For most of us, “applying coats of
paint” may mean we are in the process of home improvement. Perhaps it means we are doing our
nails. Maybe it means we are
refurbishing an automobile. But for
Villa resident Christina Varrasso, it means she is writing a novel.
Having just authored her first
novel entitled Running for Yellow (a
belated coming of age tale about a woman's struggles and the restorative power
of family, love, and faith), Varrasso describes the process of
developing themes and characters to that of the aforementioned coats of
paint. “Every writer has [her] own
way of writing. Some develop a
detailed outline before they ever write a word of the story,” she said. “I like
to use a general outline along with a lot of notecards.” In preparation for writing the novel
(an eventual four year process), anytime an idea would come to her, she would
jot it down on a notecard. Over a
thousand notecards later, and she had her draft. “I wrote the first draft using these notecards, then I would
go back and add detail; [it was] like applying coats of paint.”
Although
a strong writer throughout college, Varrasso claims she never considered
herself a writer until an editor she respected read one of her manuscript
drafts, congratulated her on a job well done, and wished her good luck on
future books. It was then that she
thought, ”I guess I AM a writer!”
She
attributes her decision to become a writer to the simple fact that she could
not stop writing! According to
Varrasso, “ for me expression always came easiest through writing. Writing in my journal, taking writing
classes and writing short stories.
At some point it just felt like something I should do.”
As
one of her “bucket list” items, writing this novel has also impacted Varrasso
on a personal level. “I think
anytime you accomplish a goal, there is satisfaction that comes from it,” she
said. Writing the novel tested her
discipline and helped her realize that so much can be accomplished when you are
determined to complete a task.
She
also hopes to impact her readers. As
they read she wants them to feel that it is all right to fall and make
mistakes. “I hope they’ll feel
that our experiences take us right where we need to be in our personal growth
and that forgiveness is a good thing.”
In
becoming a writer, she joins many of the greats who have inspired her. Two of
her favorite authors who have influenced her work are Sue Monk Kidd and Alice
Munro. “I esteem great writers who are able to write novel after novel,” she
said.
So, can we expect novel after novel
from Varrasso? “I do have an idea
for a second one. Stay tuned!”
Looks like it is time for more notecards and “painting”! In the meantime, Running for Yellow can be purchased on Amazon.com or through
Varrasso’s websites runningforyellow.com and christinavarrasso.com.
