Can you tell us about yourself?
Wow. That’s a
HUGE question. Sometimes I wonder, myself. I am a former teacher
and former theater educator from New York. I have always wanted to
be a writer, but didn’t know what KIND of writer until 2010. And
then it kinda seemed like a no-brainer. Picture Books + Marcie =
perfect fit.
Let’s see.
What are the top 10 spicy things I can tell you about…
- I used to work in the Broadway theater industry.
- I once met Sir Paul McCartney at a party.
- Tony Randall, of THE ODD COUPLE fame, used to be my boss.
- I’ve been skydiving.
- I worked the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade once.
- I just recently ran the NYC Marathon.
- I studied for most of my masters degree oversea in the UK.
- I starred in a B-rate horror flick back in the day. Eeek! Can you say “straight to video”?
- My fiancé is an artist who’s medium is Lego bricks. You can check out his work at BKNY Bricks on Facebook. (psst…for his REAL job he works at Little, Brown though.)
- I am one degree from Kevin Bacon.
What has most influenced your picture
book writing journey?
Truly, I think
it’s the way I look at life. I tend to have a 5 year old
sensibility. I view a lot of my household goings-on through the eyes
of my sock monkey. When you look at life that way, the scenarios
keep rolling in.
What inspires your revisions?
The drive to “get
it right.” I want each one of my stories to be the best that they
can be. Therefore, I want to be stretched and questioned. I belong
to 3 critique groups and have many friends who read my work, as well.
They truly inspire me to keep on keepin’ on.
The current
manuscript my agent has out on submission is version #25! Yeah. You
heard me. Number 25! I worked on the manuscript for 14 months and
in that time wrote many drafts and had many eyes look at it. I had
professional critiques and peer critiques. I think I was at version
#23 when I signed with my agent. And then we went through two
revisions together before finally deciding version #25 was the one we
wanted to send out into the world.
So,
revisions are important. Having patience is important. Being
thorough is important. That’s why you have to love the process.
How has having an agent changed your
revision process?
I have a greater
sense of confidence since landing my agent. I guess I like the idea
that at least one more person in the industry loves my work and
thinks its worthy of publication. So, when Susan asks for revisions
I take them very seriously. I know she has the best interest of the
story in mind and I love that I now have a “business partner”. I
trust her. Her critiques have been spot on.
Recently I sent a
revision to her that I was certain was ready to submit. I was a
little disappointed when she returned my manuscript to me a few days
later with notes for revision. She apologized, but said she didn’t
think it was quite there yet. But to be truthful, I would rather
have an agent say, “Its not ready yet” than “Its good enough.”
Favorite picture book?
Hmmmm. I think I
have to go with a classic. CAPS FOR SALE by Esphyr Slobodkina. Not
only does it have monkeys in it (my fave!) but it is a fabulously fun
read-aloud and a favorite of mine since childhood.
Favorite hair product? (Love those
locks!)
Alas, it always
comes down to the hair, doesn’t it?
About 3 years ago I decided to splurge and get my hair cut at “The
Curly Girl Salon”, officially called Devachan, right here in NYC.
They specialize in cutting curly hair. My curls have never looked
better. And, in fact, I use hardly any products now because the cut
is so good. But I do use the Devachan hair products which are better
for curly hair because they do not have any silicone in them. I use
the Devachan Low-poo Shampoo, One Condition Conditioner and DevaCurl
Light Defining Gel. That’s it. My routine is simple. I condition
and use the gel every other day. The shampoo I use when
needed…sometimes only once every 2 weeks. And there you have it.
Thank you Marcie, love your 10 spicy things! I have to ask, how are you one degree from Kevin Bacon? :D
Check out all the Pre-ReviMo Interviews here!
Last day to spread the word about ReviMo and win! Enter here!
Thank you Marcie, love your 10 spicy things! I have to ask, how are you one degree from Kevin Bacon? :D
Check out all the Pre-ReviMo Interviews here!
Last day to spread the word about ReviMo and win! Enter here!
