Rose Cooper's Balancing Act

I'm interviewing the ultra-talented Rose Cooper on my blog today:

I’ve heard a few rumors about you. Is it true that you have three children, a full-time job, a publisher, an Etsy business, and a Doodle Diva card line?

If it’s true, I’d like to talk to you about balance.

How do you carve out time to write and illustrate?

It wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for my husband. He takes care of the kids when I’m on a deadline. I usually start working in the early evening once I get home from work. On the weekends my husband and I work in shifts.

Do you work when the kids are awake or asleep?

My husband watches them during the day. But if I have extra work to do or it’s close to the end of my deadline, I’ll continue working into the night after the kids are asleep. Extra stuff I do on the side, like The Doodle Divas or Etsy, I do it while the kids are asleep.

Do you have a routine?

When I sit down to write or draw, I always have to have my cup of coffee (flavored) next to me and music cranked up. I always have to check Facebook first to see what’s going on, then my emails. Oh, and sometimes Twitter. Then I get down to business!

Do you receive support from your family in order to make time to write?

My husband is the absolute best. I don’t know what I’d do without him. My kids love to support me by making the most noise possible during a deadline.

What do you prefer to do, write or illustrate?

My first love is, and always will be, writing. I’ve been writing my entire life. Well, okay, since 6^th grade. I started drawing at a young age too, but stopped after a certain period of time while I continued my writing.

Did you go to school for writing or illustrating?

I went to school for medical assisting and took many accounting classes. If I could do one thing over, it would be that. Those courses were so boring for me and I would spend time writing when I wasn’t studying. That should’ve told me something, I know.

When did you begin writing and illustrating seriously?

Well, with writing I was submitting to publishers when I was 12yrs old. So back then, I thought I was pretty serious about it! It wasn’t until about ten years ago when I really started thinking about it as a career and decided to query agents. I only started back up with the drawing after I got my first book deal.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find it everywhere! In dreams, talking with my kids, people watching, or even random moments when I least expect. For instance, the inspiration for Gossip from the Girls Room hit me when I was at Starbucks doing homework for my business law class. Totally unexpected.

Your first book was Gossip from the Girl’s Room: A Blogtastic Novel, which my daughter LOVED. Your next book is Rumors from the Boy’s Room: A Blogtastic Novel, which came out on 10/11. Do you have other Blogtastic Novels in the works?

The third Blogtastic Novel in the series, Secrets from the Sleeping Bag will be out Summer 2012. I’m working on the revisions for this now, I’m super excited!

Quick writing questions:

Plotter or panster? Panster

Quiet or music? Music. Loud!

Laptop or desktop? Laptop for writing, desktop when doing illus.

Mac or PC? PC, baby.

Coffee or tea? Coffee!

Wine or other? White wine.

Day or night? Definitely night.

Rose is EVERYWHERE:

Gossip from the Girls' Room

Rumors from the Boys' Room

Doodle Divas (She's got Halloween cards for sale now.)

Blogtastic Blog!

Whimsical Artwork