Interview with Julie Roorda
author of Wings of a Bee

Q How did you create such a unique and compelling voice for Bronwyn, your main protagonist? Do you think there is much of yourself in her character?

A There is a lot of myself in Bronwyn; many of her thoughts and ideas were my own at that age, but I was often too shy to act on them or express my opinions aloud. Bronwyn is much bolder and more outspoken. Through her I have the opportunity to speak and to give free rein to imaginings I have otherwise kept hidden. This is one of the pleasures — and hazards — of writing.

Q How did you gain such tremendous insight into what it is like living with a disabled family member?

A When I was a child I had a younger brother with cerebral palsy, so I experienced the day-to-day implications of living with a disabled family member first hand. For me it was normal; I can even remember thinking how strange life must be for other families who did not include someone like my brother. Although I found it necessary to create with Carey a unique personality who is not my brother, he did inspire many of her remarkable qualities.

Q In addition to Wings of a Bee, your first novel for young adults, you've written a collection of short stories and two volumes of poetry. Could you describe how the process of writing a novel differed from your previous experiences?

A Writing poetry and short stories is a process of distillation. You are always honing in on that one detail that is the essence of a world. Writing a novel gives you more freedom to create and fill a whole world to which you hope to transport the reader. It also gives you the opportunity to follow a character as he or she changes. With this development you have to build momentum from one chapter to the next, something that can be a challenge to sustain.

Q What do you hope to share with young adult readers by telling this story?

A I really just hope that they enjoy it and that they find something of themselves in it. Stories allow readers to get into another person's skin, to see things from a different perspective that can both change and resonate with one's own. Readers who are disabled may gain insight into the experience of their families and friends; readers who have less interaction with those who live with disabilities may gain some understanding of that experience and see how it connects to challenges in their own lives.

Q Any current inspiration to start a new writing project?

A For now, I am mostly writing poetry, but I am thinking about and planning another novel. I don't like to give away details when I am at such an early stage. It is important, for me at least, to let ideas and characters come together in secret at first, where they begin to develop energy of their own. It's part of the momentum-building process that is essential to completing a novel