Age: 37

Location: Orange County, Calif.

What are you working on now?
A feature for a women's magazine. It profiles four young women who own boutiques in Orange County.

What has been your most difficult project of late and how did you deal with its challenges?

I was writing a skateboarding story for a magazine whose audience is mainly teen to 20-something. It was my second story for the magazine and I was still trying to get a feel for the style. I didn't get it right on the first go around, so I did a rewrite. Before I did, I checked out similar magazines, got on my skateboard for a bit (to get the endorphins going) and then started revamping. I just let go and used a lot of verbs and adjectives. It worked. They didn't edit much.

What's the most helpful thing you've learned about writing?

Use your subconscious mind. Get started right away and leave enough time between the start of a project and the deadline to let the story percolate.

What's been the worst career advice you've ever received?

Join the Air Force! As far as writing goes, the worst advice has been only write when you feel like it. Maybe that works for some people. For me, once I get going, then I feel like it.

You work on children's books: What's the biggest misconception you've found there is about writing for children?

I'm still working on a children's book. I'm not sure what the perceptions are but I've heard that some people think it's easy. It's not. For me, the hardest part has been finding the voice that matches the audience. I've wanted to ditch the project several times. Now, I've given up another project to finish this one. If the book is never published, at least it will be finished.