TeacherWriter

Today on the Writing Room Inspiration series, I’m pleased to welcome Jo Ramsey. She’s a multi-published author whose book, Dolphins in the Mud will be available in May 2012.

Let’s get started! Please tell us a little about yourself. What types of things do you write?

I’ve been writing since I was five years old, and wrote my first novel-length story when I was twelve. That one will probably never be published. Currently, I write young adult contemporary and urban fantasy under this name; under a pen name, I write adult romance. Some of my YA books have gay or bisexual characters, and I have a few books coming soon in which the main character is gay.

That’s a funny comment about your first novel. Do you have a schedule for writing?

No schedule per se. I do have kind of a morning routine involving coffee and quiet, but otherwise I write as I’m able. I have a part-time “day job” that’s only about 12-15 hours per week, so other than that and the time I spend with my family, I write.

Do you have any writing rituals, such as music, food, clothes, or anything else to help you?

I don’t really have any rituals. Sometimes I like to listen to music; other times I find it too distracting. I like to burn scented candles, but my husband complains about the smell, so I can’t use them often.

Who or what is your inspiration?

Many things and people inspire me. It’s hard to pick just one or two.

Could you tell us about your writer’s space?

My husband and I just redid my writer’s space this past weekend. Previously, I had one desk, a narrow one that didn’t leave me much space to put things. I had a tall bookcase that was overflowing with STUFF, and half the time I couldn’t find things because everything was so cluttered.

Now, thanks to hubby’s indulgence, I still have the narrow desk, but it forms only part of my space, along with a new corner desk. My laptop is on the corner part of the desk, and all my series “bibles” are behind it. On the straight part of that desk, I have my printer, which was previously on top of the bookcase because there was nowhere else to put it. The narrow desk is now a space where I can make notes or set something that I need to transcribe, and I’ve added a small bookshelf to it where I keep one copy of each of my books. I have a small bookcase now and have put fabric drawers in three of the four square spots to keep things; the top square of the bookcase is where I keep copies of other authors’ books that aren’t appropriate for my teens to read.

On one wall, I have a markerboard where I keep a list of the projects I’ve promised to publishers and when they’re due; calendar pages for the current month and next month so I can keep track of appointments, guest blogs, etc.; and a bulletin board where I have a system to organize the books I’ve finished, submitted, am awaiting edits on, etc. And that wall also holds a “gallery” of all my cover art, along with a few miscellaneous pictures and pieces of paper.

It sounds as if you are the epitome of organization! Off the topic of writing, what is the zaniest, craziest thing you’ve ever done?

I’ve never really done anything zany or crazy. I’m pretty boring, for the most part.

I’m going to interpret that comment as you live vicariously through your characters. Do you have anything else you’d like to tell us?

My latest young adult contemporary novel, Dolphins in the Mud, should be releasing by the end of May 2012 from Featherweight Press.

Here’s the book blurb:

When Chris Talberman’s mother, tired of taking care of Chris’s autistic younger sister, abandons the family, Chris’s father leans on him. But Chris needs someone to lean on too, and he turns to his new friend/boyfriend, Noah Silver. What he doesn’t know is that Noah’s hiding a secret about himself, one that almost leads to tragedy.

Featherweight Press is the home of my YA contemporary and the new home of my two urban fantasy series, Reality Shift and The Dark Lines; previous books in those two series are available from Jupiter Gardens Press. I have three more releases tentatively scheduled from Featherweight between now and February 2013.

Dolphins in the Mud sounds intriguing. Last of all, what advice would you give to other writers?

Don’t give up, and don’t settle. Aim for your dreams and realize they might take time; don’t go for quick over quality.

That’s excellent advice. Thanks, Jo.

Visit the Jo Ramsey author page on Amazon if you’d like to know more about her and the other books she’s written.

Before you go, is there anything else you’d like to ask Jo? Just leave your questions in the comments.