Where do you get your ideas?

Characters show up in my head and start bugging me. If I write books about them, they go away and leave me alone. So really, I became an author because I was being nagged by imaginary people. And that sentence right there shows why it is unlikely I will hold any other job.

What advice can you give aspiring writers?

One – Read everything you can get your hands on. Become a critical reader. Figure out what you like, what you don’t like, and why.

Two – Write. Don’t make excuses about how you don’t have time. If you care enough about it, you’ll make time, even if it is only ten minutes a day.

Three – Be courageous and strong enough to revise your work.

Four – Be nice to your parents. If you are trying to make a living in the arts, you’re going to be living in their basement for a while.

How long does it take to write a book?

It depends on the book, but generally it takes me about two years and seven drafts to produce a book that anybody wants to read. My first drafts are atrociously bad.

Wait – why do you have to revise your books? You’re an author!

I am a published author because I revise my books. Nobody writes a first draft that is good enough to be published. Authors spend most of their time revising and editing their work. I’ve been known to spend days on one page, trying hundreds of different ways to get the words in just the right order. I actually love revising my work. It’s the first draft – the yucky one – that is the hardest thing for me to write.

What influences your writing?

Lots of things. The kids and teenagers I meet, memories, newspaper articles, music, the concerns and activities of my kids and their friends. And my dreams.

When did you want to be an author?

I got serious about my writing in 1992, when my daughter, Meredith, went to first grade.

What inspires you?

You.

ABOUT FEVER 1793

What inspired you to write FEVER 1793?

I read an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer in August of 1993 that gave the details about the epidemic. I was stunned - I had never heard of the epidemic, and American History is my hobby. When I read about the courage of the people who struggled to survive those days, I knew I had to write about it.

Was the epidemic really as extreme as portrayed in the book?

Absolutely. It is hard for us to imagine how scary it was during those weeks. Some people truly thought that the epidemic would continue until every person in the city was dead.

What happens after the book? Will there be a sequel?

I've thought about a sequel, but it's going to be a couple of years before I can start writing it. Mattie and Nathaniel will definitely get married, I can promise you that.

MORE TO COME... KEEP CHECKING IN!