Ohhh I love this question! I work with Children’s Book World (my local independent bookstore in Los Angeles) to get signed/personalized copies into the hands of readers. You can order HERE (and please do indicate the recipient’s first name if you’d like a personalized copy). Thanks for buying my books!

For a comprehensive answer, go to my post about writing and publishing here.

The best training is to read, read, read. If you’re a bookworm, you already have a head start on everyone else who wants to publish their projects. Also, read not just the classics, but read what’s being published today. Plot, pacing and characterization are much snappier in books being published today than, say, fifty years ago, thanks to competing media like YouTube channels, TV shows and movies. So if you want to be published the traditional way (with an agent and traditional publisher like Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Lee & Low, Candlewick, Chronicle, etc.), you have to keep abreast of the marketplace. That said, don’t focus too much on the market, trends, what others are up to, etc. You want to keep laser focused on your projects and not let the noise distract you too much.

And one more thing: rejection is all part of the process. I promise, it’ll make you stronger. The key is to let the rejection fuel you, rather than letting it break you. During the years when agents and publishers rejected my work, it would sting for a while, but then I became even more determined to make my next project better. And even when you’re a published author, rejection is still part of the game. You never know whether your next manuscript will sell or not, so rejection is something all writers in every phase of their career must get used to (unless you’re Stephen King or J.K. Rowling or…you get the picture).

Yes! A thousand times YES. I’ve always loved books and stories. I have a gazillion ideas, but the hard part is writing those ideas in a way that will make people want to read. I majored in English in college, but the funny thing is, I explored other “more practical majors” such as econ (yikes!) because I thought reading novels all day seemed too decadent a way to spend a college career. But you always turn back to what you love, and I’ve always loved books and stories.

My ideas come from everywhere: while having a conversation, watching the news, traveling, walking our dog — see the photo below…isn’t he TOO CUTE???

Anyway, if you pay attention to the world around you (even the most mundane details), a story idea may pop up. I also find it helpful to explore other art forms — visit a museum, go to a play, listen to music. That’ll help the creative juices flow. It’s also great to have a creative buddy or critique partner who will ask tough, intelligent questions about your characters, plot, etc. A fellow artist/writer is your best bet, or at least someone with a very strong artistic sensibility (you don’t want to buddy up with someone who thinks books are dull or who finds reading your work to be a tedious chore). My husband is actually the first reader and editor of all my writing projects. He’s very helpful with plotting/pacing because his taste is much more commercial than mine. It’s awesome to have my early drafts analyzed by someone who loves stories as much as I do. And of course, it’s great to have a dog who will think you are perfect no matter how terrible your first draft.

The short answer is no, I don’t have a writing schedule. I used to feel very guilty about not being able to write everyday, but I’ve come to realize that I’m okay with writing in productive bursts, rather than steady, regular hours each day. Since I work at a movie studio during the day, I usually write during the evenings and weekends. I’ve had to trim out a lot of social activities because I want to devote as much of my free time as I can to writing projects. At first, I felt really bad about missing out on social outings and invitations to cool-sounding events, but then I realized that I felt even worse when I didn’t have time to write. In fact, I get really cranky and antsy when I can’t write for a while. You can often find me grumbling in the corner when social events run too long. In other words, I’m an introvert and I’m passionately in love with being at home, so the life of a writer suits me perfectly.

I’ve always fantasized about being able to write at cute cafés or under an umbrella at the beach. But noise (even music without lyrics) doesn’t work well for me. So when I write, I usually camp out on our sofa in the sunny garden room or my upstairs office. Both spots have big windows, so I like looking at the sky every once in a while to watch the birds swoop by. Sometimes, a group of small, green parrots flies by – boy, are they noisy! Their chatter makes me laugh. They like to gossip while they fly. And that’s exactly what I’d do if I were a bird.

This guy usually keeps me company as I write on the sofa.

The view from the window near the sofa where I write. I often imagine that I’m somewhere in Provence!

I get these questions very frequently (sometimes even multiple times a day!). And the short answer is, unfortunately, no. But I completely empathize with how frustrating the road to (traditional) publication can be, so I wrote a comprehensive blog post to answer these questions in depth (along with many other frequently asked questions, such as how I got an agent) — check out this post.