Thursday, August 04, 2005

More Questions from Readers

Hi,
Those of you who've been emailing me in the past two weeks know I've had a tough time getting back to you. I'm still working hard on book 22, thinking about a new fantasy novel and training for a long bike ride, so so I'm answering some of your frequent questions here!


Q:I've read you wanted to be a vet and you were a teacher. When did you finally decide you wanted to be an author?

A: I've always loved to write, but I had lots of sensible teachers who encouraged me to keep writing even when I was working at other jobs. I took their advice, which has worked out great. Sadly, I also followed the warnings of a counselor who convinced me my math skills were so awful, I'd actually endanger animals as a vet. Since then, the vets I've talked to say they figure most medicine dosages on a calculator, but that's ok, because I discovered teaching and LOVED IT.  Some of the best times of my life have taken place in my classroom leading kids to enjoy Shakespeare & find literature that "spoke" to them.


Q: Have any major events in your life had an imapct on you as a person?

A: That's a huge question and I know I'll skip lots of stuff, but here are a few life-changing events:
In 7th grade, moving from a small town where I was surrounded by friends and family to a bigger city where I knew no one ... Winning journalism awards while I writing for my high school newspaper...saving a white lab rat named Francis....having a work of creative nonfiction receive a national award...using my food money to pay for riding lessons while I was in college...teaching English in a gang area of downtown Los Angeles ...meeting my husband...moving to Nevada & meeting Wild Horse Annie (Velma Johnston), the woman who -- with the support of the nation's kids -- got Congress to protect America's wild horses... having my two kids....adopting Rookie, an abused collie from Collie Rescue...working for "Nevada" magazine on stories which sent me out into cowboy country where I made friends and learned about a life I grew to love.


Q: Have any things going on in the news --during your teenage years, or even adult hood -- impacted you writings? 

A: Absolutely.
When I was a teenager, these things made sense to me:
the civil rights movements,  women's movement,  and the return to the Arthurian principle that might does NOT make right and the powerless deserve a voice. 
As an adult: I've been horrified and heart-broken that many Americans love money more than anything else. Leaders who are greedy, proud and arrogant make our country look bad, and I've noticed the villains in my books are like that, too. Linc and Rachel Slocum, Flick and others believe they have a God-given right to everything they want, regardless of who's hurt.

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Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:22 AM

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Comments: I read somewhere that British people make American people snobbish n spiolt in books and Americans do it the other way round, dyu think its true??
  Hmmm...I don't really think so, at least not recently. More writers are aware of stereotypes and try to avoid them!
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