1. Your novel, The Existence of Pity, takes place in the (beautifully described) country of Colombia. What made you choose that setting?
The setting for The Existence of Pity came from my own experience, growing up in Colombia, South America. Even as a child, I knew the city of Cali, nestled in the Andes mountains, was a special place.
I didn’t use Cali as a setting for my writing until November 1, 2010, when I sat down to write a novel in a month with an online organization called NaNoWriMo, https://nanowrimo.org/ So many people had asked, “What was it like, growing up in Colombia?” I decided to answer the question with a novel.
I paint as clear a picture as I could of the house my family lived in, the seminary across the street, the school I attended, the delicious breads and fruits, the stunning mountain ranges. These are still vivid in my mind, as are the experiences of visiting Cristo Rey high above the city, surviving earthquakes, riding around Cali in the city buses, traveling to the mountain town of Silvia and the island of San Andrés.
2. Do you find using some of your own experiences makes writing easier? Or are there some surprising challenges to it?
The words came easily as I wrote what I knew, but two challenges presented themselves. No matter how intriguing the setting, my day-to-day life in Cali wasn’t terribly exciting. I ended up adding many events to Josie’s story to flesh out the plot. I’m quick to acknowledge that most of what happens to Josie never happened to me!
The second challenge is that no two people remember history the same way, and some may not agree with my take on life in Colombia in the seventies. One of the best parts of being a writer, though, is following Thoreau’s edict to “Write what you will never read.” I wrote this book for myself, to enjoy Colombia again. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane, and worth facing the challenges.
3. As much fun as being a writer is, it can mean a lot of sitting behind a computer. What do you do to stay active?
We’re fortunate enough to live ten minutes from the Gulf of Mexico, and my family and I love to spend time there swimming, doing yoga on the beach, and throwing a football around. It’s been over twenty years since I met my husband at a gym, and we still enjoy exercising and taking classes. Now we go to Chips 24hr Health. I’m on a tennis team, too, and I find that the sport offers valuable life lessons on and off the court, not just a good workout.
| 4. I hear that you have some writing rituals that help with the “inner” work all writers have to do. Could you share those with us? I love the rituals of writing. The music that immerses me in my work, the cup of coffee that encourages me, the computer games I like to play that settle me into the right frame of mind, the pictures and quotes around my messy desk that spur me on. Some days I may not get much written, but I’m happy to be where I am, setting the stage for a better day to come, when the ideas flow, and I’m typing as fast as I can to keep up with my characters’ conversations. |
| Associating my desk with comfort and ease helps me sit down and write when I feel stuck or uninspired, but there are days I don’t make it to my desk, and I have to remind myself that the book will get written. Sometimes it’s more important to follow the fun. My college-aged daughter and her boyfriend are living with us over the summer, giving our home the feel of a busy train station as we all come and go from our jobs, movies, baseball games, and the beach. We just bought our high school senior her first car, a 2008 Hyundai Sonata with low miles, so she can drive herself to her summer job at Publix. In the evenings we watch the soccer world cup games and talk about future plans over pizzas. This summer slumber party will end, and my writing will be there, but for now, I’m collecting life experiences, and having a wonderful time. |
5. Finally, can your fans look forward to anything new coming down the pipe?
Yes! I wrote the rough draft of the sequel to The Existence of Pity during NaNoWriMo 2012. This novel begins with Josie standing in front of an apartment building on a cold February night seven years after her sixteenth summer. Just as I used my early life in Colombia as the setting for my first book, I’m using my years as a motorcyclist and a palm reader at Washington, DC’s Park Hyatt hotel for the second. I don’t want to rush the writing, though. I’d rather take a little longer and get it right. But soon, I promise, I’ll be sending it to the best publishing team on the planet, Red Adept! Thanks for the opportunity to share!
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