Writing...

 

I’ve always been an avid reader. I grew up reading Enid Blyton, Walter Farley, Judy Blume and Gordon Korman. I still remember reading my first Sweet Valley High. Young people today are so lucky to have such a wide and diverse selection of amazing books to choose from!

 

I love reading books that stay with you long after you’ve read the last line. I want to fall in love with perfectly flawed characters, escape into beautifully crafted settings and have my heart broken and healed again. I love books that stand the test of time and I love a good love story.

 

I wish I’d started writing when I was younger. As a girl, I was always making up stories. I thought I was daydreaming, but I was actually plotting – characters, setting, dialogue. I’d lay awake for hours, creating alternate endings to my favorite movies and television shows. I was in my thirties before I convinced myself that I could write a novel if I set my mind to it.

 

So, I love encouraging young people to pursue their writing dreams. For several years, I sponsored the Young Writer’s Program of National Novel Writing Month at the International School of Curacao. I love the enthusiasm and creativity of the young writers who participate! If you are a young writer and looking for some motivation, please check out the program at:

 

http://ywp.nanowrimo.org