Mary Peace Finley
Award-winning author of books for young people
© Mary Peace Finley 2012
How long did it take you to finish your first book?
17 years!
How many days does it take to complete a book?
The fastest book I wrote took only about 60 days. The slowest book took----what’s 17 x 365? (But of
course, I wasn’t working every day all that time.) Now I think I could have a book ready in 2-3 years.
Do you like writing books? What is your favorite part about being an author?
The excitement of the first inspiration, the idea that starts a new book. I also love it when I’m “in the
flow,” when I’m writing fast and everything is working, the characters are alive and I’m not worried about
anything or struggling with anything…just going with the ideas. That’s lots of fun.
When did you first start writing books?
When I was 33 years old. Before that I taught E.S.L. (and loved that, too.)
How many years have you been an author?
I’ve been writing books, stories, articles, and television scripts for 30 years.
Do you like being an author?
Yes. I like the work that leads to being an author. I enjoy my associations and friendships with other
authors, and love my contacts with kids and educators that are possible because I’ve written books for
you to read.
