I grew up in Tennessee where I created my first book when I was about 8 years. It was about my Siamese Chocolate point, Susu, and her sleuthing adventures. I won several art awards in high school and also while acquiring my Bachelor of Fine Arts. I worked as an Interior Designer/CaDD operator (3D drawings) for an architectural firm specializing in luxury hospitals before attending law school.
Initially, I clerked for judges, researching and writing published opinions. In Florida, I practiced transactional law (contracts and intellectual property) and employment law while working for large corporations. I dabbled with fiction writing during my spare time, but kept my aspirations a secret. Later, I created, marketed and designed hand painted fabrics for which I received recognition at the International Fashion Fabric Exhibition in New York and I was featured in Southern Living and several fashion sections of newspapers.
One day my husband suggested I write children's books. After I shared a completed MG mystery I'd written without his knowing, he has supported my dream. Currently, I write full time and the manuscript I'm going to share with you is the first I've submitted for critique feedback, although you won't be the first readers.
I look forward to reaching our goals together. Thank you for including me.
Janet Marie,
ReplyDeleteYou have such a rich background! Are you able to pull from your experiences in your writing?
Yes. I do pull from my experiences and obviously interpretations of those experiences. Much of my inspiration comes from traveling, including short weekend excursions. But as with any writer, it seems my strongest scenes are inspired by my life and not by what I've witnessed about others. Whenever an author has unusual situations in her life, like Stephanie Meyer's protagonist basically has not relationship with her mother in the Twilight series, I always wonder what happened in her life to cause her to have such a big situation as if it's a typical situation. My goal is to apply my creative education with my strengths from working as an attorney, which resulted in my pursuing writing. Although usually optomistic, I must admit lately I've been a little unconvinced my current project will ever be any good. Are you setting and premise based on personal experience?
ReplyDelete