I began writing fiction around 2001, shortly after I finished my MFA in Writing. This surprised me because for twenty-five years I had written only nonfiction articles, poetry, and memoir. I did not believe I had the knowledge or the skills to craft a novel-length piece of work, nor to imagine the intricacies of multiple lives and relationships.
But one day I heard a voice other than my own inside my head. At first I was startled and afraid. Then I became intrigued. I realized a woman was trying to tell me her story. So I listened…and the more I listened the more I understood that my role as a writer was to simply write down the details I heard and ask questions along the way.
And I’ve been listening ever since.
I spend much of my life looking for places and people and situations that serve as catalysts for my creativity and inspiration for my stories. I love imagining the lives of others, trying to figure out who they are and why they do the things they do. Most of all, I love the way my characters teach me about myself.