Author Bio:
Dr. Sharon Mitchell gets it. She’s been a teacher, counselor, school psychologist, district consultant and autism consultant for decades. She has presented to thousands at conferences and workshops on ways to successfully include kids who learn differently. She teaches university classes to wanna-be-teachers and to school administrators on inclusion strategies and students who learn differently.
Her other books include:
Autism Questions Teachers Ask
Autism Questions Parents Ask
Autism Goes to School
Autism Runs Away
Autism Belongs
Autism Talks and Talks
Autism Grows Up
And, coming soon:
Prequel to Autism Goes to School: Jeff’s Story
The Autism Goes to School Workbook
Autism and the Dental Office
What inspires you to write?
My first book came about reluctantly. I was a school district consultant. Some teachers wanted to try NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) with their students and a rep from central office was designated to join them. I was away, so got nominated.
Seeing all these students putting themselves out there, trying to write their stories left me no choice but to attempt to write a 50,000-word novel in a month. Once I started, I was surprised at how much fun it was. And, when I finished and looked it over, it wasn't so bad and worth working on. That is how "Autism Goes to School" came about.
Tell us about your writing process.
Readers are kind and I truly appreciate their input. The other books in the series all began as suggestions from readers – each and every one. So far there are five novels in the series, with two more on the way. The two nonfiction books, "Autism Questions Parents Ask" and "Autism Questions Teachers Ask" were also written at the request of readers. In the works is a grandparents' book and "Autism and the Dental Office".
I've tried writing by the seat of my pants and by first drafting a detailing outline. Both worked, but a combination works the best for me. I feel like my stories are structured better when I work from an outline.
I use Scrivener software for the outlining and first drafts of my stories. It is far less daunting than trying to use a Word document for a 70,000-word manuscript. Scrivener allows me to easily navigate the book, move things around, see the balance as well as set target goals.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I listen to my characters. As the book progresses, they seem to take on a life of their own, responding to situations and leading me in directions I had not planned. That's was of the fun things about writing.
It's also neat when readers write to me, talking about characters as if they're real people.
Who are your favorite authors?
For nonfiction, Stephan King's "On Writing" is my favorite. I cannot count how many times I have read that. James Scott Bell is next on my list for nonfiction. He's multi-faceted and I also love his fiction works. I'm also a big fan of Mark Dawson, both for his novels and the way that he gives back to the author community.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Initially, I self-published my novels. I like being in control and the timelines worked better for me. Then, after a few years, I was approached by several publishers, turning down their offers. But one was more persistent and came back with revised offers several times. I caved.
But, it was a mistake. In the years I was with them my royalties shrank to just 5% of what I was making on my own, despite their promises of marketing know-how. Only this year did I get my rights back after making the case that this contract was not working for either of us. So for the last half-year I am starting over again and my royalties are about ten times more than when I was with that publisher.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
There will always be books. People love reading. How we read might continue to evolve though, giving us more options. While once there were just hardcover and paperback books this decade brought us ebooks. I adore my Kindle. But I've also learned to enjoy audiobooks as well. On my commute to work, I rarely listen to music. Instead, my phone reads to me.
What genres do you write?
My books are contemporary fiction, romance and nonfiction – all with some connection to autism or autistic characters.
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
Website(s)
Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell Home Page Link
Follow Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell On Amazon
Author’s Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
