My first published book, 'Story of a Girl', was the fourth book I wrote.

My parents met in music school, and my father was a music professor and conductor. Growing up, we always had classical and contemporary music playing.

That’s how life feels to me. Everyone is doing it; everyone knows how. To live and be who they are and find a place, find a moment. I’m still waiting.

You have to dig down and find some part of you that doesn’t care what people think, doesn’t care if it’s hard, doesn’t care if it hurts, doesn’t care if you have to momentarily experience humiliation, uncertainty, fear.

Is that the destiny of all friendships, no matter how good they are? To die out or fade away? To end?

A know a place called New Beginnings, but I don’t think it works quite like that. You can’t just erase everything that came before.

Live in the present. Take care of the relationships in front of you now. Most friendships have a natural life, and when they’ve lived that out, you’ll know.

This was why Mom had told me to keep an eye on her. As tough as Dixie was, when it came to Dad she was a regular girl who wanted her father to love her. So.

I do have a little bit more confidence in – or at least familiarity with – my process. For example, when it feels like it’s going badly or that I’m lost, I know I’ll eventually find my way because I’ve been through it before. But writing itself is still hard.

I wonder how you’re supposed to know the exact moment when there’s no more hope.