Why I wrote Full Cicada Moon in poetry

I'm often asked why, when I could have written Full Cicada Moon in any number of forms, I decided to tell the story in free-verse poetry. 

The answer is pretty simple: it's the way the story came to me. And, once I began writing the story in free verse, I realized that what Mimi had to say flowed more easily that way.

Originally, I’d intended to finish the first draft in free verse and then rewrite subsequent versions in more traditional narrative prose. But when I got about a quarter way through the first draft, I realized that this form was the best way for Mimi to tell her story. Because: 

1. Poetry let me write from a deep place in Mimi's character. 
2. Poetry let me express Mimi's emotions not only by which words I used but by how I arranged them on the page. 
3. I could omit tedious stage directions (for example, "She walked to the other side of the room," etc.) and write only the essential information that conveyed the story. 
4. Poetry gives more space for the reader to fill in their story between the lines and in the unwritten words. 
5. Poetry is fun to write.

Happy writing!