Mary Peace Finley
Award-winning author of books for young people
© Mary Peace Finley 2012
Do you have trouble with your first draft?
Yes. I have trouble with EVERYTHING! But I also have lots of fun, and the fun makes the trouble
worthwhile. I don’t think of the challenges as “trouble” as much as I think of them as a part of the writing
process.
Do you like publishing?
I love being published. Even though I enjoy writing, the writing process, and expressing my creativity, I
would not write books only for my own enjoyment. I wouldn’t write a book just for me. I like to share my
stories with others like you.
How many books have you published?
Ten of my books have been published.
How many books have you written?
I don’t really know. I’ve written many more than the nine that have been published. The first books I
wrote weren’t as good as the ones I write now. I was learning. The books weren’t published because
they weren’t good enough. I’m still learning, but I’ve learned a lot, and my stories now are better than
they used to be. I think the novel I’m working on right now will be published. I’m excited about it. It’s
called RIP.)
Do you like verbs?
No one has ever asked me that before! Finding the very best most wonderful awesome verb to paint
the picture I want my reader to see is fun for me. How could I ever tell a story without verbs? Yes, yes. I
do like verbs.
