Saturday's Scribe: Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Today's scribe: Diana Rodriguez Wallach
Author of: Amor and Summer Secrets
Check out the interview:
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WHICH CHARACTER IN YOUR NOVEL DO YOU RELATE TO THE MOST?

Clearly Mariana and I have a lot in common. We are raising awareness about the nation’s important Polish Puerto Rican population. (I hear it’s going to be a huge demographic in the elections in November.)

But putting the specifics of her ethnic makeup aside, I set out to write a multi-cultural novel from the perspective of a girl who didn’t quite identify with either of her parents’ cultures. I feel that this is a very American story, and that a lot people (and a lot of teens) can relate to being torn between two very different ethnic groups.

That said, Mariana and I have very different personalities. She’s much more set-in-her-ways than I am, and she’s definitely more responsible than I was at her age (sorry mom and dad, if you’re reading this). And on a superficial level, let’s just say Mariana grew up in a slightly higher tax bracket. The Ruizes have quite a nice house.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE AMOR AND SUMMER SECRETS?

This is going to sound crazy, but I actually wrote this book in a month. Yup, four weeks—from the time I started typing until the time I sent it to my agent (I already had representation at the time).

But that is a very atypical experience for me. Usually, it takes me about three or four months to complete a novel. When I’m creating the first draft, I usually write about 3,000 words per day. It’s a byproduct of having worked as a reporter for daily online magazines—when you work with a small staff, you learn to write very very quickly. I’ve never tested how many words I can type in a minute, but I’m guessing it’s rather high.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE SIMILAR TO MARIANA'S: FELT SURE THAT YOU WERE GOING TO HATE A CERTAIN PLACE, BUT STARTED LOVING IT ONCE YOU GOT THERE?

Not exactly. I love to travel, so it would be hard for me to hate any new place. However, I did have a hard time initially adjusting to Spain when I studied abroad. The culture shock took me by surprise.

We were all housed with families, not in dorms, and I found the experience a bit isolating at first. This was mostly because my Spanish wasn’t very good when I arrived, so I had a hard time communicating with my host family. This is why it was easy for me to tell Mariana’s story when she first arrives in Puerto Rico. I felt much of what she felt those first few nights.

But ultimately, like Mariana, I ended up having a blast. Please, I was in Spain! How could I not have fun? My classes started, I got an internship, and I eventually made some great friends whose weddings I attended as recently as a couple of weeks ago.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? DO YOU LIKE IT?

I just finished “I’d Tell You I’d Love You, But Then I’d Have To Kill You,” by Ally Carter. It was a very cute read, lots of fun for summer. Ally does a great job adding in cool spy gadgets and lingo, and the idea of a spy school is very clever.

WHEN NOT WRITING, WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO?

As I mentioned, I love to travel. I keep a journal of every place I’ve visited—from Prague, to Bali, to Bora Bora, and so on. I even backpacked through Europe when I was in college, and I have the written account of every place I visited (I can tell you lots about the convent I stayed at in Switzerland). My goal is to visit every country in Europe and every state in America before I die. I have a ways to go.

I’m also a huge football fan. I love the Philadelphia Eagles! And I go to at least one game per year. I even got playoff tickets a couple of years ago when the Eagles played the Green Bay Packers and won in the final seconds thanks in part to a now-famous 4th and 26th play. It was awesome—thank you Brett Favre for throwing that interception. ;)

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANY ASPIRING YOUNG WRITERS?

Learn the fine art of patience. This business moves at the speed of a turtle. And trust me, after a few years even the most impatient people (i.e. ‘me’) can learn to sit back and wait. The faster you learn this virtue, the saner you’ll be.
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Thanks, Ms. Wallach, for the interview! If you're interested in buying her book, click here