On Writing

I never thought I would be writing a novel! Writing fiction, as I have found out, takes time. The main thing I have learned so far is to be patient. I finished my first draft of “Deotila and the Moon Lizard” seven years ago, in 2015. As you can see from the image on the left, I wrote the entire novel out by hand. Seven years later, I am on my seventh draft of the same novel!
​          It takes time to create a story world. It takes time to find the heart of the story. And it takes time to learn the fine art of storytelling.

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​The other thing I’ve learned about writing fiction is the helpfulness of others. Whether it’s colleagues and teachers in writings groups or literary agents who rejected my queries, everyone has taught me something. I’ve even learned a thing or two from fellow artists on Instagram. The drawing you see here I made seven years ago for the first draft of “Deotila and the Moon Lizard.” 

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