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MEET VICTORIA FOYT
by Bonnie O'Brian

What did you most like to do when you were a child?

Victoria Foyt

I loved to curl up with a book. Every two weeks my mot her took my brothers and I to the library and I would borrow a stack of books. I loved to read fiction, and my favorites included MRS. PIGGLE WIGGLE, HARRIET THE SPY, GREAT EXPECTATIONS, GONE WITH THE WIND . I would get lost in the story and character’s lives, and still do.

When you went to college, were you already pursuing a writing career?(or a career in illustrating? or just art in general?)

I loved words, the sounds of them, the definitions and origins, and in college I pursued my love of words by majoring in French and Spanish, with a minor in German and Business. Of course I read a lot of foreign literature and had at my fingertips, at least three or four dictionaries.

If you didn’t write as a child, then when did you start writing and what inspired you to start?

I made up stories in my head but never wrote them down until after college when I attended acting school in Los Angeles. Then I began writing screenplays. Several of my films were produced as independent movies(Déjà Vu, Last Summer In The Hamptons, Going Shopping, Babyfever. Studying acting helped me to write dialogue and understand character from the inside out.

Was your first book accepted immediately? or did you experience a number of rejections?

My first novel, THE VIRTUAL LIFE OF LEXIE DIAMOND, was published by Harper Teen in spring of 2007. Honestly, I worked on the manuscript for at least eight years, but on and off, in between film projects. During that time I had two agents and the first one tried to sell it as an adult book without success. Rejection is hard to swallow, but for me it was also an opportunity to refinethe manuscript. To be a writer you have to love the process of digging away at your material. You have to fall in love with your stories, or else you won’t have the stamina it takes to see themthrough to the end. Fortunately, I loved Lexie Diamond and my current agent did, too. She was convinced that the manuscript would sell as a teen book, which it did. Because Lexie is a veryunusual 14-year-old with deep thoughts it wasn’t immediately clear which market would be appropriate. Personally, I think Lexie has something to say to all ages, and I have been very pleased by the feedback from teens and adults. If you want to share your opinion you can contact me through Lexie’s website: LexieDiamond.com.

What gave you the idea for THE VIRTUAL LIFE OF LEXIE DIAMOND?

I like to think of stories in my head as if they are cooking in different pots. Several key ingredients went into the stew of Lexie Diamond. Mainly, my grandmother had died before my daughter’s birth and I was heartbroken that they’d never met. So the concept of wanting to reach across time to a loved one was key. Then I became fascinated with the Internet, as revolutionary as the steam engine or airplane had been, and the huge possibilities it presented. There were other elements, like Lexie’s unique take on the world as a “bubble,” but those two cooked pieces together and provided the basis for the story. If you go to youtube.com and search Lexie Diamond, you can see a short video based on Lexie and hear the way she thinks.

What are you working on now? When do you expect to start submitting it to publishers?

I’m writing a online series based on THE VIRTUAL LIFE OF LEXIE DIAMOND. I’m also writing a novel based on several generations of women. I hope to submit it by the end of spring. So far my agent and a few friends have read it and really like it. It’s a long, sometimes scary, often thrilling process to write a novel!

Do you write every day and do you have set hours that you work?

I stick to a rigorous schedule. Otherwise, I won’t be able to write. I have two children so I’m up early helping them get to school. During the week I write from about 8:30 a.m. till 1 p.m. Then I have a quick lunch and work till around 3:00. Once they’re out of school it’s hard for me to find the quiet, concentrated stretches of time that writing requires. Would it be easier to write if I lived alone? Maybe. But the enforced discipline of working around their schedules helps me focus. Maintaining a disciplined schedule also signals my creative muscles as to when I’m ready to fly. Besides, my kids inspire me to do my best and I love them more than life itself.

Is there anything about yourself that you’d like to share - hobbies, where you were born, special talents other than writing/illustrating.

I like to play tennis, salsa dance, take road trips, walk in beautiful natural settings and meditate. I am a lousy cook but a decent baker, especially German Chocolate Cake!