Expensive jeans and the newest styles of desert boots and sneakers shuffle in front of us. My eyes follow denim up to a zipper then to a pocket stuffed with a hand. A blue T-shirt with a Rolling Stones logo covers what appears to be a flabby abdomen. I gaze up at a face that distorts from my angle. The guy peers down. He’s not attractive, but not ugly either.
“You have the coolest hair,” he says to Stacy.
I’ve never considered Stacy’s hair cool to be honest. Guess I’m just used to it. But looking at it now I can see what he means. Far past her shoulders, it’s parted in the middle and each side gleams copper in the setting sun.
Stacy leans back and lifts her chin. “Um thanks. We live on the other side of the park.”
“You two from Slum Hill?” the short guy blurts.
“It’s Sloan Hill, “ I snarl.
“Don’t mind him, he’s a dickhead,” says a scrawny guy, swiping at a thick head of hair too big for his body.
“You know someone around here?” the not attractive but not ugly asks.
“Nope.” I wonder the same about him. But he gazes at Stacy like he wants her to answer. Like I’m invisible.
“Your school the one being torn down?” he tries again.
Stacy does a hair flip. “Yep. We’ll be going to Carver this year.”
“Oh yeah? That’s our school.”
“What’s is like?” Stacy asks in her polite, doltish way. “Are the teachers strict?”
“Depends on who you get. Some are cool. Some are assholes. It’s sure gonna be crowded this year.”
The group continues down the road in their boy-pack parade.
Except for him.
“I could grab the keys and give you a ride home if you want.” He brushes aside straight bangs. “It’s a long walk to Slum−I mean, Sloan Hill.”
“You live near here?” I ask.
He lets out a laugh. “Yeah, real near.”
He points to my dream house, and the robin’s egg blue convertible parked in the carport.
The Book Junkie Reads . . .Reckless Dreams Interview with . . . Nancy Thorne ...
I write mostly fiction novels for young adults although I’ve also written a couple of non-fiction short stories. I focus my work on teens and young adults, whether it’s for or about them. It’s my passion. I would call my style realism mixed with emotion.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write?
Great question! I do try to stick to a routine when I write, otherwise I tend to procrastinate. Normally, I stick to the morning hours to write whatever project I happen to be working on at the time. My one quirk is that I like to write scenes that take place at night during the actual hours of the evening when dusk has settled or it’s dark outside. It’s much easier for me to write night scenes without sunlight blasting through the gaps of my blinds. See? Quirky!
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular characters?
Yes, I definitely bond with most of my characters. After weeks of writing specific characters they start to feel as if they’ve come alive, each with their own personality. The only characters I don’t bond with are the ones who are outside the main storyline, but still play a part in some way.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way? Or do you build upon your character?
I feel excited about answering this question! At the beginning of writing a story, I have a basic feel for each character and their unique personalities. “Nurturing” a character to me means letting their personalities thrive and not fight against how they grow and change during the course of the story. It’s pretty amazing how each character develops their feelings and responses. The main reason I never “plot” out a storyline is because I’ve learned that characters can surprise me by taking the story into a different direction along the way.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
This year I will be completing the Creative Writing Program at the University of Toronto. I’m also working on a new novel called Creature Boy and the Last Sideshow and hope to have it finished by the end of the year. Right now, though, I’m focused on the release of The Somewhere I See You Again. My dream is that readers will enjoy it. Well, that’s a total understatement! My dream is that readers will LOVE it.
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