Goodreads asked Cathy Cash Spellman:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Cathy Cash Spellman Write, write, write! Don't edit yourself until later. Open your mind and heart and let the ideas flow without censure. Let your story take you by the hand and heart and lead you where it wants to go. Even if it seems out of timing or context, a good scene will find its right place in your story. Sometimes, it takes you down roads you never expected to travel! I struggled desperately against the death of a favorite character in one of my tales, but the story wouldn't let me keep her alive. It frustrated and saddened me, but in the end, I knew the death was necessary.
I always begin with a sense of story, little of it concrete except for time and place. I write about my characters in extreme detail early on. I need to know everything about them, physically, mentally, emotionally. The authenticity of their personalities, history and psychology are paramount.
Once my characters are fully formed, I firmly believe they can't act out of characters! They may surprise me at times, but I've never known one to lead me down a wrong road. When they cry, I cry. When they love, I do, too.

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