Zoe's Book Reviews: Guest Post: Micol Ostow

Today, as a part of the Teen Book Scene tours- I have Micol Ostow here to talk about the emotional part of writing her new book, Family.

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It was really hard to write family! The voice, style, and subject matter were totally new to me as a writer. I learned quickly that the writing process would be different for this book.?

For starters, while I'd been writing mostly in public spaces -- the library, a local cafe, a shared writers' space -- but with this book, I really needed total peace and quiet. So the bulk of family was written in my home, which was a change. It's actually shifted my entire routine -- for the most part, I almost always write from home these days.

I also found that I was better off writing first thing in the morning, where in the past, I'd work after the coffee/gym/errands morning routine.family seemed to flow better before I let the rest of the world intrude. Now, on writing days, I try to get to the computer straightaway -- no email, no phone, no Internet. It makes a difference!

Personally, I also found it helpful to read things that had a similar tone or style to what I was trying to write -- dark books, books dealing with edgier themes, etc. It was an intense period -- maybe I could have used a romantic comedy break or two! -- but reading the dark stuff was how I kept myself in the right frame of mind.?

I also read a lot of free verse. I hadn't spent much time before then reading or studying poetry, and I wanted to familiarize myself with the genre as best as I could.?

And last but not least, it was important for me to have a ritual for Ending the Day, creating a separation between being in the book, and in the real world. If I could, I made plans to see friends. Or, I'd take the dog for a long walk, and pick up some wine and some food to cook for dinner for my husband and myself. Sometimes as a self-employed writer, it's hard to set limits, and to put work aside. So making the end of the day official was really helpful for me.???

Source: http://www.zoesbookreviews.com/2011/05/guest-post-micol-ostow.html

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