Let’s start at the very beginning…
In which you finally get to read (some of) HOW TO DANCE.
You know the old saying: What’s the use of having an advance copy of your book if you can’t show it off?
From the very beginning of my very first day of writing this novel, I knew I wanted to start with Nick picking an origin story about his legs. I’ve joked about my cerebral palsy, certainly, but I’ve never let anyone believe a lie about my condition…or not for very long, anyway. So it was a blast to write about a guy who never joked about his CP, and made up a different story for every adult who asked (he doesn’t lie to kids).
Why does Nick do that? I didn’t have an answer when I started writing the scene, but I absolutely had one when I finished the book, and that’s one wonderful thing about writing: you get to make choices and discover as you go. Don’t worry, you’ll get to hear all about his motivations in February, because you’ve preordered a copy of the book. What’s that? You haven’t? You totally can, if you want, wherever books are sold. We’ve got less than four months until How to Dance comes out, and I think that time is going to fly by. Of course, both the journey and the destination are valuable, I’ve heard—and I’m awfully glad you’ve decided to join me.