crazy cat lady asked Penelope Douglas:

What made you decide to become an author/writer? How did you find an editor and agent?

Penelope Douglas Hi, Lisa!

I decided to start writing when I had a story that I couldn't stop thinking about. I was reading a lot, and I was feeling stuck in a rut with my teaching career, so my brain started dreaming again, probably as an escape--and something I realized I'd stopped doing as I grew up. I never intended to make a career out of it, but life unfolds in strange ways. Bully took off, and I couldn't stop dreaming up new stories, so I went with it.

My editor is my best friend. Luckily for me, she was a professional with lots of experience writing herself and taking part in peer writing groups. She pretty much threw the first two drafts of Bully back in my face. She taught me how to write.

As for my agent, she found me. It was a few months after I'd published Bully, and I hadn't gotten around to the daunting task of sending out queries when she emailed me. I researched her and found out she represented some big authors, so I trusted that she knew what she was doing. I was very lucky. Not many authors have agents fall into their lap.

Thanks for the questions!

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