Debut You is an interview feature on Our Stories Matter blog. Debut authors, who have released or have upcoming releases in 2020, are given five questions to answer about themselves and their book. Currently, the questions are the same for all authors. We hope you enjoy getting to know these new authors and can offer them your support.
Describe yourself in five words, then expound on one of them.
Passionate, smart, motivated, introverted, and persevering.
The last one was especially important for my journey as an author because I had to write four books over many years before finally getting published. I never quit because I believed that if I kept going, I’d finally reach that dream!
Explain your writing procedure, such as how you come up with ideas, carve out time to write (or, if you can write anywhere at any time during the day), deal with writer’s block, or anything particular or peculiar.
My ideas come from everywhere. I came up with From the Desk of Zoe Washington after listening to a podcast. What inspired my second novel, A Soft Place to Land, is a personal experience I had as a kid. Once I have a general idea, I usually try to come up with an outline before starting to write. As for when I write, I need to carve out time for it since I also juggle a day job and parenting. I like waking up early to write, and I also write a lot on the weekends.
Balance is the key to successful living. How do you balance the act of writing with other priorities, such as your job, family or fun activities, and self-care?
This is such a tough question to answer right now during this pandemic! Pre-pandemic, this was easier to do because my daughter was in school full-time, and my day job is part-time. I had a couple of dedicated writing days each week and could also go to the library or a coffee shop on the weekend to focus. Now that my daughter is doing remote learning at home, and I can’t go to coffee shops to write anymore, so it’s been harder to find that balance. My productivity has definitely gone down this year, but I find ways to squeeze writing in so I can hit my deadlines. As for self-care, I’ve never been able to write at night, so I usually use my evenings to relax. When I’m not writing on the weekends, I’m spending time with my family.
Understanding your audience is essential. What do you know for sure about the audience you are writing for?
My audience of young readers is smart and insightful and can handle more than you might think! From the Desk of Zoe Washington covers some tough topics, like systemic racism and incarceration. Some adults might think kids can’t handle reading about these subjects, but readers are really engaging with these topics through Zoe’s story, which has been great to see.
Tell us about your book.
My debut novel, From the Desk of Zoe Washington, tells the story of twelve-year-old Zoe, who dreams of competing on the Food Network’s Kids Bake Challenge and becoming a pastry chef. On her twelfth birthday, she unexpectedly receives a letter from her father, Marcus, who she’s never met because he’s been in prison her whole life. She decides to write back, and they get to know each other. Then she finds out something surprising: Marcus might be innocent of his crime. From there, Zoe questions assumptions, searches for the truth, and does what she believes is right, even in the face of great opposition.
Janae Marks has an MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Writing for Children from The New School. She grew up in the suburbs of New York City, and now lives in Connecticut with her husband and daughter. From the Desk of Zoe Washington is her debut novel.
From the Desk of Zoe Washington (Katherine Tegen Books, January 14, 2020, Middle-Grade, 304 Pages)
Connect with Janae Marks
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