Kim Rossi

Writing a novel?

We writers all think we've written the next great novel, trashy or otherwise, right? A writer needs a certain level of confidence to put words onto paper. After all, think about it. A writer creates an entire universe in her fiction book. Unless of course the writer is James Frey, and then you mostly create controversy.

I decided to write a book about 2 years ago. I wake, eat, breathe, and sleep autism, 24/7. I'm not just mother to my 3 girls, I am therapist, drill sgt., doctor, ringleader, zookeeper and security manager. So when people in my autism world kept telling me "You ought to write a book about autism." I cringed. No thank you. I live it, who the heck wants to write about it? And then it occurred to me. "I" can't write about autism, but maybe there's someone in me who can? And in a sneaky "hide the medicine in the pudding" kind of way.

I also hear rather frequently, "Gee, you're funny, Kim." Yeah, like that fancy opera clown with the long Italian name. I do use humor and a sharp sarcasm to surmount some of the challenges our family faces. I've always been a smartie pants who leads with her mouth instead of her brain. (My babysitter from way back when still tells people that as a five year old, I told one of her pimply boyfriends "You're ugly you ass."Charming, yes?) And yet my parents never sold me to the gypsies, so I figure I can manage my own unusual family.

The book idea was tumbling about in my head when the proverbial lightbulb turned on. Not a fluorescent lightbulb, mind you, because they contain and emit MERCURY, the evil metal that just may be the root cause of a lot of autism. Let's not get into that today though.

Kat Cavicchio was born. She's the protagonist in my book called "Autism Is Murder." Kat is the aunt to two children with autism (See, I didn't call them autistic, did I? Remember, children with cancer are NOT cancerous.) She can observe her sister's life and better yet, comment on it with a wit and zing that, were it to come from my mouth, as a real live Mom, would surely get my Mother of the Year certificate revoked. And then I'd have to return that pretty apron.

So, the book tumbled out of my head onto my screen over many, many nights. But what a feeling when I was done. Elation! I had written a book. Of course, now comes the hard part. Find an agent who won't return my SASE with just a glance at the word autism in my query. But I'll get there. I'll get there.

KS