That 'I wonder what if?' factor

“If you aren't having fun, if you aren't anxious to find out what happens next as you write, then not only will you run out of steam on the story, but you won't be able to entertain anyone else, either.” – Tamora Pierce

Born on this date in 1954, Pierce has excelled at writing fantasy fiction for teenagers and featuring strong young heroines.   She won the prestigious Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2013 for "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature."

Pierce started writing when she was in the 6th grade, but not seriously until she was a student at the University of Pennsylvania.  There, she started writing the books that became her first best-selling set, The Song of the Lioness quartet, published from 1983–1988.  The series followed a main character named Alanna through the trials and triumphs of training as a knight.  Alanna, it turned out, was modeled after her younger sister Kimberly.    Tamora’s second “quartet” of best sellers was the 1999-2002 series Protector of the Small, and it was that series that cemented her nomination for the ALA award.   

Her writing style is inclusive to the point that the reader feels             

 like part of the story.   “The fantasy that appeals most to people is the kind that's rooted thoroughly in somebody looking around a corner and thinking, 'What if I wandered into this writer's people here?',” she said.  “If you've done your job and made your people and your settings well enough, (as a writer) that adds an extra dimension that you can't buy.”

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