After I signed with my first agent, I told her I had an idea for a Latina young adult novel based on a girl exploring graffiti art. I was a teen artist in high school, who explored all sorts of mediums of art and had friends who showed me the wonders of urban street art.
My agent said to run with the idea and I wrote the first six chapters. It eventually sold to MTV Books, a line with Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster. I was thrilled but I had to finish the book in six months and I did.
I always have to state that this book is a work of fiction and is not based on my life or my experience as a teen graffiti artist, however, every story I write has little details I pluck from life. It could be a characteristic of a person or place or based on something I have witnessed. Then I expand on these details in my stories and create new characters and settings. That is what is fun about writing!