The Changes in Cindy

I thought a lot about Cindy last night.  It is interesting creating characters because they become very real to you.  You see and hear things that remind you of them.  I attended a documentary last night called 56 and up. It followed a handful of men and women, starting from when they were seven years old until the time they turned 56, catching up with them every 7 years.  These children, basically, grow up right before your eyes.  It was neat because you were able  to hear how their expectations for life differed from when they were children to when they were in retirement.  The documentary began filming in 1964.  As I watched some of the young girls talk about growing up and becoming wives and mothers, I thought of Cindy. One important element of my series is the way social roles changed in society. In 1960, the roles of women were in the home, then that gradually changed.  I thought on that for awhile.  How different will Cindy be from freshman year in 1960 to senior year in 1964?

Blog Interview

Hello All,
Drop by Gary Winstead's blog, Saving Literacy, to check out an interview with yours truly.  Interview's are always fun to do, because they make you think about questions that you would not normal ask yourself.  I enjoyed Gary's questions. They made me consider my own writing process. I guess we all have one. I  just never really considered it.  What do I when I get stuck?  What it inspires me to write?  Well, if you want to know the answers, then you have to read the interview.  :)
Talk to you all soon

Saving Literacy

Interview with a Teen Reader: Lori

Hello All,
I am excited to start a series of posts called "Interview with a Teen Reader."  The goal of this series is to learn directly from the source what it is like as a high school student today, while relating it to the experiences of my main character, Cindy Lawrence.  Lori was sweet enough to be the first reader to interview with me.  Lori is 17 years old and in 11th grade.  I am excited to share with you her thoughts on the book, and how it relates to her teenage life.  I hope you enjoy the interview!  Also, please become a follower and share your thoughts about what has been said.  This series is just beginning, so this interview is a little short and sweet.  Let me know what kind of information you would like from the readers, and I will try to include it in my next interview.

Q: Who was your favorite character?  Why were they your favorite?

Lori: Johnny was my favorite character because of his sweet and respectful attitude towards others. Also, who doesn't love a sensitive and mysterious hot guy!?

Q: Who was your least favorite character? Why were they your least favorite?

Lori: I have to say my least favorite character is a tie between Michael and Judy. They both frequently hit my nerves and quite often I wanted to reach into the book and punch them in the face till they are black and blue.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your favorite scene, and what about that scene did you enjoy so much?

Lori: I think my favorite scene was the birthday party. I enjoyed this scene the most because it was kind of the point of no return for Cindy. She made the right choice in my opinion, although I had hoped she would've made the decision sooner.

Q: Are there any characters you identify with? Why?

Lori: l think I most relate to Ruby. I, like Ruby, face derision from others based on my appearance and lack of popularity.   

Q: Is Cindy’s freshman experience similar at all to your experience, and how was it similar?

Lori: Cindy's freshman experience was similar to mine in that I started out involved with the wrong crowd. This crowd cared more about climbing the popularity ladder than being considerate of the people around them and Cindy, like I, realized this just a little bit late.

Q: Is there any character that you wished you knew more about? 

Lori: I wish I knew more about Ruby. I would enjoy watching Cindy and Ruby's friendship grow.

 

Q: What were your feelings in general about the story?

Lori: In general, I loved reading this story! It was so exciting and entertaining that once I had started, I could not stop. Even though I did not relate much to Cindy's experiences with boys-I did however relate very much so to the drama and bullying that she faced and was surrounded with. All in all, this was a great read and I wanna read more! I can hardly wait for the second one to be published!