What is your writing process?
It typically starts with a scene or an image of a character. My short story Shibari Sails started with some photographs I'd taken of my part of south Florida and some of wonderful people I've met, over the years. I envisioned an innocent young woman falsely convicted, and started writing. The characters took over and the first draft was finished in two days. Once I create a first draft, I always set it aside for at least a week, before attempting to edit. My editing process includes reading the text outloud. This little trick helps catch a ton of typoes.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
The first one I recall reading is Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. It was an old hard-bound edition given to me by a distant relative when I was about eight. I loved it and haven't stopped reading since.
Read more of this interview.