Cady Hammer

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

It was back when I was in elementary school. One day at church, while the priest was giving the blessing, a woman a few pews in front of me suddenly got up and dashed out the front doors. She’d taken off so quickly that the strap of her purse slid from her shoulder and started falling to the floor, but she snatched it up before it did and tore down the aisle and out the entrance.

What does your writing process look like? What do you find the most effective? What do you find the most difficult?

Initially there is a scene that I can’t get out of my head, and I feel driven to write it down, play with it, try to put into words the feeling I get when I see the scene in my mind’s eye. From there, I begin to write. As I build my story, I then begin to draft out a plot outline, character descriptions, etc. For Book Two, I’m thinking of starting off with an outline and see where that leads me.

What is one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

It takes a lot of people to help create a book! From beta readers, ARC readers, editors, marketing, etc. It takes a village!

Can you tell us about your latest project? What inspired you to write it?

My latest project, When Life was Yellow, is based on my experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder. I’ve only recently come out about it to friends and family. For years, I kept it a secret because I was ashamed of it. I’m hoping my book will let others who struggle with OCD know they aren’t alone and that there’s help out there.

What is your best character-building tip?

I like to think of a scene – just a normal everyday one like cleaning the house before company comes over. Then I place each character into the same exact scene and think of what they would be wearing at the time, what would they be thinking, saying, etc. The idea of placing the characters in the same context helps me really tease out how each one would approach the situation so differently.