Mackenzie asked Amanda Panitch:

What inspired you to write "Damage Done"? It was one of my favorite books and I just adored it. I've almost always wanted to be an author, but have never really been inspired by anything except horses. I own a horse and every time I try to write I hit a dead end and eventually just stop. What inspired you and kept you going for all of your books?

Amanda Panitch First: thank you so much! Second: I have an entire folder on my computer full of stories that petered out around the fifty-page mark. I find that a lot of those hit that dead end because I hadn't fully developed my idea - it's easy to start a story with a spark or a concept that you're excited about - like horses - but try throwing in twists or wrenches in the characters' lives. Make it harder for your protagonist to get what she wants. Or introduce a character that wants the opposite of what your protagonist wants, so that they have to butt heads. Maybe your character actually wants something different than they thought they did. That's what helps me!

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