ANTONIA

MARIA

MARIA ANTONIA

What motivates you as a writer?

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I love a good story. And I especially love how words and ideas can be brought together in such a way as to form a good story. That motivates me as a writer... To write the kind of book that I want to read. 

What types of books do you like to read?

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My taste in books is fairly broad... I love the classics, but I also like genres ranging from historical to contemporary, and science fiction to fantasy. Back in high school, I thought I was done with "kids' books." That is until I took a children's lit course in university which re-introduced me to the authors I loved, and to new ones as well. Suddenly, I realized that I actually liked the hope and optimism of "kids' books" better than most of the adult books I was reading. And I haven't looked back. 

How has becoming a writer affected your own reading habits?

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I've always read a lot. Ever since starting to write middle-grade, I definitely read even more middle-grade books. I usually can't turn off my writer-brain when reading as I attempt to glean what I like about a book. I'm always trying to figure out how the author pulled it all together. But what I love best? Getting lost in a book so that I forget all about plot structure and character development. That's the kind of book I want to put out into the world.