Interview with Susan Marlow

Meet Susan K. Marlow, author of the Circle C Adventure series for tweens. The third book, Andrea Carter and the Family Secret, has just been released. Along with writing books and teaching writing classes for kids, Susan is a homeschool mom and blogs on homeschoolblogger.com. She gathered up dozens of questions from homeschool moms by asking, “If we were enjoying a few quiet moments over a cup of tea, what kinds of questions would you and your children want to ask an author?”

Here are some things homeschool moms and kids want to know about Susan, writing, and the adventures of Andi Carter.

First of all, do you think writers are born that way, or can someone who isn’t drawn to writing when they were young learn to become a good writer?

The wonderful thing about people is that they change and grow from the moment they’re born. Sure, some take to writing more naturally than others, but I think fostering a love of reading from an early age goes a long way in laying the foundation for writing. I’ve noticed that most young children love to tell stories and try to write them down. But something happens as the kids get older. They lose that joy and end up with the idea that they’re not “good” writers any longer. Adults can learn to be good writers if they rediscover the joy of story. A good writing teacher can get them excited about writing.

Who inspired you to write, and when did that happen?

My fourth-grade teacher opened up a world I’d never considered before—outer space. The “what ifs” inspired me to write stories about going there. Also, television was new back in the 60s, and the stories they told made me want to write my own stories about my favorite characters doing new things.

How long was it from the time that you knew you wanted to write to the time you actually began to write?

Oh, about a minute or so. As a ten-year-old, if I wanted to write something, I just wrote it. However, if you’re asking about writing professionally, I’d say about 40 years. I never had the drive to become a “published” author. I just wrote stories because I liked to write stories. It’s a blessing from God that He intended my stories to go farther than my file folder.

Did you have to learn how to write? Did it come easily?

I don’t remember learning how to write. I read and read and read. And I watched TV. A dramatic television episode has a hook, 3 acts (each ending with a cliff-hanger, so folks don’t change channels during the commercials), and a last scene that ties things up. Looking back, I guess I just imitated what I was drawn to in a good story. I didn’t consciously think about it. I just knew what felt right when I wrote my stories. When I started thinking about submitting them, I learned from other authors to limit the points of view in my stories (no more “Meanwhile, back at the ranch” scenes, like they have on TV), and how to tighten things up to make the story shine.

Do you get thoughts for your books throughout the day, or do you set aside a particular time to come up with ideas and story?

Neither, unfortunately. I wish I were that organized. Usually I get ideas when I’m falling asleep or just waking up. I’m too tired both times to write them down. This is not the best way to generate ideas. I have many moments of panic when I can’t remember what I was daydreaming about.

What about your Circle C Adventures? Why did you decide to write this series? Did you set out to write one book to see if you could, or did you know there would be more to follow?

I wrote a story about a girl, Andi, her palomino mare, Taffy, and her adventures on her family’s ranch in 1880. Not to see if Icould, but because it was in my head and I had to write it down. I knew there would be more, because she did lots of fun things that needed to written down so I could read her adventures again.

How did you pick the main character of your books? Is Andi Carter based on someone you know?

OK, I may as well confess. Yes, Andi is based on someone I know. She’s . . . me. Or more accurately, who I would like to be if I could choose. I know the West is glamorized, and I probably wouldn’t really want to live back then, but that’s what imagination and stories are for.

What about your other characters? Are there people you know in real life similar to your characters, from which you draw for your stories?

Yes. Nila Garduño from Long Ride Home is based on a dear Hispanic friend whom I taught English for 5 years. She told me about her childhood in a poor village in Mexico. Andi’s older brother Chad is more than a little similar to my oldest son, Chad. Andi’s friend, Cory Blake, is drawn from my youngest son, Ryan.

How many Andi Carter books are roaming around in your head? And which one is your favorite?

I probably have five more stories that are in various stages of production: finished, half finished, or in scattered scenes (as in “Oh, cool. Here’s a neat scene that would go great in a book some day. Quick, write it down!”) If I had to choose, I guess my favorite is Book 2, Andrea Carter and the Dangerous Decision. There’s a special place in my heart for my “firstborn.” Yes, I wrote Dangerous Decision first, and originally in first-person. I was on a Louis L’Amour Sackett series reading binge, and I was in love with the first-person viewpoint. It was also the first story I wrote on the computer (Commodore 64 dinosaur). I wrote it back in 1991. Before then, I wrote everything with paper and pencil. My husband said I should give the computer a try. I never looked back! Another reason I like Dangerous Decision best is because Andi’s whole family is part of the story.

Where did you come up with the idea for the newest book, Andrea Carter and the Family Secret?

I heard a story from a friend about how her 15-year-old son left home when her daughter was born, and they never heard from him after that. I found the account strange and sad, and I thought, “What if that happened to Andi’s family? What if an older sister suddenly returned out of nowhere, along with her 3 rowdy children? How would Andi cope?”

Do you spend a lot of time researching aspects of your book for accuracy? For example, how do you know how much things cost back then?

I’ve spent hours making sure of my historical facts, especially about the town of Fresno: the founding date, what was actually there, the name of the newspapers, the names of some of the businesses. I visited the library in Fresno for old newspaper articles; I drove around the foothills to get the “feel” of the area and where things are. Maps, old photos, and timelines have proven indispensable. Reading accounts of happenings in the area during the 1880s helped me with the general idea of “money” facts. A small, insignificant mention of the price of something in an old first-hand story stays with me. The internet is a great place to discover these interesting tidbits of history.

How long does it take you to write an Andi book?

Depends on the book. Long Ride Home took over a year. I got stuck right after Felicity and Andi’s confrontation in the corral and had no idea what would happen next. So I put the story out of my mind. One day, it just came to me how to proceed, and I wrote the rest of it in a couple of weeks. My newest manuscript, a story about Andi in San Francisco, took me two months to write. For me . . . that is miraculous. I usually like to ponder more before I write things down.

Who designs your book covers?

A fantastic team of graphics folks at my publisher, Kregel Publications. However, quite by accident, I ended up supplying the actual photo for the first book cover. I wanted the team to have an idea of what Andi looked like, so they could draw a scene, and they ended up using the photograph. The covers for books 2 and 3 also use photographs of my young friend, Jessica.

You have an on-line writing workshop on homeschoolblogger. It is so cool that you do that for our kids. Why do you do the workshop? What inspired you to offer it?

I love to teach, and I love kids. Plus, I know that teaching subjects like writing is one of the hardest tasks a homeschool mom faces. Writing isn’t one of those “toss ’em a self-pac and let ’em go” subjects. To make writing work right, students must want to write, and they need feedback. I teach the course to homeschool groups, and I make it fun. I thought, “Hey, why not post the lessons on a blog, offer free downloads of the worksheets from the book, and let the kids post their ‘homework’ on their blogs?” Upon completion of the 16-lesson course, students receive a certificate of completion for their homeschool portfolios.

It’s just plain fun to interact with my favorite group—kids—and it’s a way to serve other homeschool moms now that my youngest is (sniff) on his way out of homeschooling. A bonus is the exposure my books get by being plastered on my writing workshop blog. ☺

One last question. Do you think you (or Andi or even Taffy) will have an official fan club someday?

I never thought about it before. However, this question has prompted me to consider giving Andi (and Taffy) a blog on homeschoolblogger.com. I think it would be great fun to share “behind the scenes” trivia about her family, the ranch, and possible further adventures. Andi could possibly share interesting things about the Old West with fellow bloggers. A contest or two—who knows?

Susan says, “I would like to thank the bloggers from homeschoolblogger.com for coming up with these unique and interesting questions. It’s been a pleasure chatting with all of you today. Come on over and visit me at my Suzy’s Scribbles blog!”

To visit Susan’s website: www.susankmarlow.com
Her homeschool blog: www.homeschoolblogger.com/SuzyScribbles/
Reach for the Stars writing workshop: www.homeschoolblogger.com/WritingWorkshop/