Small Fry comes out today. And I know it isn't perfect but I'm happy with it.
It wasn't always that way....
I was praised for my writing in school and college. So I *knew* this book was going to be totally easy to write — a slim, elegant volume that would pour out onto the page.
But boy was I wrong. When I wrote about being young, my prose and my brain got "young" too. And sloppy.
I could hardly get words down because I knew my sentences weren't good. I had no idea how to write a scene. But Ira Glass said something I took strength from. And I kept working (for years). vimeo.com/24715531
I got a book contract. I walked to Bobst Library every day and wrote bad sentences.
The book was a mess. Filmmaker @kaibarry helped me with structure. Super Sticky notes, while expensive, stay on the wall for weeks. 
My friend circle diminished because I needed exorbitant amounts of alone time to make very little progress. An extrovert became an introvert.
This is where I left my phone — for days at a time — to get the work done. This made dating difficult.
Years later I brought an 800-page draft to Phillip Lopate. In case I should give up. He said I shouldn't.
My friend and writer @jamiequatro helped me edit the draft. When I told her a good story she said, "Write that down." Finally, writing became joyful.
I met my husband. We decided to have a child. Now *that* is a deadline.
And, today, it comes out. bit.ly/2MKlZwi
