what he stood for and how he tried to teach by example.
17. What was the easiest part of writing? The easiest part of fiction writing was getting characters to start talking to me. They talk whether I want to write about them or not! For nonfiction, the easiest part is...well, nonfiction is easy for me in general. I can do a HuffPo piece in an hour or less. It's my reporting background, I guess. Writing on deadline is great practice.
18.Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? My current book, which I'm drafting via Wattpad, has taught me a new way of composing. I write with far more focus when I have an audience waiting, and I've also found that writing the most complete short chapter I can, and leaving the audience in suspense also helps keep me interested. Stopping before the next big reveal keeps me going—I want to get to the keyboard right away every day.
I also find that this piece is unfolding more organically but also more logically. I never finished other novels I started because I saw myself writing toward some distant ending. Now, each chapter is a mini book, with a little unanswered question at the end, so to speak. Breaking it into smaller pieces that way really changed everything. I'm so thrilled to feel so totally invested in my fiction writing at last.
19.Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? The most specific advice I could offer is to write your own way. Find your own voice, your own "methods" and stick to that. It's fine to research and consult others and join groups, etc. But my most successful writing has always been the writing that I didn't have to think about so much, the writing that came from the deepest part of me, and was not overtly "informed" by anyone or anything else. If you write from that part of you, there will be lots of others who "feel you," and will read your work. So write for yourself, write from the depths, and don't worry about anything else.
20. Do you have any advice for other writers?My advice to writers is similar to what I've already said. Believe in yourself. I started writing to authors and others I admired early on, and found mentors who were willing to work with me and help me find work or get published because I believed I was good and worked as hard as I could to prove it. To this day, I can write to any agent, publisher or producer and get a thoughtful response—I sell almost everything I send out. I've had years to hone my craft, but the first baby steps were simply doing a lot of writing and then, reaching out to people who had been writing even longer. When I realized they were taking me seriously, I began to take myself seriously, too.You're just as worthy as the authors you admire. No one is "better" than you as a person—they may be better writers, but you're capable of joining them if you put in the work. Never be "nervous" or feel inferior to your literary idols. Just write. From the heart. All the time.You have stories to tell. You owe it to yourself and the world to get them out there. Do the work. Do the work. Do the work!