Ask the Author: Stephanie Wrobel
Answered Questions (12)
Stephanie Wrobel
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Stephanie Wrobel
Thanks Kristine! Cara Rose Gold is the Italian translation of Darling Rose Gold.
Stephanie Wrobel
Hmm, great question, Mariia. Once I began receiving offers of representation from literary agents, that was the first time I felt like a "real" writer. Each step of the way since then has helped me gain confidence, though there are still plenty of days—when the writing sucks, when I can't come up with ideas, etc.—that I feel like an imposter!
Stephanie Wrobel
Thanks for your question, Brandi. I agree that the narrators did an incredible job of bringing these characters to life! And I hate to disappoint, but there will not be a sequel, so readers will have to decide for themselves where Patty and Rose Gold end up. The Recovery of Rose Gold is the UK title for the same book.
Stephanie Wrobel
¡Hola! Spanish rights for Rose Gold have not yet been bought, but hopefully it'll be translated in the future. Thanks for writing!
Stephanie Wrobel
1- Make a plan. It can be as broad or detailed as you want, but if you have some kind of story roadmap, the writing itself becomes less daunting.
2- Get feedback from experienced, objective sources—not a relative or friend.
3- Do your homework when it comes to trying to get published. Take the time to do things right. All the information you need is readily available online.
2- Get feedback from experienced, objective sources—not a relative or friend.
3- Do your homework when it comes to trying to get published. Take the time to do things right. All the information you need is readily available online.
Stephanie Wrobel
Just one?! Then I have to pick the actual act of writing. On the best writing days, I'm not making a lot of active decisions; instead, my fingers are just a conduit between my brain and the keyboard/page. Several hours can go by without me noticing. Coming out of that state of flow feels, to me, like waking up from a really deep nap.
Research has to be a close second though. I love obsessing over a topic and learning everything I can about it.
Research has to be a close second though. I love obsessing over a topic and learning everything I can about it.
Stephanie Wrobel
By planning before I ever sit down to write. I start macro (how does it start? how does it end? what happens in between?) and then get more and more granular, until I have at least a one-sentence summary for each chapter. If I know what's going to happen next, nothing blocks me.
I also give myself permission to write poorly without judgment, especially in the first draft. I think writer's block is just a fear of being bad, but you can always improve what you have. It's a lot easier to make something that's just okay good than it is to perfect a story that only exists in your head. Less pressure, more fun!
I also give myself permission to write poorly without judgment, especially in the first draft. I think writer's block is just a fear of being bad, but you can always improve what you have. It's a lot easier to make something that's just okay good than it is to perfect a story that only exists in your head. Less pressure, more fun!
Stephanie Wrobel
I'm afraid I don't have a particularly magical answer here. For me, writing is more about routine than inspiration. If I waited to feel inspired, I would never finish a book! Instead, before starting a new project, I set a realistic goal for myself. For book 2, it was 2000 words per day. That way I've removed any decision-making angst. I can always write more, but I won't let myself quit for the day until I get to my goal number. After the first ten or fifteen minutes of feeling what I'm writing is garbage, I get lost in the story, my fingers start to fly, and suddenly three hours have gone by.
Stephanie Wrobel
I learned about Munchausen syndrome by proxy from my best friend, who is a school psychologist and has experience with the syndrome through her work with kids. The more research I did, the more fascinated I became.
I was surprised to learn that the perpetrators of MSBP are usually mothers, since women commit far fewer violent crimes than men. The mother-child relationship is supposed to be sacred, but here it isn’t. The perpetrators’ motivation also surprised me—they act out of a need for attention or love from authority figures within the medical community. Many health professionals consider MSBP incurable, as offenders typically deny any wrongdoing. All of these discoveries simultaneously intrigued me and broke my heart. Most of all, they made me want to walk around inside one of these mothers’ minds.
I was surprised to learn that the perpetrators of MSBP are usually mothers, since women commit far fewer violent crimes than men. The mother-child relationship is supposed to be sacred, but here it isn’t. The perpetrators’ motivation also surprised me—they act out of a need for attention or love from authority figures within the medical community. Many health professionals consider MSBP incurable, as offenders typically deny any wrongdoing. All of these discoveries simultaneously intrigued me and broke my heart. Most of all, they made me want to walk around inside one of these mothers’ minds.
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