James Jeffra

I begin with a high-level outline, capturing all of the "scenes" I'd like to place my characters in. Once the outline is complete, I'll go back and fill in more detail. I continue doing this until I have a reasonable framework to start writing.
I actually use the outline document as my draft document. This enables me to quickly go back and reference the outline I constructed to ensure I'm including those moments or segments I initially wanted to capture. Of course, the writing process is extremely fluid, so what sounded good during the outlining phase, may not actually end up in the final version.

Not sure I remember the first story I read. It was likely some book I read in the first grade. For some reason "Pug" seems to stand out. However, I do remember a book I read over and over called, "The Chocolate Touch." It's about a boy who only eats candy, specifically chocolate. One day he stumbles upon a candy store he'd never seen before and procures a special box of chocolate. That night, he opens the box to find a single wrapped piece of chocolate. After consuming that single piece of chocolate, the boy learns that everything he eats or drinks immediately turns to chocolate.
For me, there was something disturbing about this book. The idea that a young boy's obsession would eventually turn into his nightmare was quite intriguing. Plus, I've never been a big fan of chocolate, so I recall being somewhat disgusted when reading how the flavor of chocolate was associated with everything the boy put into his mouth.