tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9324765067163891082024-02-19T03:52:07.592-08:00Rachel Ann HanleyWriting is a passion. Publishing is a business.Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-40837203923067923532020-12-07T16:41:00.010-08:002020-12-11T14:04:53.335-08:00Rachel was born in Cambridge, England - and perhaps that partly explains her obsession with rain, storms, and most forms of dreary weather. Of course, cloudy days are also an excellent excuse for her to hunker inside with a book and a cup of tea. Not to mention her excessively adorable corgi, Cerberus.<p>Beyond grey skies and book hoarding, Rachel's other passions include aerial silks and rock climbing, as well as chocolate, chocolate, and chocolate. She writes character-driven young adult fantasy, when corgi Cerberus permits her a break from snuggles and fetch, of course.</p>Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-649298242441760542019-10-11T07:00:00.002-07:002020-12-23T20:30:05.364-08:00JESSICA PAGE MORRELL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4vbhX36Sim-nGHpcsmSczx3zbBM2amwtKRw-rbVamSSRBLnwPDSxcKXqBzKWeFLUqxiF2_0OBJAP5W-HWvSjG2JS4y_GOhz5VcN44Lh0FV1jpcWOl69D_ozd3t7j7oN_W5qTRogfJzIi/s1600/Jessica+Page+Morrell.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4vbhX36Sim-nGHpcsmSczx3zbBM2amwtKRw-rbVamSSRBLnwPDSxcKXqBzKWeFLUqxiF2_0OBJAP5W-HWvSjG2JS4y_GOhz5VcN44Lh0FV1jpcWOl69D_ozd3t7j7oN_W5qTRogfJzIi/s320/Jessica+Page+Morrell.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzBCTVa1D2Sp_rgQP7RR2AIcFLiLEse7mHSCMOeYnvSoXJK5W2V5SiqLx_9mO80UMXpI6Ub6lcp9YuG0Gl2jTDXaW8UpvbjICHpMuZYlom9zkKghEsMYBef7E9jUXxEeoaramNSkH1XB6/s1600/Thanks%252C+But+This+Isn%2527t+For+Us.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzBCTVa1D2Sp_rgQP7RR2AIcFLiLEse7mHSCMOeYnvSoXJK5W2V5SiqLx_9mO80UMXpI6Ub6lcp9YuG0Gl2jTDXaW8UpvbjICHpMuZYlom9zkKghEsMYBef7E9jUXxEeoaramNSkH1XB6/s320/Thanks%252C+But+This+Isn%2527t+For+Us.jpg" width="213" /></a>Interview with JESSICA PAGE MORRELL
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<i>Jessica
Page Morrellunderstands both sides of the
editorial desk--as an editor and an author. She has written several books on
the craft of writing, and she works as a developmental editor where she has
learned how to quickly size up a story’s merits. Jessica lives in Portland, where
she is surrounded by writers.</i></div>
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<b>What are you reading right now? </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDyz8ego5h5feHW7ncsN38PvRpTS4K1kqO3OW_6pzl1ReH2gs3E8LQZC7Z5fNzn3UJYLmo5ZKSIjyEgb5GRVYHQQ9BNMa88pXa7b1rK-UD679gUvG-dcV8raeJHf96LF9Sn6yocYTeRaN/s1600/Between+the+Lines.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDyz8ego5h5feHW7ncsN38PvRpTS4K1kqO3OW_6pzl1ReH2gs3E8LQZC7Z5fNzn3UJYLmo5ZKSIjyEgb5GRVYHQQ9BNMa88pXa7b1rK-UD679gUvG-dcV8raeJHf96LF9Sn6yocYTeRaN/s320/Between+the+Lines.jpg" width="212" /></a>I usually have several books in progress, also read a fair
number of short stories and am currently reading Dorothy Allison’s collection <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">TRASH</span>. I believe short stories can teach
us so much about crafting fiction. I call it fiction on a budget—sort of like
film shorts. We can note which details the author homed in on, especially to
establish the main story problem or situation, the protagonist’s key traits, voice,
setting, and atmosphere. I also listen to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
New Yorker</i> podcast where short stories are read from the magazine. Really
relaxing way to end the day before I nod off to sleep. </div>
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I’m also reading <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">RIVER
OF DOUBT: THEODORE ROOSEVELT’S DARKEST JOURNEY</span> by Candice Millard. It’s about
Roosevelt’s exploratory trip on a tributary of the Amazon after he lost his bid
for the presidency as a third-party candidate. It’s a great story to read while
there’s an international conversation about what true leadership means. I’m
also re-reading Daniel Woodrell’s <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">TOMATO
RED</span> because it’s freaking brilliant and Woodrell creates indelible
characters and story worlds. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b>What first sparked your interest in writing and editing? </b></div>
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I’ve been interested in writing since I was a kid, was an
avid reader, and wrote poems and stories. In fifth grade our oddball teacher,
Mr. Becker, tuned in an old radio in the back of the classroom to a public
radio show for young writers. The woman’s voice was as old and creaky as a
haunted house, and she’d assign weekly stories. One assignment was to create a
story about a monster with a far-out name; and once I read about my shambling
creature in front of the class and was met with approval, I was truly hooked. I
took journalism classes in high school and edited a column in two local newspapers
and created a literary magazine.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I moved to Portland,
Oregon in 1991 and landed an editing job with a local publisher in about 1996. The
publisher was a former magazine journalist for major magazines and while
working for him I learned a lot about copyediting and how to rewrite inaccurate
and unformed writing. Gradually I was assigned fiction titles and learned how
to work closely with authors to create a better story. Somewhere along the way
they laid me off because of a company downturn and I started my own editing
gig. </div>
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Before I worked as editor, I wrote a suspense novel and
submitted it to an editor at a publishing house. The editor sent me a rejection
letter that began “this is the hardest letter I’ve ever written” and explained
why he was rejecting it. It was a blow, but I made up my mind to learn
everything there was to learn about writing fiction. By this time I was also in
love with teaching writers and passing on what I learned to other writers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b>What do you love the most about writing? The least? What
about editing? </b></div>
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I love so much about writing, but maybe these days it’s how
writing makes me feel doubly alive and gives me a means to indulge and explore
my love of language. It’s also a repository of my general wonder at this planet
and fellow humans. The least favorite would be the physical toll. Sitting a lot
and typing a lot just causes eye strain, neck and back pain, and such. I’m not
able to settle in and write for long swaths because I need to get up and
stretch and move. </div>
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Editing is simply a satisfying endeavor. I love helping
writers become better writers and good writers get published. My least favorite
part of it is writing memos to writers to explain why their stories or
techniques just aren’t working and why they need to rethink their approach. I
jokingly call myself the Angel of Death, but the truth is, every time I return
a manuscript to a writer I’m a little sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<b>Tell us a little about your writing process as well as
your editing process.</b></div>
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I’ve been writing so long that I don’t have a lot of
problems with starting or jumping back into a project. I also have a backlog of
ideas and projects. I carry notebooks with me at all times where I jot down
ideas and I’ve trained myself to be able to write anytime, anywhere. I used to
be an early morning writer and believed those were the only hours I could write
at my best level. I struggle with being distractible so I give myself little
rewards along the way. I also have a document open on my laptop or computer most
of the time that I call my Commonplace Book and I start a new one every season.
It’s another place I jot down language, ideas, inspirations—usually snippets I
find online while I’m researching or reading. And all this capturing of ideas
and snippets is simply fun and reminds me to be observant, listening in at all
times.</div>
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As for editing—with new clients I start the process by
reading a sample and learning where the writer is at with his or her skill
level and what his/her goals are. I work in Word’s Track Changes program and
start with a read-through and quick edit. As I’m reading I open a document and
start noting what’s working and the gaps and issues that are in the way. This
will become a detailed memo—usually 10-25 single-spaced pages. After I’ve
figured out the main problems, I delve back into the trouble spots—usually
going through the entire manuscript twice and certain scenes three or four times,
and really dig in with copyediting, revisions, and comments in the right-hand
column of the document. It’s laborious and I like to mull over every story for
about 3 weeks so that solutions can start taking shape as I work along. Some of
these occur as I’m drifting off to sleep or going for a walk. This means I
don’t take on a lot of full-length manuscripts in a year, but I also edit short
stories and lately have been working on a kids’ book series. And I work on
nonfiction from memoirs to business books. It’s a meaningful gig. </div>
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<b>What are your passions? </b></div>
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Gardening, cooking, politics, hiking in the Pacific
Northwest, taking in stories in all forms such as attending the theater,
history, and art. And the Green Bay Packers—I grew up about 100 miles from
Green Bay. Three years ago I bought a small fixer-upper with a long-neglected
yard. I’m working at rehabilitating both. This year I grew more than a dozen
tomato plants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means I’m busy harvesting
tomatoes, giving some away, creating roasted sauces to freeze, and finding new
ways to eat tomatoes at most meals. Last night it was roasted cherry tomatoes
with scallops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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About 15 years ago I started a picking garden because I need
fresh flowers in my house and growing flowers, especially dahlias, brings me
great joy. My secret wish is to be a flower farmer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began cooking when I was eight, was in the
restaurant/food business, and became a food writer so I’m always inventing and
trying new recipes. Currently I’m creating a cookbook for my oldest
granddaughter of our favorite recipes. I spend too much time on Pinterest
collecting recipes, rehabbing and garden ideas. HGTV and Brit gardening and
cooking shows are my guilty pleasures. </div>
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I’d always planned on going back to college to study history
and political science when I retired, but retirement might never happen. So I
decided to start learning from home and have been taking Great Courses and
listening to podcasts on topics that fascinate me. For the past year I’ve been
studying the history of English and it’s been so enriching. I’m also studying
how history, food, and culture intersect. A few years ago I was in Dublin and
was blown away by the Viking display at the National Museum of History and have
also been studying their fascinating history. </div>
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I’ve been interested in politics since I was a teenager,
subscribe to a variety of newspapers and magazines, often have CSPAN and MSNBC
on in the background when I’m puttering around, am part of the Resistance, and
am volunteering to elect progressives in 2020.</div>
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<b>What inspires you? </b></div>
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I find inspiration everywhere. Then there’s reading, of
course. Poetry, especially reading poems first thing in the morning. Forests
with old growth. Writers’ conferences. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Bookstores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The endless Pacific. Perusing writer’s blogs
and Twitter feeds. Farmer’s markets, gardens, film, hanging out with children,
country drives and exploring Oregon, inventors, attending the theater and
concerts, long deep conversations with old friends, wandering around new towns
and cities, any activity that allows my mind to roam free. I’m also big on
wandering around in neighborhoods and simply paying attention, wondering about
the people who live there. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b>Why write books about writing?</b></div>
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I started teaching writers in 1991 and over the next five
years or so I’d run into students all over Portland. We’d meet in checkout lines
or at music venues or farmer’s markets and we’d chat and these former students would
enthuse about my classes and all he/she learned. Then I’d ask what seemed to me
the obvious next question: So how’s your writing going? And most of them
confessed that they weren’t writing. They’d stopped writing when the class
ended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was borderline heartbreaking.
It set me thinking and asking people about why they did <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> write even though they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wanted</i>
to write. This led to my first book <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">WRITING
OUT THE STORM</span>, which is one of those get-off-your-butt-and-freaking-just-write
books. It addressed how most people who avoid writing are afraid to write and simple
ways to sneak past those fears. </div>
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I wrote more books about writing because I saw gaps that
needed filling. For example, I noticed that would-be fiction writers needed to
focus more on the subtler aspects of the craft. I noticed the rise of the
anti-hero across all storytelling platforms and it seemed few people were
talking about it. And as much as I love teaching, I realized I could reach more
writers by creating books instead of teaching live, even when I had the chance
to address hundreds at a writing conference.</div>
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I also write about writing because I believe the world needs
more stories. More shared realities. More truths from marginalized people and
working-class people and people we’ll never get to meet except on a page. So
that our shared humanity can make sense, can unite instead of divide us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b>Do you have genres that you prefer editing? Are they the
same ones you prefer reading? </b></div>
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I try to read widely and keep up on publishing trends. I
regularly read first chapters online because I don’t have as much time to read
as I’d like. In the past 10 years or so I’ve become particularly interested in
dystopian fiction because it’s so easy to envision as this country and the planet
are teetering towards disaster with icebergs melting and oceans warming. </div>
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I’ve probably worked the most with suspense and thriller
manuscripts and they’re a lot of fun because I like helping assemble and
arrange the puzzle pieces and make sure that tension shivers and whispers
beneath everything. I love the challenge of editing historical fiction because
I have an ear for period dialogue and a nose for using accurate period details.
Well, maybe not nose. But I’m a curious person and have always paid attention
to the smallest details. I want the stories to transport readers into another
time and place, a place that’s pulsating with authenticity and redolent with
smells of the era, lit by candlelight or lamplight so that readers can sense
the shadows and hush and backbreaking toil before household gadgets and
technology, all without it becoming a dissertation. Same goes for world
building in fantasy and science fiction. Horror is fun to edit, also a cool
challenge, but man, it’s hard to get right. </div>
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<b>Do you have advice for aspiring authors? </b></div>
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First, harden up. Writing is a meaningful but tough life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start out humble and stay humble. Learn structure.
While not glamorous, the more you understand the underpinnings of storytelling,
the easier it will be to write. </div>
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Keep it simple. Most beginning writers overwrite and add dollops
and modifiers and digressions. Every word in every sentence needs a job to do.
If not, fire it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
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If you hate marketing, don’t want to maintain a website, and
somehow promote yourself on social media, then it might be best to back out
now. These days writing requires reaching out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I’ve met countless authors who complain about
how they hate marketing—they’re usually the same ones who also complain about
poor book sales. There are way too many people willing to Instagram and tweet
and post on Facebook to take your place. There are way too many people with
high social media profiles. Publishers want to publish them, because their
followers are likely to buy their books. Sad as it might sound, you’re creating
a product. As the creator of a product, you need to find people who want your product.
This doesn’t diminish what you do; separate you from your passions and artist’s
sensibility. Storytelling in all forms is an important contribution to the
world. Having a social media presence doesn’t negate that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
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Listen. Stop defending your work, your plot, and your
pantsing approach. Instead listen to writers and editors who are more
experienced than you. Along that line, search out mentors. If you live in small
town or remote place, find these writers online. Pay attention to how writers
build their careers. If possible, hang out with other writers. No one else will
understand you the way writers do. If possible, take part in a critique group
or find a way to receive intelligent, unbiased feedback. </div>
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Expand your
vocabulary. Word gathering and collecting adds up and pays off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Create word lists. Fill notebooks. Keep a
running list of potent verbs on your phone. Snatch up metaphors. Start now if
you already haven’t made this a lifelong habit.</div>
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Go through your
days looking for deeper meaning and truths.</div>
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Stay true to
yourself.</div>
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The more you write
the more you write. It’s a muscle thing—keep at it. If your writing practice is
scant or shaky, make writing a priority. Be ruthless, laser-focused, and smart
with your time. </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">And speaking of
time—it’s the main commodity you’ll never have enough of. Or at least it will
feel that way. Protect your writing time or schedule, like you’re protecting a
babe from slavering wolves. </span></div>
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<b>Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about
yourself? </b></div>
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If I can write books, so can you. I’ve written books while
recovering from a head injury, while juggling three jobs, while my back ached,
and my heart was breaking. Life can
go to hell or become seriously complicated in an instant—illness, accident,
death in the family, colicky babies who won’t sleep. In the midst of chaos, try
to keep notes about how you’re coping, feeling, grieving. Some of these potent,
raw emotions can become your richest treasures. But capture them. And sometimes
you’ll find that writing, despite or through hard circumstances, just might
save you, hold you up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
<br />Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-16283016764296991122018-08-03T07:00:00.001-07:002020-12-13T17:51:22.453-08:00ARTEMIS GREY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpxYj7pKzlg-ZazDrR40Wlj2crI1G8tdCl4Zf7TTZVVO5zY-YJC1lMxJ_p8SOmTHKNyY5OYhWfuSdrCxuXOMa2jzJqAsV6Wjde5Uqzdcj4TngqINGjBt4HvpXT0cb0e-92uXqaevvwXFT/s1600/Artemis+Grey.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpxYj7pKzlg-ZazDrR40Wlj2crI1G8tdCl4Zf7TTZVVO5zY-YJC1lMxJ_p8SOmTHKNyY5OYhWfuSdrCxuXOMa2jzJqAsV6Wjde5Uqzdcj4TngqINGjBt4HvpXT0cb0e-92uXqaevvwXFT/s1600/Artemis+Grey.jpg" /></a></div>
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Interview with ARTEMIS GREY</div>
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<i>Artemis Grey was
raised on fairytales and the folklore of Appalachia. She’s been devouring books
and regurgitating her daydreams into written words since childhood. She can
often be found writing by a crackling fire or romping through the woods on
horseback, searching the depths of random wardrobes and wriggling into hollow
tree trunks. She hopes to make her readers look at the world they’ve always
seen, and see the world they’ve always envisioned.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjrBv8ghRcttGLg9l0nR-v8lkf6sSeVjYHtwtc9aNGd9NN_gpVdsno6uTHu_qbdYaUp5OpCqZOIcUSjCyIsR26ghADK7E178xJayhtaIeLWQcRpqZkRpSgof7_MdfPitxNyLT8o7XSufD/s475/Catskin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjrBv8ghRcttGLg9l0nR-v8lkf6sSeVjYHtwtc9aNGd9NN_gpVdsno6uTHu_qbdYaUp5OpCqZOIcUSjCyIsR26ghADK7E178xJayhtaIeLWQcRpqZkRpSgof7_MdfPitxNyLT8o7XSufD/s320/Catskin.jpg" /></a><br /></div>
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<b>What are you reading
right now?</b></div>
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We’ve been on overtime at work for almost two months, and my
reading has been happening only in audio from (graciously provided by a coworker who shares his audible account). Recently, I’ve been listening to the LEGEND
OF DRIZZT series, by R.A. Salvatore. The books that started everything for me,
were the original DRAGONLANCE trilogy, and the CRYSTAL SHARD trilogy.
Specifically Raistlin Majere, and Drizzt Do’Urden have always been, and will
always be, my two great loves in regard to character romances. Drizzt, in
particular, is a comfort for me, and his stories are the ones I go back to
again and again. From his character itself, to the fact that that character was
actually created on impulse and without any intention of having the character
“mean anything” Drizzt represents to me the what-ifs and the indomitableness
carried within oneself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What first sparked
your interest in writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I accidentally answered part of this with my first answer.
Like many writers, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t telling stories, but
it was reading fantasy books like the ones above that started me writing my own
stories. That, and the desire to be able to maybe create characters that would
mean as much to someone, somewhere, as characters like Drizzt mean to me. In more
recent years, writing nonfiction (specifically for the theatre of conservation)
has been sparked by the need to educate the public and spread information, to
be a voice for the voiceless.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you love the
most about writing? The least?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I love most about writing fiction is everything about
the process and actual creation. “Meeting” new characters, learning about them,
seeing their stories unfold. What I like the least is the need to try and
convince members on the commercial side of things that my stories are “worthy”
of being put into the public’s reach. In writing nonfiction, what I love most
is being able to engage the public and teach them things they didn’t know. I
also love, in a warrior’s sense, being able to combat those who would exploit
voiceless animals, nature, and public ignorance, to make money, and damage that
which they profess to care about. Most people are shocked to realize the truth
about some of the most visible “conservationists” they’ve heard of. What I like
least in nonfiction is the willful ignorance, and blind devotion that I’ve
encountered on widespread levels. The willingness of humanity to warp or
destroy principles, or overlook the same, even as they acknowledge it, in
exchange for either their own gain, or because it’s more comfortable, or
convenient to do so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tell us a little
about your writing process.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fiction I’m a panster to the core. A story, or character,
or set of characters will blossom inside me, and for a varying amount of time
decided by each, I’ll let them grow there, developing and maturing. Then I
simply start writing. Most of the time, the greater story arch will already be
visible to me. I’ll know the start, at least have an idea of the journey, and
where things end up. But my rough drafts are very much that. My second drafts
are where hard lines get drawn. I still write long hand in pen, when I’m able,
and when that’s happened, it’s the transcription process that stands as my
“second draft”. In nonfiction, I do a ton of research for articles. That’s very
rewarding in itself. It’s all about taking hard science, and/or verified facts,
and then presenting it in a way that reaches out and physically impacts the
public, opens their eyes, and permanently alters them afterward, hopefully in
all the best ways.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are your
passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Writing. Being a voice for those (animal or human) who have
none of their own, but doing so in a way that remains true to them. Being
alone, surrounded by nature, with as little indication of the presence of
humanity as possible. The intangible connection and exchange possible with
nature and animals that requires you to step outside yourself and not perceive
the world in the manner of how it exists in relation to you, by rather in how
it exists without you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What inspires you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everything. Literally everything. From the things I love, to
the things I most hate, or fear, it all inspires me in some way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How was CATSKIN born?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have always thought humans with albinism to be
exceptionally beautiful not just in form, but in the sameness so often denied
them by the rest of society. I feel likewise about all other “differences”
perceived and maintained by society. At the same time, there were no male
characters (that I knew of) which embraced “broken” females as they were,
without trying to “fix” them because they saw them as not actually “broken” but
simply the same as everyone else in a different way. The parallels of society
treating those with albinism as being “different” and society treating those
who have suffered a trauma as “different” developed into a story about a boy
who was just the same as everyone else in his “differences” falling in love
with a girl who likewise was the same in her “differences,” but who had been
conditioned to believe she wasn’t “right.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you think you will
ever return to write more with Ansel and Catskin?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I sincerely hope so! I actually have outlines for two more
books, one which follows Catskin before she met Ansel (which would address some
issues like you can’t really walk around in Alaska for months surviving on
nothing as it seems like Catskin did before meeting Ansel. I'm looking at you,
Erynn) and one which follows them after the events in CATSKIN. Because CATSKIN
was released through a very small press (Clean Reads, you’re the best ever) and
because my writing is rich in satisfaction and joy, but poor in monetary
matters, I have to split my time between a full time job, and my writing
efforts. Clean Reads was the only publisher willing to publish CATSKIN
(seriously, Clean Reads is a phenomenal group of people) so I’ve been trying to
work on other projects which might be more commercially viable in the hopes
that subsequent contracts would provide me with more time to write. Still
working on that but also still working on CATSKIN related books!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have any
advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best advice I can give aspiring authors is to take the
time to learn themselves, to learn their inner beings as far as their writing goes.
Learn, accept, and respect what matters the most to you. Do you want to write
for the love of writing? Do you want to be commercially and monetarily
successful through your writing? Do you want to achieve some functional change
in the world with your writing? The answers are vital, because they will guide
you, and embracing them will allow you to be happy. Also, there is no wrong
answer, and the answer can change dependent upon subject matter and situation.
If you want to be a monetarily successful author, if what will make you happy
is seeing your name in headlines, then you can shape your writing, what you
write, and how you write it, with the goal of achieving those things. Yes,
unexpected lightning does strike. But documenting the lifecycle and daily
struggles of a hellbender salamander in an Appalachian stream-bed is not likely
to gain you red-carpet receptions, or invitations to Dragon-Con panels.
However, if what you love most is being able to take something that most of
society doesn’t even know about, and turn it into a gripping tale that might
mean everything to just a few people, then red-carpets and Cons don’t matter. A
writer who wants to make money off their writing, is no less an author than a
writer who wants only to document the comings and goings of the field mice in
their backyard, and vice versa. Neither are the two exclusive. You can desire
monetary success through one type of writing, while wanting only to document
something for the sake of that thing with another type of writing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Is there anything
else you would like to tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because I took over a month to get these questions answered
and sent to Rachel (and I love Rachel immensely and very much appreciate her
interest in interviewing me) I think she, and readers, deserve something extra,
so I’ll tell you a secret: I have a habit of leaving scraps of paper sort-of
hidden in all the places I go (public, or natural) with little things written
on them. It might be a little stanza of poetry (I’m not an accomplished poet
but I try) or a (hopefully) inspirational quote, or it might just say something
like “You are enough in yourself.” Or something like that. But I believe that
little unexpected bits of magic, and discovery like that help keep us alive in
all the important ways, so I try to help them happen whenever I can.</div>Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-34340404083845764022018-07-13T07:00:00.001-07:002020-12-23T19:55:24.051-08:00BENJAMIN LUDWIG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfR3JYrw1qdskK664cC7J7oL7kY6ZsEmZECkcKO9OCZHQSmXxv6hgRebJMeg5fU5eVool2eUYbX7JzLXqsMXiaRE1ipytCrvH7LxHkCsyxjrIUTQlGgq9l9STDXvC5UH-Tv1Bd58bNghVG/s1600/Benjamin+Ludwig.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfR3JYrw1qdskK664cC7J7oL7kY6ZsEmZECkcKO9OCZHQSmXxv6hgRebJMeg5fU5eVool2eUYbX7JzLXqsMXiaRE1ipytCrvH7LxHkCsyxjrIUTQlGgq9l9STDXvC5UH-Tv1Bd58bNghVG/s1600/Benjamin+Ludwig.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Interview with Benjamin Ludwig</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Benjamin Ludwig is the
author of <a href="http://rachelannhanley.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-original-ginny-moon.html">GINNY MOON</a></i>, <i>published by Park Row Books of HarperCollins on May
02, 2017. To date it has been published in eighteen countries. His
novella, SOURDOUGH, was the recipient of the 2013 Clay Reynolds Prize for
the Novella. A former English teacher and new-teacher mentor, he holds an MAT
in English education and an MFA in creative writing. He and his family live in
New Hampshire.
</i></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqu7ViAV1mXmEv6K_FwgBPUfQcI_JbojkMOzJLXmSWCqSMPYm_AaGKOX8IHBckXgMWvekQTYcAi75R7lPwYXWJxYMl1axxUb53qKkoWboK3xCxP7iWbHKqDPnGE5RgIx77Zf0x67MwuQu/s475/Ginny+Moon.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqu7ViAV1mXmEv6K_FwgBPUfQcI_JbojkMOzJLXmSWCqSMPYm_AaGKOX8IHBckXgMWvekQTYcAi75R7lPwYXWJxYMl1axxUb53qKkoWboK3xCxP7iWbHKqDPnGE5RgIx77Zf0x67MwuQu/s320/Ginny+Moon.jpeg" /></a><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are you reading
right now? </b><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Right now I’m reading a book called FIFTEEN DOGS by Andre
Alexis. It’s a great book, one that I hope people will pick up and devour. The
pitch totally hooked me as soon as I heard it: “And so it begins: a bet between
the gods Hermes and Apollo leads them to grant human consciousness and language
to a group of dogs overnighting at a Toronto veterinary clinic.” I’m always
interested in books about dogs, and this was utterly tragicomic. I’m reading it
for the second time, now. I like to read deeply rather than broadly – there are
several books that I re-read every year, and I think this might end up being
one of them. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
</b><div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first sparked your interest in
writing? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I caught the writing-bug in third grade, the same year I
fell in love with writing. I wanted to impress a girl who happened to be a
bookworm, so I picked out a copy of the same book she was reading, sat next to
her, and tried to strike up a conversation. She completely ignored me. So I
started reading the book…and fell in love with Laura Ingalls Wilder. My buddies
weren’t impressed, but I was enthralled. Soon after, I started writing my own
stories, most of which were about a family of raccoons crossing a dangerous
meadow. They had a pet squirrel named Jack, as I recall.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
What do you love the most about writing? The least?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The constant surprise. Most of the time, when I think I know
what’s going to happen next, my characters end up surprising me. Ginny was like
that. I made an outline to guide me through the writing process, but she
refused to follow it. She had her own ideas about how things should go. It was
all I could do to keep up with her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little about your writing
process.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I write in two places. In the morning before the kids are
up, I write on the couch, with the woodstove burning, and the dogs sprawled out
nearby. During the day, when everyone is at school or work, I write at the
dining room table so that I can spread out all my notes, outlines, and papers.
Most of my revision and planning takes place during the day because I can get
to at all the things I need without worrying about waking up the rest of the
family. My mornings, though, are for purely creative work. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your
passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aside from writing? I love chopping wood, and gardening, and
being outside. Hiking has always been a favorite activity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What inspires you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Poetry and music. Or maybe I should say music and poetry.
The playfulness of structure, which I find easiest to perceive in those two
things. Creativity has always been, for me, about setting up expectations, and
then thwarting them in clever ways. That’s what music and poetry do, I think.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ginny has such a distinct voice and
perspective. Did it take a while to get that right or did her voice come to you
from the start? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ginny’s voice came to me in a very mysterious, exciting way.
I came home one night in 2013 from my daughter’s Special Olympics basketball
practice with a voice ringing in my ears. It wasn’t my daughter’s voice, and it
wasn’t the voice of any of the other kids I’d just been talking with at
practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a desperate,
quirky, driving voice – one that demanded to be written. So I sat and I wrote,
and immediately saw that I had something beyond exciting. After that I wrote
out an outline – but Ginny refused to do what the outline said. And thank
goodness! Her direction proved to be much better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Did Ginny’s character
require much research or did you write her more from empathy? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t do any research at all, for Ginny as a character.
Her voice made the character, if that makes sense. What she said, and how she
said it, suggested a lot of the backstory, and pointed directly to some of her
disabilities. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What made you decide
on short chapters or is that simply what felt natural for this book?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think Ginny’s own direct, to-the-point style demanded that
the chapters be short. There were times when I tried to make some of the
chapters longer, but she found my attempts to be (as she would put it) tedious.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have any
advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cultivate your ideas, and take them seriously. Human beings
have creative thoughts all the time, but it’s so, so it’s easy to breeze past
them, and to say, “That’s just a silly idea.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hardest thing for a new writer to do is to accept that a
lot of their ideas can and should be developed. We sell ourselves short, I
think, and underestimate ourselves all the time.</div></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-62698086292759592262017-12-23T16:05:00.009-08:002020-12-23T16:31:55.062-08:00JOSH LANYON<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9LTBnvlbCLDdumxFtVZ2LgK3givXCctERFs93HQtR5gwmoUj0igt_GuyxWOViq_xqYrzkU7ogWkUHf08KyuiqpM57_T7c9EazVrM2hY69rh7ZFB_DG8bcu19AiVOmAt6BroXYZvoedEa/s300/Irregulars.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9LTBnvlbCLDdumxFtVZ2LgK3givXCctERFs93HQtR5gwmoUj0igt_GuyxWOViq_xqYrzkU7ogWkUHf08KyuiqpM57_T7c9EazVrM2hY69rh7ZFB_DG8bcu19AiVOmAt6BroXYZvoedEa/s0/Irregulars.jpg" /></a>Interview with JOSH LANYON <i> </i></p><p><i>A distinct voice in gay fiction, multi-award-winning author Josh
Lanyon has been writing gay mystery, adventure, and romance for over a
decade. In addition to numerous short stories, novellas, and novels,
Josh is the author of the critically acclaimed ADRIEN ENGLISH series,
including THE HELL YOU SAY, winner of the 2006 USA Book News award for
GLBT Fiction. Josh is an Eppie Award winner and a three-time Lambda
Literary Award finalist. </i><br /><br /><b>What are you reading right now? </b><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSWpE7Gkk0Fmb9rBSmOedEf3xrF0cG_2cNJd1uzxvvHuZsokyzBcISe8Gm0SOsukRuSTCxcjJxFhdjQfQMCzWaPep71ZEQ9kVtH8HdPYICWZ6Rd59rIk5jiZM5If3AdmlFqRlvyOG2WSt/s263/Fatal+Shadows.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSWpE7Gkk0Fmb9rBSmOedEf3xrF0cG_2cNJd1uzxvvHuZsokyzBcISe8Gm0SOsukRuSTCxcjJxFhdjQfQMCzWaPep71ZEQ9kVtH8HdPYICWZ6Rd59rIk5jiZM5If3AdmlFqRlvyOG2WSt/s16000/Fatal+Shadows.jpg" /></a>I'm
just about to start work on a short story set in the 1940s, so I'm
reading crime fiction from the 40s to make sure I've got the tone and
the feel right. I'm reading Howard Browne, Raoul Whitfield, Frederick
Nebel, etc. <br /><br /> <b>What first sparked your interest in writing? </b></p><p>Oh! That's going back a ways. I don't know. I was one of those kids who was always telling stories to the other kids. From the time I was very small my teachers were <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BDfGdwUGcDoTkAcpBejAhq0InkprgYLgwN4v1wOM1CbKgeEGlYU5iMKmvKh48aS_XHOvjAiyKVN1hYJGx0-DQ6vEp2nyNn3Lx9TStpLweSWdjcO6IcmHI0KRdXhfDIxZu1XmWYsuNvA4/s1500/Strange+Fortune.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BDfGdwUGcDoTkAcpBejAhq0InkprgYLgwN4v1wOM1CbKgeEGlYU5iMKmvKh48aS_XHOvjAiyKVN1hYJGx0-DQ6vEp2nyNn3Lx9TStpLweSWdjcO6IcmHI0KRdXhfDIxZu1XmWYsuNvA4/s320/Strange+Fortune.jpg" /></a>telling me I was going to be a writer, so I guess I went with it. <br /><br /> <b>What do you love the most about writing? The least? </b></p><p>I love that almost magical (call it a waking dream state) that takes
over when the work is going well. When you really are lost in the
story, completely immersed in the world you've created and the lives of
your characters. <br /><br />I hate deadlines, but I would get nothing done
without them. And I dread the first draft. My first drafts are sheer
torture. They are hell to write, I have to drag the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTDnaSJbpu_pFphFX_dQ-dUihIxCILawSxu5DI1qhC9seQiT-yZmLNqsML6W8l73UAcU3rPaiH1zOUa2hATbJe7BWb9zD8KruOfMuJaQlFkJSCeXnpXgOMmVDfvcgG3LX1CVUSEsFO_cL/s1500/Mermaid+Murders.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTDnaSJbpu_pFphFX_dQ-dUihIxCILawSxu5DI1qhC9seQiT-yZmLNqsML6W8l73UAcU3rPaiH1zOUa2hATbJe7BWb9zD8KruOfMuJaQlFkJSCeXnpXgOMmVDfvcgG3LX1CVUSEsFO_cL/s320/Mermaid+Murders.jpg" /></a>words out, my
endings are never more than a rough sketch. I write horrible first
drafts. <br /></p><b>Tell us a little about your writing process. </b><br /><br />I
don't know if it's anything as organized as a "process." Basically I
get an idea and let it stew for a while. Then I start by jotting down a
lot of notes as I do my research, working out some of the general
details, and then I start writing my really ugly first draft. I try to
write about two thousand words a day. I write most every <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1i3ytrtB56AABopz6BhU-ntO25f0Igrg6MCYR_EizBezNng_ziWzkdfNZ6jXan9ibLDSFJU30kww46tfYLl4PjOlTL-DuvylluFJN-2SY1leSrvlLw6W4UTuBYLHxy31kNWAjlT3OuEEZ/s1500/Mainly+by+Moonlight.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1i3ytrtB56AABopz6BhU-ntO25f0Igrg6MCYR_EizBezNng_ziWzkdfNZ6jXan9ibLDSFJU30kww46tfYLl4PjOlTL-DuvylluFJN-2SY1leSrvlLw6W4UTuBYLHxy31kNWAjlT3OuEEZ/s320/Mainly+by+Moonlight.jpg" /></a>day. Then I
hand it off to my editor and ideally they hang onto it for a week or so,
long enough that I can come back to it with fresh eyes. I enjoy the
rewrite stage a lot. That's where the magic happens. <br /><b><br /> What are your passions?</b> <p>This week? This week my passion is for Wallace Nutting's tinted photographs, the Lindbergh kidnapping, and Italian cooking. <br /></p><p><b>What inspires you? </b><br /><br />Music
in particular. In fact, I usually can't listen to anything with lyrics
until the first draft is done. I have different Pandora channels set up
for my writing moods. First drafts require something called "Meditation
by the Sea." <br /><br /><b>Why mystery? </b><br /><br />Well, I'm mostly
interested in character. All my stories are character driven. And
mystery is all about motive and motive is essentially what drives people
to do the things they do. The stakes are always high in mysteries, even
if the crime isn't murder (though it usually is) and so the things that
drive people to crime or to conceal crime are usually - at least in
fiction - fascinating. <br /><br /><b>Why romance? </b><br /><br />Lanyon answers this question <a href="http://www.joshlanyon.com/about.html">here</a> on his website. </p><b>How was “Green Glass Beads” born? </b><br /><br />The
poem "Green Glass Beads" is one I remember from my childhood. I always
loved it, loved wondering about the mysterious backstory of the nymph
and the goblin, wondered about those green glass beads. And I knew I
wanted - needed - to come up with some different angle for the
anthology, so I thought what if my story was told from the perspective
of someone on the other side of the law. Somehow those two ideas meshed.
<br /><br /><b>What was it like writing a story for a shared world anthology? </b><br /><br />Tricky!
I'm not used to having to consider the creative ramifications of any of
my storytelling choices. That's where having an editor like Nicole is
invaluable. She kept us all on track and focused. <br /><br /><b>Of all your published books (and you have a lot!), do you have a personal favorite? </b><br /><br />I
like different titles for different reasons. Some, like OUT OF THE BLUE
or SNOWBALL IN HELL, I'm especially proud of because of the research or
the challenge of writing something I really had to stretch for. Some,
like the ADRIEN ENGLISH series, I love because of my connection to the
characters. <br /><br /><b>Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? </b><br /><br />Don't
be satisfied with "good enough." Every single thing you write should be
the very best effort you have in you at that time. It won't save you
from looking back at earlier work and wincing, but you can reassure
yourself that you did the best work you were capable of. That means a
lot. <p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><p></p><p></p>Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-9080534539637509602014-12-26T07:00:00.003-08:002020-12-13T16:31:11.165-08:00SETH CASTEEL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4EZHt8exUgip0gAk6muob08pmfoRoGhRXRlh73jTRKpvNrYpQpgKqUWMbEIYr0TTksfthKulRJDqrt_wOWLqmlOmdkFbve0RhyphenhyphenOTVdo1Um4dnSWjUx1IrbtK1ZcKrz91zx1arv_ySSlE/s1600/Seth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4EZHt8exUgip0gAk6muob08pmfoRoGhRXRlh73jTRKpvNrYpQpgKqUWMbEIYr0TTksfthKulRJDqrt_wOWLqmlOmdkFbve0RhyphenhyphenOTVdo1Um4dnSWjUx1IrbtK1ZcKrz91zx1arv_ySSlE/s1600/Seth.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Interview
with SETH CASTEEL
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Seth Casteel is an award-winning photographer and the author of the New
York Times best selling books UNDERWATER DOGS and UNDERWATER PUPPIES. Seth lives in Venice, CA. He loves 80's
music and is a fan of the DeLorean automobile. He plans to one day go back in
time, and change nothing. His rescue dog, Baby Nala, has accepted the fact that
she will be photographed every single day. People often say that Seth and Nala
have similar hairstyles.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCDPHLhgSsQATYRcRv4GBu4BgoZqXTIZ8GkSsD_cTTfK5jB3s6bURqthxREwTmkd9EfO4hUP3ki8QldCdldMk0VcR1_QAszR0_ZvaUBp8ThyphenhyphendRR0hkGl3KuxNltBbXvfrK6n0zdENAUZ1/s1600/Underwater+Dogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCDPHLhgSsQATYRcRv4GBu4BgoZqXTIZ8GkSsD_cTTfK5jB3s6bURqthxREwTmkd9EfO4hUP3ki8QldCdldMk0VcR1_QAszR0_ZvaUBp8ThyphenhyphendRR0hkGl3KuxNltBbXvfrK6n0zdENAUZ1/s1600/Underwater+Dogs.jpg" height="173" width="200" /></a><b>What first sparked your
interest in photography?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
CATS!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qdCe9DrPZ7kLb-IjENIXPlj6_9Fn0MS3Y2JOuGTf3WSnU34oYNFSyiLdSaLGyZmuMWwZ_inl8q-9i4bnEVBmB50VfzIOGDS5qgWsU2cgSNiodZ6MjTOUBV4SSr28ZvuY2M8AvQurJ41C/s1600/Underwater+Puppies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qdCe9DrPZ7kLb-IjENIXPlj6_9Fn0MS3Y2JOuGTf3WSnU34oYNFSyiLdSaLGyZmuMWwZ_inl8q-9i4bnEVBmB50VfzIOGDS5qgWsU2cgSNiodZ6MjTOUBV4SSr28ZvuY2M8AvQurJ41C/s1600/Underwater+Puppies.jpg" height="165" width="200" /></a><b>What do you love the most
about photography?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To tell a story and to create awareness through a single picture.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are your passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ANIMALS!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What inspires you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
DOGS!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How was UNDERWATER DOGS born?
</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.littlefriendsphoto.com/#!/about_Seth">See the “about Seth” page on my website</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have any advice for
aspiring photographers?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take chances and pursue a subject that you are passionate about!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Is there anything else you
would like to tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a secret obsession with dragonflies!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilockm63kka6oxK1cXbrQHvxlIOljjsclosLujwJzZvKJctcZtaKX1bwHJRmRP4I9EHjo7mYPvtnt1naT8_ESWebP5-g5rDhpTbCBc6CJpAUMfVOSH48MZUlxrToa1OXezzGgQDHSpSIZ/s1600/Sidorova.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilockm63kka6oxK1cXbrQHvxlIOljjsclosLujwJzZvKJctcZtaKX1bwHJRmRP4I9EHjo7mYPvtnt1naT8_ESWebP5-g5rDhpTbCBc6CJpAUMfVOSH48MZUlxrToa1OXezzGgQDHSpSIZ/s1600/Sidorova.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
Interview
with J.M. SIDOROVA</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">J.M. Sidorova is the author of science fiction and fantasy
short stories and a novel THE AGE OF ICE (Scribner/Simon & Schuster, 2013),
which blends history and magic realism. The novel was featured in Locus
Magazine's recommended reading list and among Tor’s best books of 2013. J.M.’s
short stories appeared in Clarkesworld, Asimov's, Abyss and Apex, and other
venues. She is a 2009 Clarion West workshop graduate. She holds a Ph.D. in
molecular genetics and does biomedical research at the University of
Washington, Seattle.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What
are you reading right now?</b></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbx6YlMrDs7brNPpbkAdTIPI1GD9DTvUJS8o6-Lnvtb6D8uFZhnIRvoD8FW11ClGIN87Jm6lemGpyD6whcOI2kjSkjimckohruSrUkvUrYSNavRNnSZG6_T_5dhRmV6KkhOev75xJZmz36/s475/Age+of+Ice.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbx6YlMrDs7brNPpbkAdTIPI1GD9DTvUJS8o6-Lnvtb6D8uFZhnIRvoD8FW11ClGIN87Jm6lemGpyD6whcOI2kjSkjimckohruSrUkvUrYSNavRNnSZG6_T_5dhRmV6KkhOev75xJZmz36/s320/Age+of+Ice.jpg" /></a><div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpFirst">
First of all, thank you for reaching
out to me; I appreciate it. So, to begin: MAGIC PRAGUE by Angelo Maria
Ripellino. As it often happens, it’s part of my research for the novel that I’m
writing. The book is in a genre of its own — a city’s biography written by a
hyperverbal, hyperbolic, gushing, excitable Italian literati who lived there in
the nineteen sixties. Part history, part literary criticism, part a flight of fancy.
Very useful. </div><div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpFirst"> </div><div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpFirst"><div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What
first sparked your interest in writing? </b></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
I am one of those people who have
been writing (or telling, anyway) stories for as long as they remember, so it
is hard to pinpoint exactly how it happened or why. The usual “triggers” were
in place, of course, like growing up with a lot of books. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What
do you love the most about writing? The least?</b></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
There are public and private,
personal and professional aspects to writing that have good and bad facets.
Let’s say we talk about writing as a private preoccupation. Love the most: isn’t
it total fun? An introvert’s guilty pleasure. To go roaming in your head and
make stuff up and put it into nicely arranged sentences. Love the least: I am
terribly slow. I second-guess and self-doubt. I get in my own way. I can’t get
out of my own head! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell
us a little about your writing process.</b></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
A pain in the gluteus maximus. I
start out with an irrational need to write about a particular thing. I outline
it in general strokes. As I actually write it, it changes, of course. My
understanding of it grows. Characters grow. Sometimes there are whole paragraphs
that I build one word at a time. In some ways it becomes a piece of
installation art made of found objects. Those found objects are historical
facts, or trivia, or memories, or images, or coincidences. It can become too
cluttered of course, and then I need to clean it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What
are your passions?</b></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
A side note: I typically have difficulty
answering the simplest questions (like this one pretends to be) — because I have
a compulsion to complicate things. Let’s see…I guess I still, after twenty
years of doing it, have a passion for science. I wish I could do more to
promote it (Neil deGrasse Tyson is such an inspiration!). In general, learning
stuff about the world and telling it in stories. I suppose I feel pretty
passionate about that. </div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What
inspires you? </b></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
Ah, another one of those deceptively
simple questions. I am just going to rattle off one long example. A kid running
in the field with his/her arms outstretched, imagining s/he is an airplane —
that’s inspiring. That same kid, now a pilot, bombing the heck out of something
— that’s not so inspiring, but it is complicated, so I won’t judge. The story
of Charlie Brown, an American, and Franz Stigler, a German, two WW2 pilots, is
inspiring: one is in a seriously wounded and barely limping bomber and in swoops
another in a fighter, with orders to shoot, but instead of dispatching Brown
Stigler escorts him out of harm’s way; and then decades later they connect and become
friends, and then some more years later a man writes a book about them, and
another man lovingly paints a painting for the book’s cover, and then a whole
bunch of people read this book and keep writing heartfelt comments online — that
whole thread is inspiring, I think. </div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why
speculative fiction? (If you consider THE AGE OF ICE as such. If not, why not?)
</b></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
I do consider it speculative fiction.
Though not fantasy. Magic realism. As to why — my latest explanation is that
infusion of reality with magic is an almost inevitable byproduct of our minds. Our
minds just kind of… sweat magic all the time. What we do with it —now that
depends on us. It can help us parse reality, process and accept it, but it can
also mislead us. In THE AGE OF ICE I was processing reality with the help of
magic. The rest is realism.</div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How
was THE AGE OF ICE born?</b></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
Five years of labor… then a
C-section… just joking. I can tell you exactly how it was conceived: I read an
article in The New Yorker called Ice Renaissance by Elif Batuman (who is
inspiring, by the way). That’s how I learned about the Ice Palace built in the
18<sup>th</sup> century Russia and the wedding night that took place in it. And
that was it: I wanted to write about the children conceived that night. </div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Did
the story require a lot of research?</b></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
Oh, yes. Fortunately, I did not
realize at the beginning how much research it would take. And when the
realization hit me, it was too late.</div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What
drew you to write about Russia in particular?</b></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
If the Ice Palace had been built in—
I don’t know— New Zealand, I would have had to write about New Zealand. But it
was like: hooray, I actually know a thing or two about the subject. I am of
Russian extraction. </div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do
you have any advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
The other day I stumbled across
something William Vollmann wrote in 1990 for the Conjunction magazine. In his
article titled happily, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Writing
today: a diagnosis of the disease,</i> he says among other things, “We should
never write without feeling.” I totally agree. It is, of course, a pledge
rather than advice. But it does seem to me that an aspiring author’s first
novel has a better chance (all other things being equal) of winning a
publisher’s heart if it is written from the author’s heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is
there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpLast">
Hmm. I can’t think of much. I grow grossly
oversized vegetables in my backyard. I am a pessimistic humanist. A month ago I
flew over the bar of my bicycle and hit the pavement because I was distracted
by a need to fish something out of my pocket. Tells a story, doesn’t it? </div> </div>
<div class="yiv1594436650msonormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<br />
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-45957073432187532302014-10-03T07:00:00.002-07:002020-12-13T16:37:43.257-08:00RENE DENFELD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Interview with RENE DENFELD</div>
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<i>Rene has written for many esteemed
publications including The New York Times Magazine, The Oregonian, and the Philadelphia
Inquirer. She is a published author of three nonfiction books. Her first novel,
THE ENCHANTED, was published by HarperCollins in March 2014. A finalist for the
esteemed 2014 Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize, THE ENCHANTED has been
garnering outstanding acclaim, with rave reviews from Library Journal,
Publisher’s Weekly, and other publications. In addition to her writing career,
Rene <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasdvsP_ApXZLZxaW03xzMZhDaIR0ZV1V7NPghN_-FqobPdRciRgr951VPkO1DkJHituM0zT-oHS2O35jOaK6pMQl46tmQWgoEyPDobP20htH7yM9OX8lHvTEoTtFCmMJCQLNJQrHfvc4c/s1600/Enchanted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasdvsP_ApXZLZxaW03xzMZhDaIR0ZV1V7NPghN_-FqobPdRciRgr951VPkO1DkJHituM0zT-oHS2O35jOaK6pMQl46tmQWgoEyPDobP20htH7yM9OX8lHvTEoTtFCmMJCQLNJQrHfvc4c/s1600/Enchanted.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>Denfeld is a death penalty investigator who works with men and women
facing execution. Rene has extensive training and experience in subjects
including FASD, drug effects and cognitive impairments. She is the happy mother
of three children she adopted from state foster care.</i></div>
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<b>What are you reading right now?</b></div>
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THE
MIDDLESTEINS by Jami Attenberg. It is brilliant.</div>
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<b>What first sparked your interest in
writing?</b></div>
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I've always been a voracious reader. Books were my childhood
solace, the public library my sanctuary. As a child I often escaped into
fantasy, until the line became blurred—I remember making little hashmarks on
our family calendar for the days I expected the Indians to come
and rescue me. I was in sixth grade when I had one of those miraculous,
life-changing teachers. She sent one of my short stories into a junior
scholastic magazine. It won first prize—a new typewriter. I remember how proud
I was of that typewriter. I used it for many years.</div>
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<b>What do you love the most about writing? The
least?</b></div>
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I love the joy of being immersed in the story. I think it is
much the same for writer as it is for reader—that state of suspended joy inside
another world. The hard part is when the story doesn't come easily, or when the
craftsman in you has to come out and give it a good tinkering.</div>
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<b>Tell us a little about your writing process.</b></div>
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I believe in following the voice. The nice part of fiction is
setting aside one's own ego and silly opinions, and letting the characters tell
their own story. I just try to listen. A lot of fiction writing is being a good
listener. When I have an idea I open a new word doc and I just start writing. I
listen to what this character is telling me and I write it down. Later I go
back as an editor and help the voice clean up. I consider
myself the caretaker of the voice. My job as a writer is
to facilitate the truth of others. What I have found is this allows
me to really let go—that is how the poetry comes.</div>
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<b>What are your passions?</b></div>
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Besides reading? I love my kids. I love parenting! I've done
foster parenting as well as adopting my kids from foster care. I find parenting
illuminating on so many levels—it gives me a lot to think about, as does my day
job, which is working with men and women facing execution. I like being challenged,
emotionally as well as intellectually. Life can be so achingly beautiful. It
can be devastatingly painful, grievously harmful, and yet
so beautiful. My greatest passion is just for life.</div>
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<b>What inspires you?</b></div>
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Other human beings inspire me. Our failings, our humility, or
innate goodness even when we do harm. I am endlessly inspired by
humanity.</div>
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<b>Why fiction?</b></div>
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You can tell so much more truth with fiction. Alexi Zenter,
the author of THE LOBSTER KING, says people read newspapers to find
out the facts, but they read fiction to learn the truth. He's
right.</div>
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<b>Why magical realism? (Assuming you consider
your work magical realism, which I think is debatable. If you don't, why not?)</b></div>
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I don't consider THE ENCHANTED magical realism. It is how the
narrator sees reality. Who is to say he is wrong and another person is right?
Our society has a very narrow construct of reality that is basically whatever
the dominant culture endorses: you can believe in astrology or angels
but not the walls talking; you can espouse heaven but not hell, and so forth.
But for a person locked in a death row cell, that is not their reality. I
believe the narrator of THE ENCHANTED conveys a much more authentic sense of
what prison is truly like, because his reality reflects his true experiences.
That includes the ability to find joy and magic and beauty even in the midst of
horror and despair.</div>
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<b>How was THE ENCHANTED born?</b></div>
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I was leaving the death row prison one day and happened to look
up at the stone walls. I remember hearing a very quiet, distinctive, soft
voice. He told me, "This is an enchanted place." I drove home, musing
on that voice. He became a very real person to me. He would come and tell me
his story, and I began writing it down. He would sit at the side of my desk, scaly
skin, long nails. Sometimes he would just appear in my car while I was
driving—usually into the deep woods for my work—and I would have to pull over
and write down what he said.</div>
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<b>What drew you to writing about prison life,
and death row inmates in particular?</b></div>
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I think it was natural for me, because my day job is the same as
the character called the lady in the novel. I've learned so much from the work,
about the human capacity for redemption as well as harm. People
go inside prisons and they disappear. Thousands up thousands, every year.
We send them away and they vanish. They are our caste of invisibles. For all
our obsession with crime and violence, we often don't stop to ask <i>why</i>.</div>
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Why do some people hurt others? How come some of us can overcome
abusive childhoods, and others succumb to rage? What is the nature of
forgiveness? Do we all have souls? I am intrigued by those
questions.</div>
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<b>Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
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Good reading makes for good writing. Read, and then read some
more. Everything you need to know about writing is in the pages of
good books. Then, find out what works for you. Is it a writing group? Is it
being inspired by your friends or family? Reach out to other writers. I am only
an email away—<a href="mailto:renedenfeld@gmail.com">renedenfeld@gmail.com</a>—and
most writers are very friendly and supportive of others. Mostly, believe in
your own voice. Write to tell the truth.</div>
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<b>Is there anything else you would like to tell
us about yourself?</b></div>
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That I am honored to be here, to be listened
to and heard by you and your readers. Life is a story—a precious story. And now
I am part of your story, and you are part of mine.
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-69496597669211348012014-08-29T07:00:00.001-07:002020-12-23T20:07:18.621-08:00DIANE ZAHLER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9Lj8FEPHQoh0yaTpO6050SO7bIV7CFSm7B-N73cV2zf-UWLcfwAFI7wLwlhA9KfmAE4H9lGDrlS60xPOkLL2GRbl2vLg8uQw7-nejYi5tljsHTKZ5Y0ukJCFIR6VqZI9Aooqsz9AJz1v/s1600/Zahler.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9Lj8FEPHQoh0yaTpO6050SO7bIV7CFSm7B-N73cV2zf-UWLcfwAFI7wLwlhA9KfmAE4H9lGDrlS60xPOkLL2GRbl2vLg8uQw7-nejYi5tljsHTKZ5Y0ukJCFIR6VqZI9Aooqsz9AJz1v/s1600/Zahler.jpg" /></a></div>
Interview
with DIANE ZAHLER
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6GfBFDpTAB-dH_4x4MudfuUnG7j4_MtImFq0O37UdPScC2s9vNo-gD0kHvRM7qmkPBi70BJrdncVzQ9HivDpCwoVJ4TuWvMr3AP7ATkjXKB2yu7qG76qvKe08Y3YvhjWP2GnT_XqNlYN/s1600/Sleeping+Beauty's+Daughters.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6GfBFDpTAB-dH_4x4MudfuUnG7j4_MtImFq0O37UdPScC2s9vNo-gD0kHvRM7qmkPBi70BJrdncVzQ9HivDpCwoVJ4TuWvMr3AP7ATkjXKB2yu7qG76qvKe08Y3YvhjWP2GnT_XqNlYN/s1600/Sleeping+Beauty's%2BDaughters.jpg" width="211" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Diane Zahler is
the author of four middle-grade fairy-tale retellings: The Thirteenth Princess,
A True Princess, Princess of the Wild Swans, and Sleeping Beauty’s Daughters. She
has also written two nonfiction books for older readers, The Black Death and Than
Shwe’s Burma, and an incalculable quantity of textbook materials for elementary
and high school students. She’s made her home in Seattle, Morgantown, Ithaca, Solana
Beach, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Belgium, but now lives with her husband and
dog in an old farmhouse in the Hudson Valley. She really likes chocolate.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are you reading right now?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m reading a fabulous middle
grade adventure story that I can’t tell you about, because I’m doing it for a
job I’m working on. It’s in galleys and I’m sworn to secrecy. So instead I’ll
say I’m just finishing Hilary Mantel’s BRING UP THE <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1-vQzpuIktgAPSqfjNxVTT3YZb1ec_NTaUFKf5LDAACP8DcBTOqDvFsipA-lI37fciTwCDkw4Rw-axEmAEGo_7h55chm1BpHpVXHxesK9u7fC0tDymG7-ADsokgEjZdWqHU-QO8oBKEM/s1600/Princess+of+the+Wild+Swans.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1-vQzpuIktgAPSqfjNxVTT3YZb1ec_NTaUFKf5LDAACP8DcBTOqDvFsipA-lI37fciTwCDkw4Rw-axEmAEGo_7h55chm1BpHpVXHxesK9u7fC0tDymG7-ADsokgEjZdWqHU-QO8oBKEM/s1600/Princess+of+the+Wild+Swans.jpg" /></a>BODIES, which is brilliantly
written. I can’t remember when I last read something that made me stop every
few pages and just marvel over a turn of phrase or the construction of a
paragraph.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first sparked your interest in
writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to write, so I can’t really answer
that. My earliest memories of reading combined joy in the work itself with a
burning desire to write something as wonderful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyX06IXGvLLbuyU1iOS_dFLHJ8HOEksGRQ8MBRzSQjeUbCcRn014y070Ide8WrGtucGQe5G1XgnPDpvBPLIV6eBnT0D_F3qOX1cOY8uCsjQw5HvIdYgpeLgCI7zfz-Tlf1UnLggmqsZWU0/s1600/The+Thirteenth+Princess.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyX06IXGvLLbuyU1iOS_dFLHJ8HOEksGRQ8MBRzSQjeUbCcRn014y070Ide8WrGtucGQe5G1XgnPDpvBPLIV6eBnT0D_F3qOX1cOY8uCsjQw5HvIdYgpeLgCI7zfz-Tlf1UnLggmqsZWU0/s1600/The+Thirteenth+Princess.jpg" width="212" /></a><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you love the most about writing?
The least? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
There’s not much I don’t love about it. For me, being struck with an idea is
almost magical, and the early stages of writing, when nearly anything is
possible, are wonderful. Later, the challenge of figuring out where a story is
going and how best to get it there can be frustrating, but I still find it
enjoyable. I don’t love getting stuck at points in the narrative, but even the
difficulties of working out what seems not to be right in a story is a
fascinating challenge. I’ve never been a writer who <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXG7b9-7-X5uZimtC0RPhMwcR5BPMQfmi2pLrW1hDPpTdJVzwQvXW5W_a_HtUFBYza7gTw_o0YU52SYt96JWBtgjjKAp9xcLOmrYJF2D9avBDfLYzhbn623f4EaDsO04F1ncURuDCK8tG7/s1600/A+True+Princess.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXG7b9-7-X5uZimtC0RPhMwcR5BPMQfmi2pLrW1hDPpTdJVzwQvXW5W_a_HtUFBYza7gTw_o0YU52SYt96JWBtgjjKAp9xcLOmrYJF2D9avBDfLYzhbn623f4EaDsO04F1ncURuDCK8tG7/s1600/A+True+Princess.jpg" /></a>agonizes over writing
(though my husband, who has to listen to me moan and complain, might disagree!).</div>
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little about your writing
process.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I’m not sure I have a process. I like to have my day’s work in my head before I
put words on paper. So often I’ll figure out what I’m going to write while I’m
driving somewhere, or walking on the treadmill. Then, after I’ve finished my
other writing (usually textbook materials), I’ll open the manuscript I’m
working on, read the previous day’s work, revise it if it needs it (and it
always needs it!), and then write what I’ve been mulling over all day. (Reading
this over, it seems like I could have a better process. But somehow it works
for me.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Reading. Writing. Chocolate. Belgian beer. Travel. Chocolate. My husband and
son. My new(ish) rescue dog, Flora. Did I say chocolate?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What inspires you? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Travel, more than anything else. If I’m in a place that’s unusual or marvelous
in some way – lost in the maze of Venice’s canals, wandering through an ancient
Irish graveyard, paddling a canoe along the moon trail of a Maine evening – I
file it away in my head to pull out when I’m thinking about what I want to
write next.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why middle reader?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
The books that meant the most to me and that I remember most clearly are the ones
that I read when I was a middle-grader myself. I write for that girl, as well
as for the kids who are my readers today. I can’t imagine anything better than
having my books affect a reader the way the books I read at that age affected
me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why fantasy?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
That middle-grade reader in my head always loved fantasy best. That’s not to
say it’s all I loved to read, but books by Edward Eager, C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl,
Susan Cooper, E. Nesbit – those were the ones I returned to again and again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why fairy tale retellings?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Fairy tales focus on such universal feelings and fears – the feeling of
powerlessness, the fears of being left behind, of being lost, of losing parents…the
stories have meaning for just about everyone. And most people are familiar with
them. So the idea of taking these well-known stories and doing something
different and new with them was really intriguing to me.</div>
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How was SLEEPING BEAUTY’S DAUGHTERS
born? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The title actually came
first. I had a contract for two
books, one that I’d finished and one called “Title to Come.” My editor and I
had lunch, and we were tossing ideas back and forth. She was the one who came
up with “Sleeping Beauty’s Daughters,” and immediately that struck a chord with
me. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d do with it, but by the time I was ready to
write, there was a story in my mind to tell.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?</b>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I tell aspiring authors three things: read as much as you can, write as much as
you can, and be persistent. Reading in the genre and at the age level you want
to write will help you figure out how to write in that genre and for that age
group. Writing – well, it’s a craft, and practice is the only thing that will
make you better at it. Every published author has drawers or files of
manuscripts that never saw the light of day. Those are part of our practice. Each
failed story or manuscript makes us better writers. And persistence – and
sometimes a thick skin – is absolutely necessary. Often publication is the
result of luck and timing, your story hitting an editor’s desk at the instant
that editor is looking for something like what you’ve written. But that happy
moment can take years to come about. DON’T GIVE UP!</div>
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is there anything else you would like to
tell us about yourself? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Did I
mention that I am a huge fan of chocolate?</div>
</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-16387031845229302312014-08-22T07:00:00.002-07:002020-12-13T16:32:00.446-08:00SOMAN CHAINANI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_icOXykDJu2StfOi3APs5M8vUJO4GyIw1t8nJCWNb4EM5F9FFglHmS0NWEv3QeenNb4-tPmBPS_CcXNGRFWWVdTsaYoThy6hnWADhKKxCNtNPpxAQcBP5gXYSte71bUU5m_4r1XZbFVOy/s1600/Soman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_icOXykDJu2StfOi3APs5M8vUJO4GyIw1t8nJCWNb4EM5F9FFglHmS0NWEv3QeenNb4-tPmBPS_CcXNGRFWWVdTsaYoThy6hnWADhKKxCNtNPpxAQcBP5gXYSte71bUU5m_4r1XZbFVOy/s1600/Soman.jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
Interview
with SOMAN CHAINANI</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_oD_eaBBno9on7xvK8cePas-GBZ6EqG1_wTEPJKcYF5Ty_aifNy2VjdURoZGKH77PsV-W2Pmd8-q4OCdtem1Q5aJmnoI0qhqGw5rNwPdFnhw3xxilZbJWTv4GfbkGXJqqs0E5x2xFNa2/s1600/School+for+Good+and+Evil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_oD_eaBBno9on7xvK8cePas-GBZ6EqG1_wTEPJKcYF5Ty_aifNy2VjdURoZGKH77PsV-W2Pmd8-q4OCdtem1Q5aJmnoI0qhqGw5rNwPdFnhw3xxilZbJWTv4GfbkGXJqqs0E5x2xFNa2/s1600/School+for+Good+and+Evil.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a><i>Soman Chainani’s first novel, THE SCHOOL
FOR GOOD AND EVIL, debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List, has been on
ABA’s National Indie Bestseller List for 15 weeks, has been translated into
languages across six continents, and will soon be a major motion picture from
Universal Studios, produced by Joe Roth (SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN, ALICE
IN WONDERLAND, OZ THE GREAT & POWERFUL) and Jane Startz (TUCK EVERLASTING,
ELLA ENCHANTED). Soman is a graduate of the MFA Film Program at Columbia
University, and the recipient of the school’s top prize, the FMI Fellowship for
Writing and Directing. His writing awards include honors from Big Bear Lake,
the Sun Valley Writer’s Fellowship, and the coveted Shasha Grant, awarded by a
jury of international film executives. Before joining the Columbia University
film program, Chainani graduated Harvard University summa cum laude, with a
degree in English & American Literature. While at Harvard, he focused on
fairy tales and wrote his thesis on why evil women make such irresistible
fairy-tale villains, winning the Thomas Hoopes Prize and Briggs Prize for his
work.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yD65DweoQPfcUQgYLVwaesvbJOB9_Jx-tZaE01RhcVqyEFi5ICtmAPklGNCWo3dSvvQRBv4WoWN7aaB7PyHBkyvTnp4c0ws3ccOPzZbYaIivTf0GuZZucQGBuALkgx3ZRvoKVxal4-k-/s1600/World+Without+Princes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yD65DweoQPfcUQgYLVwaesvbJOB9_Jx-tZaE01RhcVqyEFi5ICtmAPklGNCWo3dSvvQRBv4WoWN7aaB7PyHBkyvTnp4c0ws3ccOPzZbYaIivTf0GuZZucQGBuALkgx3ZRvoKVxal4-k-/s1600/World+Without+Princes.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a><b>What are you reading right now?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THE
MAGICIAN’S LAND by Lev Grossman</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What first sparked your interest in writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
just always seemed to have a gift for storytelling and really enjoyed the
process of working out the perfect story structure. I'm not a linguist like
some authors - more a dramatist, and enjoy the process of finding ways to
surprise readers and myself in the process.</div>
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</div>
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<b>What do you love the most about writing? The least?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
love being stunned by something as I'm writing - and getting caught up in the
fever of a particular plot moment or a character arc. When it's all racing
along and you feel the book writing itself is when it's all very special
(usually towards the end of a book.)<br />
<br />
As for the least, I think sometimes the solitude and the deadlines, which
preclude you from taking your time with it and really enjoying the process at
times, can be tricky. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Tell us a little about your writing process.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
write from about 10am-4pm every day, with a short lunch break in there. I try
to get 500 solid words in a day in terms of new material, plus reviewing the
material from the day before. I write fairly slowly but consistently.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What are your passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tennis,
movies, and storytelling. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What inspires you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good
characters and a penchant for high comedy.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Why middle reader?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Because it's so undefined. I feel like the teen genre has been a bit John
Green-ified in recent years, so there's not much room to find a tone. In middle
grade, it feels like I can really dive in and work with a blank canvas.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Why fantasy?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fantasy
requires the strongest characters to make up for the lack of grounding in the
world.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>How was THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL born?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'd
had the idea for a very long time - I've been a fairy tale “expert” since
college, to some degree, so the idea of a princess and witch switching places
was irresistible to me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>This series seems like it must be so much fun to write. Is
that true?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's
definitely a blast at times - but it's a very, very difficult series to write.
The number of characters, the level of difficulty, the intensity and complexity
for a first series is a bit insane.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Only
write a story you care deeply about.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Is there anything else you would like to tell us about
yourself?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Check
out the interactive website at <a href="http://www.schoolforgoodandevil.com/">www.schoolforgoodandevil.com</a>. All sorts of fun
things on there, including my personal blog, which features a lot of tips about
writing.</div>
<br />Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-80821242820572638882014-07-25T07:00:00.001-07:002020-12-26T20:07:09.446-08:00ROBERT L. SLATER<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xamjp5MGsjCwLhC1yKchGQ0S1TKuFd4p6kMaQ7fIuUGHXEbF4rnGnh-Ln6n4d9BzJHS0mHqwS3oeBNK21bmgynDxAucBE3kzyvT8tO5B34irjzFhosngbk2GgD_7VbncgvepQdsqWy04/s1600/Rob+Slater.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xamjp5MGsjCwLhC1yKchGQ0S1TKuFd4p6kMaQ7fIuUGHXEbF4rnGnh-Ln6n4d9BzJHS0mHqwS3oeBNK21bmgynDxAucBE3kzyvT8tO5B34irjzFhosngbk2GgD_7VbncgvepQdsqWy04/s1600/Rob+Slater.jpg" /></a>
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Interview with
ROBERT L. SLATER</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Robert L.
Slater is a teacher/writer living in Bellingham, Washington. His stories and
poetry have appeared in many small press publications. His first novel, ALL IS
SILENCE: A DESERTED LANDS NOVEL, was released in early 2014. He has a should’ve-been-a
doctorate B.A. in Theatre/Education, Spanish and History minors and a M.A. in Educational
Technology. He sing;, plays guitar; acts/directs in regional theatres; brews;
cooks; reads; practices Taekwon Do; writes plays, songs, and stories. He has
six children, ages 10 to 29 years and one grandchild. His motto is Robert
Heinlein’s “Specialization is for Insects.”</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZFjZpqlTO9bXICzCqCDZYoikvLieigKl_u4qF-ETL-AyHkuwBh6S54d_qJqV2mkDUF9qitO0x1WFmFRjjYLw3Vq52uvi_zyXuWHF0ZXrtcWrBvYsG5-OLgdasib4uZm-2-iwQcvYGtsC/s1600/All+is+Silence.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZFjZpqlTO9bXICzCqCDZYoikvLieigKl_u4qF-ETL-AyHkuwBh6S54d_qJqV2mkDUF9qitO0x1WFmFRjjYLw3Vq52uvi_zyXuWHF0ZXrtcWrBvYsG5-OLgdasib4uZm-2-iwQcvYGtsC/s1600/All+is+Silence.jpg" width="223" /></a><br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are you reading right now?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm reading
local authors mostly: Noble Smith's SONS OF ZEUS, Selah J Tay-Song's DREAMS OF
A VAST BLUE CAVERN and Jesikah Sundin's LEGACY. On eBook I'm reading Platt
& Truant's WRITE. PUBLISH. REPEAT.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first sparked your interest in
writing?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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The answer seems
flippant, but reading sparked my interest. I wrote songs, poetry, and plays
from the time I could write. My focus has changed several times over my life,
but writing of some sort has always been present.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you love the most about writing?
The least?</b></div>
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The creative
spark when I fall in love with an idea and later when I'm stuck and begging out
loud for the muses to provide with answers. It's amazing how well that works.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The second,
third, through penultimate rewrites. I like the first rewrite and the last, but
the ones in between begin to drag. I'm really trying to learn to be more
conscious so that I won't have to do more than two rewrites to solve that
problem. I'm not there yet.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little about your writing
process.</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I used to be a “pantser,”
writing by the seat of my pants, but that led to a lot of character studies and
vignettes and unended pieces. Then I learned not to start a story that I didn't
know <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">an</i> end for. Often the end I know
is not the one I end up with, but it's like they say: if you don't head somewhere
you'll never get anywhere.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your passions?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Music and words.
Sensory experiences. Nature and travel. Reading myself into another world.
Eating and cooking good food. Teaching and learning. Challenging myself
physically, mentally, and emotionally. I'm pretty passionate about most of my
life. Sticking up for the little guys. Fair play. RECYCLING. That last one's
hard as a writer, so I use most paper twice. I'll print on one side and then
when I'm done I'll print on the other side. I collect DOOS [Dirty on one Side]
paper from other people to reuse.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What inspires you?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Hugh Howey.
Really. My kids. Music of almost any sort. My books have lots of little
references that connect me to something I heard playing while I was writing or
plotting.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why speculative fiction?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Because it asks
the question, “What If?” as it’s most important component. It allows us to
escape and the good stuff makes us ask ourselves why we want to escape. It's
also what I'm most drawn to reading, though I also love history and science nonfiction,
which helps with the speculative aspects as well.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why young adult?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm not even
sure ALL IS SILENCE is Young Adult fiction. I mean, it's a category that it
probably fits best in, but I would also classify it first as Science Fiction. I
worked hard to make the science realistic. I think it also borders on the
category New Adult. The next series after Lizzie's will center on a pre-teen
boy, so that one will be more of a YA book, but the story is the story and
hopefully it crosses those arbitrary borders while still helping people looking
for that genre to find it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How was ALL IS SILENCE born?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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The original
germ of the idea was a response to LORD OF THE FLIES. I was angry after reading
it, because I felt the message was that human beings would quickly devolve into
savages given a bad situation. In response I wrote a short story about a
disease that wiped out all but some prisoners in a jail who had been taking a
medication to keep them calm. But the story never satisfied me. So, many years
later when I wondered what would happen to an at-risk teen girl in a similar
apocalyptic scenario, I found the story I needed to tell.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Setting
(Bellingham and Northwest Washington specifically) play a strong role in the
book. Was this deliberate? </div>
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<br /></div>
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Yes and no. I
knew very early in the idea stage that the story would be about people trying
to reach each other across the plague-stricken country. Bellingham is about as
far away from the rest of the country as you get without leaving the lower 48.
I knew I could set a realistic novel in this area best. It was important to
establish verisimilitude and what better way than to write about where I've
lived the past 23 years.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ALL IS SILENCE has a large and varied
cast. Was any one character more fun to write?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I loved writing
about Spike, but I think I enjoyed them all, even when I didn't like what they
were doing!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have any advice for aspiring
authors?</b></div>
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Write. Write
some more. Share it with people. Write some more. Lather, rinse, repeat. I talk
about Robert's Rules of Writing in a blog post. Robert Heinlein's rules of
writing adapted by Robert Sawyer and then adjusted for me. Each writer must
find what works for them. It's a long arduous process of trial and error.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is there anything else you would like to
tell us about yourself?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm 60% finished
with the first draft of Straight Into Darkness and almost done with a novella
set in the Pacific Northwest that is also set in the DESERTED LANDS universe. I
plan to release the novella, TOILS & SNARES, as an ebook sometime this fall
and STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS in print and ebook during the first half of 2015.
People can sign up for free fiction, newsletter updates, and more at <a href="http://www.desertedlands.com/"><span style="color: black;">www.DesertedLands.com</span></a>.</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-2180965088385318542014-07-04T07:00:00.001-07:002020-12-26T20:48:07.840-08:00ELIZABETH WEIN<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0tO15uTfuhO_plqxRsM1YzUFnm5ivkaXIRCwBLh37eapk8DJbKvgHlIdWAm4PwIvLwLbKd2QJYjmhoy4lwNNVh5Fa_X1a88bFPxVtYKjzNuzbweeLRiUOAc1uKjKeJqEurlv996g3rmC/s1600/Elizabeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0tO15uTfuhO_plqxRsM1YzUFnm5ivkaXIRCwBLh37eapk8DJbKvgHlIdWAm4PwIvLwLbKd2QJYjmhoy4lwNNVh5Fa_X1a88bFPxVtYKjzNuzbweeLRiUOAc1uKjKeJqEurlv996g3rmC/s1600/Elizabeth.jpg" height="320" width="230" /></a>Interview with
ELIZABETH WEIN
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elizabeth Wein writes fiction for young
adults. She is the author of CODE NAME VERITY, as well as the THE LION HUNTERS
cycle, set in Arthurian Britain and sixth century Ethiopia. Her most recent
novel, ROSE UNDER FIRE, is the winner of the American Library Association’s
Schneider Family Book Award. Originally from Pennsylvania, Elizabeth has lived
in Scotland for over fourteen years. She is married and has two teenage children.
</i></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJ4vsHb5YfBqj7QN3ftojfsq9m_Kk0pHlOyca7ENfWqPLbKU5FEnZfqeeKG17BK7YaR-Sj4C_BN6Up63IlVevBgXHgPdXqZsscsZwBCfZgdZR0RlfVrUgZNNrrClX1a7YMgCPdleQ3622/s1600/Code+Name+Verity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJ4vsHb5YfBqj7QN3ftojfsq9m_Kk0pHlOyca7ENfWqPLbKU5FEnZfqeeKG17BK7YaR-Sj4C_BN6Up63IlVevBgXHgPdXqZsscsZwBCfZgdZR0RlfVrUgZNNrrClX1a7YMgCPdleQ3622/s1600/Code+Name+Verity.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are you reading right now?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I’m halfway
through THE NEW MOON AND THE OLD by Dodie Smith. Dodie Smith, where have you
been all my life? I love this book. It crept up on me how much I love this
book. It is terribly, terribly English, exploring all these weird generational
and class crossovers, and every quirky, likeable character is so much more
nuanced than you realize at first. Plus she just writes so beautifully.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first sparked your interest in
writing?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP8c5_FD1oYOdJOQgJPrU5m9s1-fvW352ZrfqY_mWHWcEGarZuhSG-Tz3n5ZyXKTmJBxMGmbzlmpXKC07KwcgsSEEKWnqK_rNPEq4ugQLECecCX7BJl50tdM-xtE8ziIMGQ1DDYe97jrq/s1600/Rose+Under+Fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP8c5_FD1oYOdJOQgJPrU5m9s1-fvW352ZrfqY_mWHWcEGarZuhSG-Tz3n5ZyXKTmJBxMGmbzlmpXKC07KwcgsSEEKWnqK_rNPEq4ugQLECecCX7BJl50tdM-xtE8ziIMGQ1DDYe97jrq/s1600/Rose+Under+Fire.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>Well, I liked
reading, of course! I have wanted to write since I learned to read – since I
first read a chapter book all by myself from beginning to end in one go. I was
seven – the book was ELLEN TEBBITS by Beverly Cleary. When I finished, I closed
the book, put it down, and thought, “I want to write stories like this.”</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you love the most about writing?
The least?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I hate when
writing becomes a slog—when I get stuck and have to push through a scene that I’m
not enjoying, when it feels wooden and forced. But the best thing <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitI6OysNxf5fnFHnlbobhEBhk4Mt5iXlylJi-ud_SXiUXvq8oFdy7-ZwFRXiqTDFvRwQ5zCz4GJ7WoMDvZ4JXQWRWFAeGWFvCA-aMi-u0wM5YRDypv4JkqOBls-oYqaYVwZYOsSCcy3XsU/s1600/The+Winter+Prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitI6OysNxf5fnFHnlbobhEBhk4Mt5iXlylJi-ud_SXiUXvq8oFdy7-ZwFRXiqTDFvRwQ5zCz4GJ7WoMDvZ4JXQWRWFAeGWFvCA-aMi-u0wM5YRDypv4JkqOBls-oYqaYVwZYOsSCcy3XsU/s1600/The+Winter+Prince.jpg" /></a>about it is
when you get a flash of inspiration and you realize your story is going to
work. I love re-reading a good scene for the first time, when it’s still fresh,
enjoying it as though someone else had written a story just for you.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little about your writing process.
</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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At the moment I
am pretty scattered.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Normally I write
out my first draft of a novel longhand, in lined notebooks. I tend to <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfIGO8oH3JjMGPudWffoQnSvPt8IWabd9Pab9yt4kpFgS1_YSq-wyoYiDqYBvYPCu37qyhzZL_vK7HjOldusWc6dsBcQO22Vf_9tTQi-R41y7bKzgimGQj0m4FfS9Y12mKkdNIlcwZizq/s1600/A+Coalition+of+Lions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfIGO8oH3JjMGPudWffoQnSvPt8IWabd9Pab9yt4kpFgS1_YSq-wyoYiDqYBvYPCu37qyhzZL_vK7HjOldusWc6dsBcQO22Vf_9tTQi-R41y7bKzgimGQj0m4FfS9Y12mKkdNIlcwZizq/s1600/A+Coalition+of+Lions.jpg" /></a>type it
up chapter by chapter. Sometimes I use an outline, but not usually.
Occasionally I have to make an outline for myself when I’ve already written
half the novel and it starts to get out of control. For CODE NAME VERITY I put
together a complicated timeline halfway through the writing process.</div>
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</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your passions?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I get more
passionate over things I hate than things I love! I do a lot of ranting about
high-heeled shoes, gun control, the appalling state of the teaching of English
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TNCXroMFbHdwKh5UQQB_3c0V39YE4TCP7n4oKIo_UbLdelTrCtKwA7ZW2JeUzbx_rVsDGm6Bk3durpmOZ4qYbzDL-eWnsXloK9KXKoge-nRs5S7ESWnWr98JFd0apbYiben7lhM3wGly/s1600/The+Sunbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TNCXroMFbHdwKh5UQQB_3c0V39YE4TCP7n4oKIo_UbLdelTrCtKwA7ZW2JeUzbx_rVsDGm6Bk3durpmOZ4qYbzDL-eWnsXloK9KXKoge-nRs5S7ESWnWr98JFd0apbYiben7lhM3wGly/s1600/The+Sunbird.jpg" /></a>literature in Scotland, reinforced gender stereotyping, etc. The list of things
that make me rant is quite long. Things that I love include: punting, certain
random aspects of watching wildlife, aerobatics (seldom achieved!), the ocean,
awesome conversations with my husband, my kids and my grandmother (she is 98!).
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What inspires you?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Stories of
people doing unusual things; people who successfully break the mold and change
their own lives and others’ for the better.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why young adult?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Because someone
made up a shelving category called “young adult” and my books happen to be
shelved there? That’s just how I write. I do think that my books qualify as young
adult because my characters essentially are figuring out who they want to be
when they grow up. That seems to me the essence of what makes a book YA.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How was CODE NAME VERITY born?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m going to
cheat and direct you to another blog interview for this one – I’ve written
about it pretty extensively already and this is an interesting post on the
inspiration behind CNV! <a href="http://thebooksmugglers.com/2012/02/guest-author-elizabeth-wein-on-inspirations-influences.html">Click here to read the interview</a>. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Did CODE NAME VERITY require a lot of
research?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course it
did, but I didn’t have to do as much as you might think—I knew quite a bit
about the time period already. So what I ended up doing for CODE NAME VERITY
was expanding my knowledge. I knew what I needed to check up on (say, the Air
Transport Auxiliary, the Battle of Britain, a certain type of aircraft,
Resistance activity in France), and then I’d go do some reading on whatever the
subject was. I also read a lot of novels and watched a lot of movies that were
made during the 1930s and during World War II, which is a great way to pick up
little-known details of time and place.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I still haven’t
figured out what a “Starboard Light Frappe” is, spotted on the menu for a
Glasgow ice cream shop in the 1930s.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Was it difficult writing such an
emotional novel?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I know that people say this novel kills
them, but believe me, I feel sure I have suffered more over it than any reader
ever has! I was an emotional wreck for three weeks after I finished writing it—I
couldn’t look at a picture of the Eiffel Tower without bursting into tears! It
was a wonderful experience but exhausting. When I finished, my husband said, “Please
can you wait six months before you write another book?”</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have any advice for aspiring
authors?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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1) Write about
something you’re passionate about. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2) Make a plan;
pick away at it. Concentrate on completion. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3) If you want
to write children’s books or YA, join <a href="http://scbwi.org/">the Society for Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators</a> – it is a wonderful way to meet people (editors, agents &
industry professionals as well as other writers). All my breaks came through
this society.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4) Join a
writers’ group if you can. It’s very helpful to have a support group./div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is there anything else you would like to
tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have
discovered lately that I really like to travel. You’d think I would know this
about myself by now, but actually I’ve only just put my finger on it! I enjoy
exploring, both home and away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s also
useful advice for aspiring authors—go find out more about your world. There is
always something interesting to write about, sometimes just around the corner!</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-88575304487673544852014-06-09T07:00:00.001-07:002020-12-23T19:52:53.633-08:00BERNADETTE LUCKETT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8p2kfyU-QHfL2lPyIK5vi84-rUPT-hadFNo1rSE153HB_kgb0xZG6BfzNFNw11ei-uiVRzreVXoeelFHMjbPF82A2-u2gxa_XSDa85ce3J_xPJVUkkUktVRk9eOhLVxvE_SH1Fm9LzxK/s1600/Bernadette+Luckett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8p2kfyU-QHfL2lPyIK5vi84-rUPT-hadFNo1rSE153HB_kgb0xZG6BfzNFNw11ei-uiVRzreVXoeelFHMjbPF82A2-u2gxa_XSDa85ce3J_xPJVUkkUktVRk9eOhLVxvE_SH1Fm9LzxK/s1600/Bernadette+Luckett.jpg" height="320" width="253" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
Interview
with BERNADETTE LUCKETT</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BOrqOsmjXVtAIQtDuhkxlWUe2q336b4xoddKLNL6fRtvAWyIAFYzSOfJ1nUAJPt2TcIV7iJBHkOOlBZPqr8a0qwd1JzUuUY2lC1IckoqDnMNR4imZ_VTC3HGC_BqeE2h_v2pk2A2TvoX/s1600/No+Kidding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BOrqOsmjXVtAIQtDuhkxlWUe2q336b4xoddKLNL6fRtvAWyIAFYzSOfJ1nUAJPt2TcIV7iJBHkOOlBZPqr8a0qwd1JzUuUY2lC1IckoqDnMNR4imZ_VTC3HGC_BqeE2h_v2pk2A2TvoX/s1600/No+Kidding.jpg" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bernadette Luckett is originally from the
SF Bay Area, but started her standup career in New York City after working as a
professional model, a cookie packer, and a lab technician at a VD clinic. She
performed at comedy clubs all over the US and appeared on numerous TV shows,
then segued from standup into sitcom writing, and has worked on several shows
including: Living Single; Sister, Sister; The Tracy Morgan Show; Girlfriends;
and Romeo!. Bernadette recently returned to standup
last November after a 17-year hiatus. In addition to being a contributing
essayist to the anthology NO KIDDING Bernadette worked as a Co-Producer on the
documentary, “Comedy Warriors: Healing Through Humor”- which was recently
honored with a 2014 Television Academy Honors Award – for television
programming that inspires, informs, motivates, and even has the power to change
lives.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are you reading right now?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
No
books currently. Mostly magazine articles.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first sparked your interest in
writing?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
There
was a writing contest for kids in our local newspaper. I would write stories
and won on several occasions.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you love the most about writing?
The least?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
I
love when I see a scene in my head and I just write down what the characters
say and do. That’s totally joyful!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
I
don’t like that I don’t have a good office space of my own to write currently./div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little about your writing
process.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
I
write mostly scripts, and occasionally short stories. For scripts, I love
to outline and figure out all the structural details. Then the writing’s a
breeze. For stories, I just write it as it flows. Then I go back and edit
and rearrange. It’s a lot of puzzle-work. It’s fun.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your passions?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
I
love people: smiling at them, talking to them, helping them, making them laugh. I’m
passionate about using my talents to help create a better and happier world.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What inspires you?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
I
am fortunate to have some great mentors who inspire me to be more loving and be
of service more in the world. When I see there’s someone who needs help, I
always reach out if I can, or turn them on to someone else who can help them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Did you know without a doubt what you
would write about in your NO KIDDING essay or did you have a few topics from
which you narrowed it down?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
When
I first thought of writing, a million thoughts came to mind, so it was just a
matter of sequencing and editing.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Was it difficult writing about something
so personal?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
I’m
one of those people who will tell personal information to anyone. God
forbid you sit next to me on a bus. So writing about something personal
was very easy for me.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What advice might you give to other women
who encounter the perception that they should have a “snappy response” to why
they don’t want or didn’t have kids?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
Own
yourself, own your reasons for what you do, and don’t do. Once you’re okay
with you, you’ll know exactly what you want to say to those who ask. It could
be a snappy response, or it could be a serious response. As long as you
feel comfortable with yourself, it’ll be the perfect answer.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have any advice for aspiring
authors?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
Take
away the “should” and the “musts.” Write when you want to, but know the
more you write, the more your brain will be lubricated for more writing. Don’t
mix up making a living with living your passion. Hopefully they’ll both
come together, but it doesn’t help to put pressure on yourself to make money
from your writing. Write for Joy, for the Love of it!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is there anything else you would like to
tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
Meditation
helps a lot with writing. Sitting quietly causes ideas to flood into your
mind. Or even a walking meditation, or silent meditation. You provide
the stillness and can tap into the universal supply of incredible ideas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-38722880051964305562014-05-30T07:00:00.001-07:002020-12-26T20:52:10.368-08:00JOHN COREY WHALEY<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5iq3Y-VdG5sA7I3SO0mAZ9NlTEnkCsXpfzv6vEvV56A_hOBvK4ZA3-TNsR3UKe49FmDdpJzM8s-Q9hlP_FP5cBXAJfSE2HJ6jeM209SjMWG0tIX5cQg5C2Usyiur_zAZX7pbRwNRXLc0/s1600/John+Corey+Whaley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5iq3Y-VdG5sA7I3SO0mAZ9NlTEnkCsXpfzv6vEvV56A_hOBvK4ZA3-TNsR3UKe49FmDdpJzM8s-Q9hlP_FP5cBXAJfSE2HJ6jeM209SjMWG0tIX5cQg5C2Usyiur_zAZX7pbRwNRXLc0/s1600/John+Corey+Whaley.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
Interview with JOHN COREY WHALEY</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-outline-level: 3; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbO4ImkeyMWYGOB8yrWFWHrTTUmGlPSXsF20qPO0yBNUfB_p4lTGyeQw78xh9qKSRyqs_IurdbgOSLllmSaEUZGSo8cb3Wa8SAqSZXgHCuxAs0vtfXgU7NtfUjEuRuoq1hJV1v8YAAIzn/s1600/Noggin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbO4ImkeyMWYGOB8yrWFWHrTTUmGlPSXsF20qPO0yBNUfB_p4lTGyeQw78xh9qKSRyqs_IurdbgOSLllmSaEUZGSo8cb3Wa8SAqSZXgHCuxAs0vtfXgU7NtfUjEuRuoq1hJV1v8YAAIzn/s1600/Noggin.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">John
grew up in the small town of Springhill, Louisiana, where he learned to be
sarcastic and to tell stories. He has a B.A. in English from Louisiana Tech
University, as well as an M.A in Secondary English Education. He started
writing stories about aliens and underwater civilizations when he was around
ten or eleven, but now writes realistic YA fiction (which sometimes includes
zombies). He taught public school for five years and spent much of that time
daydreaming about being a full-time writer…and dodging his students’ crafty
projectiles. He is terrible at most sports, but is an occasional kayaker and
bongo player. He is obsessed with movies, music, and traveling to new places.
He is an incredibly picky eater and has never been punched in the face, though
he has come quite close. One time, when he was a kid, he had a curse put on him
by a strange woman in the arcade section of a Wal-Mart. His favorite word
is defenestration. His favorite color is green. His favorite smell is
books. He currently lives in Los Angeles. WHERE
THINGS COME BACK is his first novel. NOGGIN, his second novel, came out in
April 2014.</i>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are you reading right now?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm
reading this great book, MOSQUITOLAND by David Arnold. It comes out in 2015.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first sparked your interest in writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
was always fascinated by characters in movies and on TV. As a slow reader, I
got into books more when I realized that telling stories was something I wanted
to do - and the only thing I was ever really good at doing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you love the most about writing? The least?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The
thing I love most about writing is that, on a good day, it can help me escape
any and everything going on in the world around me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My
least favorite thing about writing is when I reach a point in a story where I
lose inspiration....and then it's a waiting game sometimes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little about your writing process.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Process?
Haha. I usually get an idea, sit down and see if it will work on paper
(err..screen) at all and then come back to it and try again and again until
it's either a go or a STOP IT - THIS DOESN'T WORK. I binge write, so I can go
weeks without writing a word, then write half a book in a week or two. It's
unpredictable and moody, my process, but it works for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Music.
Movies. Making people laugh. Telling stories that I think people aren't
expecting to be told.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What inspires you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People
and music. Usually never environment. Just people and conversations and a
really great (often sad) song.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why young adult?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why
not? Teenagers get to explore openly and unapologetically where they're
supposed to be in the world and in existence in general. Adults do the same
thing, but after making a lot more mistakes and apologies. Teenagers are more
interesting and honest to me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why speculative fiction?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">It
doesn't matter what a story is about, only how well it's told. It was a
challenge at first, to write borderline sci-fi, but now I see the universality
in it, which was my hope all along.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How was NOGGIN born?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
wanted to write my homage to Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. - a book with an absurd
premise, grounded in emotional reality. A book seemingly about one big issue,
but actually about a million little things that we all feel.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I empathized with Travis, his parents, Cate, Kyle and, well,
everyone in this book so much that I shed quite a few tears on their behalf.
Was it difficult writing such an emotional book?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
always say that my favorite thing to do in my books is make people laugh or
cry. But, it isn't easy. Sometimes, it just happens, and I'm even surprised by
the emotions a scene will produce. NOGGIN became much deeper than I planned,
and that happened by equal parts accident and necessity.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You treat every character like they’re the protagonist of
their own story. Other than Travis, is there any character in NOGGIN for whom
you have a particular fondness?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
love Hatton - because he's so funny. But, of all the characters, Kyle is most
like me - he holds onto the past just as much as Travis, but in his own, more
personal way. And I can identify with that.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Write
whatever you want to write. Fix it later. Don't dwell on the possibility of
failure or being laughed at - I wrote one book about a woodpecker and another
about a frozen head. Anything can happen.</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-69500617696953111962014-05-23T07:00:00.001-07:002020-12-12T14:41:03.620-08:00AVA DELLAIRA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4GDMiFthPajHw-PcyjbjJl9OZCsuAgMq0cZoOtpHgr_5RKlFqtr4eZjO0wGHV2lrrf3dDGo0tbSOUsqD_KW-lGDAfYwxC17m9l5pHO2VqXbAzp_fNHhFivP_gPh4m8873nXY7jJbFXhE/s1600/Ava.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4GDMiFthPajHw-PcyjbjJl9OZCsuAgMq0cZoOtpHgr_5RKlFqtr4eZjO0wGHV2lrrf3dDGo0tbSOUsqD_KW-lGDAfYwxC17m9l5pHO2VqXbAzp_fNHhFivP_gPh4m8873nXY7jJbFXhE/s1600/Ava.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
Interview
with AVA DELLAIRA</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIr83LY5tFfGe9EDJpaLYoqPQBwSe-3-5uo2g9_wGGrBg57jM0zsX5fuZodt2KWcZuRRj314pGznviQhDFQ5pyFddNz3wWIzVfFnpwSxLh30ibnqCdSXALlu-K5kygmSeHKVmaYcvUSsO/s1600/Love+Letters+to+the+Dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIr83LY5tFfGe9EDJpaLYoqPQBwSe-3-5uo2g9_wGGrBg57jM0zsX5fuZodt2KWcZuRRj314pGznviQhDFQ5pyFddNz3wWIzVfFnpwSxLh30ibnqCdSXALlu-K5kygmSeHKVmaYcvUSsO/s1600/Love+Letters+to+the+Dead.jpg" /></a><i>I was born in Los Angeles. One of my first memories is of looking
out the window of the Cadillac that my family drove across the desert when we moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is where I grew up, and where my sister and I
spent countless summer afternoons making fairy potions, battling evil witches, and
playing other imaginary games that probably contributed to my proclivity to make up
stories. I went to college at the University of
Chicago, and then received my MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where I
lived on the bottom floor of a farm house once occupied by Kurt Vonnegut (how
cool is that?!) and studied poetry. Now I live in Santa Monica, in an apartment the size of a shoebox close to the beach.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>What are you reading right now?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
just finished A MONSTER CALLS by PATRICK NESS, a really beautiful middle reader
book. It’s a gorgeous story about a boy whose mom is dying of cancer and he has
this monster friend - it’s a sort of magical realism. It really made me cry. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right
now I’m reading an arc an of THE TRUTH ABOUT ALICE by JENNIFER MATHIEU.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>What first sparked your interest in
writing? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
would say maybe middle school age was when I felt the spark. I always liked
writing all through elementary school. My 25-page book report on Laura Ingalls
Wilder proves I was obviously into writing, but as an early teenager I got very
into listening to music and I kept a journal where I wrote down all this stuff
about the songs. I also started making my own attempts at poetry. Hearing
lyrics and connecting with them was probably the beginning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>What do you love the most about writing?
The least?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who
said, “I don’t like writing but I like having written.” [Rachel’s note: Dorothy
Parker]</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
actually enjoy the process of writing for the most part. Of course, there are
the hard days, but when I’m writing I feel something that’s hard to name, the
spark of creativity or discovery and that feeling makes me really happy. What
I’m discovering now that’s also really great about writing is being able to
connect with people and readers. I guess that’s two things I like about
writing!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m
not sure what my least favorite thing. I’ve certainly experienced all of my
normal frustrations. You have bad days. You have insecure days. However, I mostly
think of those as part of the process so that helps me move through them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Tell us a little about your writing
process.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For
LOVE LETTERS I started out writing while I had a full time job so I would come
home from work and write at night. It was easier for me to write in the
evenings for some reason. I think because in the morning I was thinking about
what I needed to do for the day, but at the end of the day I felt like I could
be in my own world with the story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
started out with just the title and the concept: a girl who’s dealing with
personal grief by writing to famous dead people. When I started writing,
Laurel’s character introduced herself to me quickly. The first draft of the
book was really a discovery process. I was getting to know the characters and
letting Laurel tell her story and I was open to not knowing, open to discovery.
When I finished the first draft, I spent a lot longer than it took me to write that
draft editing and rewriting and shaping the story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually
I started sending it out to agents and when I got my agent we reworked the book
together and it was another few months before he started sending it out. And
then I did a lot more work on the book with my editor as well. It went through
many processes of revision, but certainly the heart of the story stayed the
same. But I’m incredibly grateful to my agent and the editors who helped me. LOVE
LETTERS grew a lot from that first discovery.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>What are your passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reading!
Cooking and music, too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>What inspires you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reading
again! Movies. Nature. I like to spend a lot of time outside and by the ocean. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Why young adult?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When
I started writing the book I didn’t actually think about that. I didn’t realize
I was writing a young adult book and it wasn’t until I started working with my
agent that he said, “I think this should be sold as a young adult book.” Everyone
in the young adult community has all been so completely wonderful and inspiring
and supportive</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How was LOVE
LETTERS TO THE DEAD born?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
concept came to me pretty suddenly. I was working for Stephen Cbosky at the
time and I’d given him some of my writing to read. I was trying screen writing
and he said, “I think you should write a novel.” The idea had never occurred to
me before, just the fact that I wanted to be a writer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That
evening when I was driving home from work the title and concept came to me out
of nowhere but were reflective both of my interests in pop culture and also the
fact that I had lost my mom a couple of years before. Writing about processing
grief was a natural thing for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Why “love
letters” rather than “letters”?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
had someone else ask that question on social media. I think that the letters
are love letters. Obviously not in the traditional romantic sense. They’re not
letters between lovers. But they are love letters in that Laurel is very
connected to these people and loves their work and though the letters express a
range of emotion they’re a celebration of the lives of the people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Was any one
character more fun to write than the others?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
had a lot of fun writing the Tristan character. And Hannah. They’re both very
lively and vibrant and big. Tristan is like a big brother figure for Laurel and
he imparts a lot of wisdom. A few of my favorite lines in the book are his. For
Hannah she’s full of life and her life has sad elements but watching her grow
through that was gratifying.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Do you have any advice for aspiring
authors?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
best advice I could give is write what you love and what matters for you. The
difference for me with LOVE LETTERS is that it was a book I would have kept
working on - forever. The first draft wasn’t great. It had good things in it
but certainly didn’t read like a good novel. But I loved it enough to continue
working on it and working on it. Because it felt like the kind of thing that
makes writing matter to me. So my advice is to write that thing that you love
so much that you can live with it forever and rewrite and rewrite forever.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Is there anything else you would like to
tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
love to watch Mister Ed like Laurel does in the book.</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-43033267380614186472014-05-16T07:00:00.001-07:002020-12-23T20:28:04.381-08:00MARISSA MEYER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzRNFJlRZ9_7uSKuoafG0IJgdEXf1nnpCRCiK3RDgBhAV8tVHh8QPCSkqmL3aGSbKuCLMrRs_c0MFCCuDJTdLoOaI_jGpf7Mi-HMog8Zt0nlK6_WW2mCM2cm5iIUso0mTvBn7nezWX6c1/s1600/Marissa+Meyer.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzRNFJlRZ9_7uSKuoafG0IJgdEXf1nnpCRCiK3RDgBhAV8tVHh8QPCSkqmL3aGSbKuCLMrRs_c0MFCCuDJTdLoOaI_jGpf7Mi-HMog8Zt0nlK6_WW2mCM2cm5iIUso0mTvBn7nezWX6c1/s1600/Marissa+Meyer.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
Interview
with MARISSA MEYER
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxemsAV0B7b4AsYpcvu5DodTyIOzKXWj-8xBIaZ7IK6xACMkCftjNkaPOg5NS-jTszIpn7_mptp_fjqsWBM8Jp2BLSrYQyY_AGMfdbQ8yAXYd8mB2-uBN4n_PRfy8ov8RPtsUhCMS57W9/s1600/Cinder.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxemsAV0B7b4AsYpcvu5DodTyIOzKXWj-8xBIaZ7IK6xACMkCftjNkaPOg5NS-jTszIpn7_mptp_fjqsWBM8Jp2BLSrYQyY_AGMfdbQ8yAXYd8mB2-uBN4n_PRfy8ov8RPtsUhCMS57W9/s1600/Cinder.jpg" width="211" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One of my first spoken words was “story”
(right along with “bath” and “cookie”), my favorite toy as an infant was a soft
squishable book, and I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first realized
such a job existed. When I was fourteen my best friend introduced me to anime
and fanfiction—over the years I would complete over forty Sailor Moon fanfics
under the penname Alicia Blade. I attended Pacific Lutheran University where I
sorted mail that came to the dorm, carted tables and chairs around campus, and
took writing classes, eventually earning a Bachelor’s degree in Creative
Writing and Children’s Literature. Knowing I wanted a career in books, I would
also go on to receive a Master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University. After
graduation, I worked as an editor in Seattle for a while before becoming a
freelance typesetter and proofreader. Then, day of days, someone thought it
would be a good idea to give me a book deal, so I became a full-time writer.
CINDER is my first novel, though I have an adorable collection of unfinished
ones lying around too. I now live with my husband and our three cats
(Calexandria Josephine, Stormus Enormous, and Blackland Rockwell III), who go
in and out, in and out, about eight hundred times a day. My favorite
non-bookish things include Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, re-watching episodes of
Firefly, and playing all manners of dress-up.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What
first sparked your interest in writing?</b></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvXFMxqfkOvUiPN-rUkzvWK3vu2EBXQpaEl5J67X_H1kUtjrWrm8gf_NWZwCvQFOe_el-504mON73aJ5VosJsVOBOxXZM1JJYtTBFxxefWQbO_iwlMCRXQYnuHStd8dj4EDjIkzqaSXfz/s1600/Scarlet.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvXFMxqfkOvUiPN-rUkzvWK3vu2EBXQpaEl5J67X_H1kUtjrWrm8gf_NWZwCvQFOe_el-504mON73aJ5VosJsVOBOxXZM1JJYtTBFxxefWQbO_iwlMCRXQYnuHStd8dj4EDjIkzqaSXfz/s1600/Scarlet.jpg" width="213" /></a><div class="MsoNormal">
I
was an avid reader as a kid, and I think as soon as I realized that making up
stories was a job people actually got paid to do, I knew that's what I wanted.
I had this overactive imagination and I was constantly daydreaming, so to think
that I could turn that into a career was always a fantasy. I'd been working
toward that dream ever since.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you love the most about writing?
The least?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqQ_d4BsG9dhhwKwEp4ysujcrveGT0o9Wmnfdq0BxIc-QiF3ne5UnhSl40XYKLnuJRUR38FqHGo4F5sh4SrxvaYhQHe1_MnFN6PNewp7sBuF54kgWh3SqBUF4FPxtzHSLjVqOaKdFkJd9/s1600/Cress.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqQ_d4BsG9dhhwKwEp4ysujcrveGT0o9Wmnfdq0BxIc-QiF3ne5UnhSl40XYKLnuJRUR38FqHGo4F5sh4SrxvaYhQHe1_MnFN6PNewp7sBuF54kgWh3SqBUF4FPxtzHSLjVqOaKdFkJd9/s1600/Cress.jpg" /></a>Getting
to work in my pajamas! Ha! That's a big job perk. I also love to know that
getting lost in a daydream is now considered "working" - how great is
that? <br />
<br />
As far as my least favorite part of writing, there is that point with every
writing project where I'm convinced that it's horrible. It's usually somewhere
around 2/3 of the way through the second draft, and I just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">know</i> that I'm wasting my time and this story will never be what I
want it to be and everyone who reads it will realize I'm a talentless hack.
It's a tough period. Luckily, I've found that every writer experiences this at
some point, and that if you can keep pushing through you'll eventually reach a
place where you love the book again. <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What inspires you?</b><br />
<br />
Oh, all sorts of things! You never know where inspiration will come from. I've
been inspired by books, movies, music, magazine articles, overheard
conversations, random signs on the side of the street, watching parades and
musicals, traveling to new destinations. I think it's important for writers to
get out there and experience as much life as they can, and to be constantly
filling themselves up with new ideas, because you never know what will turn
into your next story.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why speculative fiction?</b><br />
<br />
I always loved fantasy - from fairy tales to sword and sorcery fiction and
everything in between. When I was a kid I was *convinced* that I had secret
magic powers, and it was only a matter of time before they revealed themselves.
(Okay, I might still think my time is coming.) It's a wonderful fantasy to
think that there is more to this world than meets the eye, and as a writer, I
can make those fantasies a reality. Maybe that's my magic power.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why young adult?</b><br />
<br />
I like that teenage protagonists can be free to be optimistic. They believe in
love at first sight. They believe that they're brave and heroic. They believe
that they can change the world. It's great to write about a time of life in
which characters aren't yet bogged down with cynicism; they're not jaded.
They're looking forward, anticipating what they're lives will become, and I love
watching my characters grow and change over the course of their stories. I like
watching them become heroes.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Interview with
CAROL SISKIND</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Carol started her standup career in New
York. She then moved on to Los Angeles and after that Las Vegas. Her television
credits include numerous appearances on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson and
Jay Leno, HBO, Showtime, as well as many Network comedy sitcom and talk shows. She
has worked clubs and theatres throughout the United States, England, and South
Africa. In Las Vegas Carol performed in every Strip hotel and casino, including
a full year opening for George Wallace at The Flamingo Hotel and Casino. Carol
has been featured in People Magazine, Newsweek Magazine, Mademoiselle Magazine,
The New York Times, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPeFDnvV4aM777t0whBpdvH2NjzYBQ8OsOYQ-iq35bNqCbinxvrRvlGYPyUkE81hyvykXvfYQF92sfjbI5tW5pLfvpfJYI3HGYZ5UpQFRPHoyG22KQoi_bkkn4MVeE-5AuONkRC_K8Oty/s1600/No+Kidding.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPeFDnvV4aM777t0whBpdvH2NjzYBQ8OsOYQ-iq35bNqCbinxvrRvlGYPyUkE81hyvykXvfYQF92sfjbI5tW5pLfvpfJYI3HGYZ5UpQFRPHoyG22KQoi_bkkn4MVeE-5AuONkRC_K8Oty/s1600/No+Kidding.jpg" /></a>The New York Times Sunday<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Magazine (where she was on the cover), The New York Post,
the Sunday Times of London,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as
well as many other publications. She was nominated by the American Comedy
Awards as “Best Female Comedian.”</i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are you
reading right now?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right
now I'm reading Michael Connelly's thriller THE SCARECROW.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first
sparked your interest in writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What sparked my interest in writing is what inspired my stand-up,
drawing, and painting: the need to express myself. I knew at an early age, when
I could make my family laugh, that I was an extrovert in this way. My mother
was an artist so self-expression was a way of life I saw intimately.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you
love the most about writing? The least?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I like most about writing, when I give in to doing it, is the
escape from ego it affords me: to get out of myself and my neurotic, obsessive
thoughts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I like least about writing is the judgment and criticism I
give into, too readily. I either overestimate or underestimate the value of
what I have to say, and at times, it's paralyzing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell us a
little about your writing process.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My writing “process” varies. With stand-up, I'll write down any
current idea or observation, and either hone it then or later for the stage. On
rare occasions, the nugget comes to me fully formed. Usually it needs extensive
rewording and reworking.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Writing essays or scripts requires a time devoted to the project,
like “I will sit this morning and do it.” It requires more discipline for me
and is more challenging.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your
passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My passions are family, friends, laughter, beauty in all forms,
good food, great wine, the Yankees, and my dog, now gone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Did you know
without a doubt what you would write about in your NO KIDDING essay or did you
have a few topics from which you narrowed it down?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I wrote the essay for NO KIDDING I just wrote, without any
forethought as to where is would go. The finished product surprised me, because
I didn't judge it. I just wrote.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Was it
difficult writing about something so personal?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's never difficult for me to be personal in my writing. From all
years doing stand-up, I've learned that the most personal is the most
universal. We're all more alike than not. So I'm not at all shy or modest about
sharing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have any
advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I have any advice, it's just to do it. Write crap. Don't judge.
Just pick yourself up, and with as little self-flagellation as possible. Then
rewrite. Do you best to stay out of the result.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is there
anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I keep this quote from T.S. Eliot on my desk: "There is only
the trying. The rest is not our business.”</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-7546151110919206612014-02-24T07:00:00.002-08:002020-12-12T16:06:31.945-08:00ASTRID AMARA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZ5_U90THyN1_KY1awR0JExA72MZxYJAGoeUSvqft2PmkbiJ8Ofdz_B2p4Mq-s2F7crbv6MVUE0sHvGkmJlcP3yWCspbHuJtv62dBQM6w3oJXr44oCkymM7o9bH8qMY92PhUiVPwc1Z-C/s1600/Astrid.tiff" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZ5_U90THyN1_KY1awR0JExA72MZxYJAGoeUSvqft2PmkbiJ8Ofdz_B2p4Mq-s2F7crbv6MVUE0sHvGkmJlcP3yWCspbHuJtv62dBQM6w3oJXr44oCkymM7o9bH8qMY92PhUiVPwc1Z-C/s1600/Astrid.tiff" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Interview
with ASTRID AMARA</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Astrid Amara
lives in Bellingham, Washington, and when she isn't writing, she's either
riding horses, sleeping, or working as a civil servant. She is a Lambda
Literary Award Finalist for her novel THE ARCHER’S HEART, as well as the author
of numerous other titles including HALF PASS, the HOLIDAYS WITH THE BELLSKI’S
series and the shared world anthology IRREGULARS. Her newest novel, THE DEVIL
LANCER, will be released this fall by Blind Eye Books. More information at <a href="http://www.astridamara.com/">www.astridamara.com</a>.
</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cAZHpCMx1nYgpqGR8KODSR_7JZJBNsQTY0hC-MpVCn35hTtTZQjc1SLioKJiRk-4Ui4-TrdZCzIoGI9X-s2AOv2dwSaSrDUyUGj9BcwGg12aUEHTJA3JSN29B-A-Uob8Vv6vHQYXo0Nv/s1600/Irregulars.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cAZHpCMx1nYgpqGR8KODSR_7JZJBNsQTY0hC-MpVCn35hTtTZQjc1SLioKJiRk-4Ui4-TrdZCzIoGI9X-s2AOv2dwSaSrDUyUGj9BcwGg12aUEHTJA3JSN29B-A-Uob8Vv6vHQYXo0Nv/s1600/Irregulars.jpg" /></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are you
reading right now?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
VICIOUS by Victoria Schwab - enemy superhero story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>What first
sparked your interest in writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I've
always written since I was a kid. I had a story called "Tattle Tale Terry
Always Tells Tales" published by the University of Washington back
when I was in first <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikerj3fCOZpAVWeGCfjDMbeesq8p6t2mLsh6kblzPrtKCqm-__KnURB1JEIytroP4s82rnPzo1UO-VaAZO6-wHRUaVdvTp6Iu-HS1Y4-IxpBHq1ERxBQei8dRHevOi7LZpBWM6cl7PgBgj/s1600/Tangle.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikerj3fCOZpAVWeGCfjDMbeesq8p6t2mLsh6kblzPrtKCqm-__KnURB1JEIytroP4s82rnPzo1UO-VaAZO6-wHRUaVdvTp6Iu-HS1Y4-IxpBHq1ERxBQei8dRHevOi7LZpBWM6cl7PgBgj/s1600/Tangle.jpg" /></a>grade or something, so I decided early on I wanted to spend
my life writing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you
love the most about writing? The least?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I love being inside the head of my characters, imagining their reactions to
their situations, visualizing the scenes. I hate the agony of explanatory
chapters - the "getting to know you" chapters or backstory, for
the most part. I love writing the action scenes, sex scenes, melodrama, but
writing the more subtle interactions of characters is much harder for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5fvY6VpaS5Fy39g9voAsr-wKfcKMJTbmARrmmkrpc2DNFQK9LXVbrb0JmEz11LtB_M4k0Pm__UrFTF6kPooXmjNKsbr2gw9EKg9K5M3zDTgp-mzUvjmAGtg-j_IZPHUYhKaJdgo_DJKd/s1600/Hell+Cop.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5fvY6VpaS5Fy39g9voAsr-wKfcKMJTbmARrmmkrpc2DNFQK9LXVbrb0JmEz11LtB_M4k0Pm__UrFTF6kPooXmjNKsbr2gw9EKg9K5M3zDTgp-mzUvjmAGtg-j_IZPHUYhKaJdgo_DJKd/s1600/Hell+Cop.jpg" width="220" /></a><b>Tell us a
little about your writing process.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Generally I start mulling over an idea or theme I want to explore, like an
illness, or a magical ability, or a setting. Right now I'm trying to come up
with a story with a guy getting shanghaied onto a space vessel. Once I have the
idea then I start working on developing two characters that are interesting and
hopefully a little different than any of the other ones I've written. I like to
also come up with an overarching theme of some sort: family acceptance,
redemption, etc. And then I start to plot it out. I have a very supportive
writer's group that helps me <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbq3LYdTvAOKZMLqhMZFkUy0N8BS11WxcOcixjgK2hYQEVFc7mVtK_8Qh_W1DorwCvl3TvCoZ2yqgYzg88ojdsIe0s9q3Duevly-c7CCNEcTnmTqtqnfbYY2vqT5KpOwssuiMCwk0n3Nm/s1600/Sweet+and+Sour.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbq3LYdTvAOKZMLqhMZFkUy0N8BS11WxcOcixjgK2hYQEVFc7mVtK_8Qh_W1DorwCvl3TvCoZ2yqgYzg88ojdsIe0s9q3Duevly-c7CCNEcTnmTqtqnfbYY2vqT5KpOwssuiMCwk0n3Nm/s1600/Sweet+and+Sour.jpg" width="220" /></a>brainstorm the overall plot arc. Once that's
done I make an outline - very detailed for some stories, just bullet points for
others. I then write chronologically, but also occasionally skip around and
write those scenes I can't wait to write first, especially when I'm dragging my
feet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are your
passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Horses!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dogs!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Goats!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwn4-7oNuoauxrVroJFAfDpX6KFI45t99HtYX7CdO091cUV3Lb7ivWYeuPoL39mPP7pYthyphenhyphenOfUfh2TGVK3A8718ZN9_fXiVJ6yO7AVLhyNCHoVX9ctrtAdsL1whWZbZ9_-zw8YMkx5HdM/s1600/Devil+Lancer.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwn4-7oNuoauxrVroJFAfDpX6KFI45t99HtYX7CdO091cUV3Lb7ivWYeuPoL39mPP7pYthyphenhyphenOfUfh2TGVK3A8718ZN9_fXiVJ6yO7AVLhyNCHoVX9ctrtAdsL1whWZbZ9_-zw8YMkx5HdM/s1600/Devil+Lancer.jpg" width="200" /></a>Chocolate!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dairy
products!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cute
evil!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Languages!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sleeping!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What inspires
you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Ooh that's a big one and hard to answer. Animals really are a big part of my
life and always inspire me - that they can look past abuse and still come to
love a person wholly, that they have so much forgiveness built within them, so
much tolerance...I wish I could be half as noble as most of the dogs I
know. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Story-wise,
I love plot lines that explore battles of conscience or unintentionally
becoming a monster, demon, or bad guy (Yes, I couldn't wait to go see the new
Robocop, because that's my favorite story arc...man destroyed, brought
back as something terrible).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Why fantasy?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Fantasy allows you to tackle subtle human issues in big, explosive,
melodramatic ways. Instead of saying, my heart is on fire because I'm so alone,
you can have a person whose actual <i>heart
is on fire</i>. I love that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Why romance?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I never thought I was the romance type. But then I realized every story I read
I was waiting for the two main characters to get together, or cherishing every
moment they interacted, and that was really the highlight for me. Besides
which, a good plot can make your mind whir and your pulse race, but a good
romance also makes your heart clench and brings little *meep* tears out of
you...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How was “No
Life But This” born?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
When Nicole Kimberling first brought the idea of doing a shared-world anthology
at Blind Eye Books up with me, she explained that she would be writing a story
as would Josh Lanyon and Ginn Hale, and I got really excited about it. I
started thinking about what world I wanted to make up, and it seemed like the
perfect time to follow up on an old interest in Aztec culture. A long time ago
I wrote a short story about some Aztec gods and the culture was so unique and
visual and visceral I fell in love with it. So I then set about spending the
next few months reading everything I could on the Aztec and Maya religious
worlds. I took copious notes of elements I thought were so cool they <i>had</i> to be incorporated into a story
(calendars, magic pens, blood sacrifices, serpents with one head in this world,
the other in another, little spy birds, etc).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then
as a theme I decided I wanted to explore the feelings of culture shock and how
sometimes we yearn for things that are bad for us, just because they are what
we know. Deven came out of this. Silas August was my attempt at a severely
damaged individual who keeps it together through rudeness and efficiency, all
hiding the fact that he has seen some messed up sh*t in his life and will
never get over it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What was it
like writing a story for a shared world anthology?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SO
FUN. As much as it seems strange to say it, I love limitations - I feel like my
most creative moments are when restrictions are put on my writing, and the
shared world requires we all play ball to the same rules. That said, we were
given a lot of freedom at first - all basically starting our own stories
individually and then working afterward to tie them all together.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have any
advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I feel like so many people get hung up on the whole "being an author"
thing and reading advice and promoting and designing their catch phrases
and branding...but really what it all comes down to is: write a story you want
to read. Forget everything else. If you could read the most epic, wonderful,
heart-shattering, perfect tale for yourself right now, what would that look
like? Start there, and forget everything else. And then force yourself to write
to a schedule. The hardest part is just doing it. Even I, who's
been working on a novel continuously since I was 23, will do practically
anything to get out of writing. You know its bad when I decide to do laundry or
clean the house instead!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then,
when you have written something, don't get hung up on every word. Know that if
it goes to an editor, things are going to change, sometimes drastically. That's
okay. It's usually for the better. If you go into the editing process resentful
or believing every word you penned is golden, you will be upset by the process
and end up with a worse story at the end. Editing is your friend because
you are too close to your work to take a scalpel to it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Is there
anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I feel bad that I suck so hard at self-promotion and all the social aspects of
being an author, but it comes from good intentions - I love to write more than
I love being a writer. When I'm not on Facebook, or blogging, or even
participating in chats, it's because I'm truly working on the next novel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And
also I fell in a manhole once. That's worth something, isn't it?</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-57572915096715680702013-12-16T07:00:00.003-08:002020-12-13T16:36:32.313-08:00CATHRYN CONSTABLE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48hBAif9YspH4XkBNCpADecVCKTYW2xXRoP__KyimtN9M-ZcmpsMOY4m5CJxsIZfKeqvK1X_-Ei70Kcdtmgz0dsPF0txryJm93rHFl1go3lvdHwgT2k74W7SkTwJozpPPcneyD2cKM2aC/s1600/Cathryn+Constable.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48hBAif9YspH4XkBNCpADecVCKTYW2xXRoP__KyimtN9M-ZcmpsMOY4m5CJxsIZfKeqvK1X_-Ei70Kcdtmgz0dsPF0txryJm93rHFl1go3lvdHwgT2k74W7SkTwJozpPPcneyD2cKM2aC/s200/Cathryn+Constable.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Interview with CATHRYN
CONSTABLE</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Cathryn Constable is a journalist whose articles have
appeared in Tatler and the London Sunday
Times among other publications. THE WOLF
PRINCESS is her first novel. She is married with three children and lives in
London, England. </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAInzKrtqi7eZPJz24102xi5R08Bn_znmj8LnGtCL4BwJsnvtSl9YETyaAK14ZZJY0KJ6Db879UENI9eQgtJQrMUOEZ4HPQI4kRSH-SzPI2upbsdibWzBWsGGkJmr7Il_PiLs178xxzGhB/s1600/Wolf+Princess.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAInzKrtqi7eZPJz24102xi5R08Bn_znmj8LnGtCL4BwJsnvtSl9YETyaAK14ZZJY0KJ6Db879UENI9eQgtJQrMUOEZ4HPQI4kRSH-SzPI2upbsdibWzBWsGGkJmr7Il_PiLs178xxzGhB/s1600/Wolf+Princess.jpg" /></a><b>What are you reading right now?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
TIME REBORN by Lee
Smolin. Smolin is a physicist and is arguing (I think) for the laws which
govern the universe to operate within time. I’m also reading a biography of Sir
Isaac Newton. Physics is on my mind.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first sparked your interest in writing?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reading.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you love the most about writing? The least?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I’m alone and in my
study and writing, even if I’m not particularly pleased at what I’m writing, I
feel content. I think I’ve always had a ‘Rapunzel’ complex...a tower, solitude,
no interruptions.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The thing I like least
is when I can’t get to my desk. I’m really happiest in my own world.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tell us a little bit about your writing process.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a pinboard at
home and I find images in magazines or on tumblrs that I find interesting. I
can’t say why they attract me, and I don’t ask. I print them out and put them
up and somehow, even though they might start off being quite disparate, a
pattern starts to emerge. For example, on my pinboard at the moment are images
of a velvet manicure, a carved angel, a girl in school uniform standing in an
open window, and a sheet of alchemical symbols. When I start writing, I don’t necessarily
know how these things fit together, but after spending some time thinking about
them, a pattern emerges.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I aim to write every day
(of course); the minute the house is empty, I make a cup of coffee and sit down
at my desk. At the moment, the day goes very quickly because I am writing a
first draft of my second novel, THE WHITE TOWER. There are times during the day
when things are light and easy and the work seems to shape itself; other times
it is like doing Geography homework (with apologies to any Geographers). I’ve
learned not to get panicked when things get a bit sticky: usually it means I’m
not paying attention properly and need to slow down and listen and watch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are your passions?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My family. It’s odd
because having children really does scupper you when it comes to writing. However,
becoming a mother is an extraordinarily creative process, too. You have to pay
attention really closely, which I think is good preparation for writing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I read pretty much
constantly...I would feel quite agitated without a book. But there are so many
things I’m interested in. Basically, if you pay attention to anything it
becomes fascinating.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What inspires you?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not sure what
inspires me. I know that I feel a sort of shiver of excitement whenever I encounter
something wonderful...That might be a sentence someone has written or a piece
of music. But I can become quite excited over a cup of coffee in the sunshine
on a winter’s morning.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Why middle reader?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you remember your
own ten- or eleven-year old self, I think you probably have the purest
expression of yourself. It’s that extraordinary transition from childhood to
more than childhood and what happens to your mind and imagination in that time
is quite remarkable. Also, I’m not sure I could write about diamonds, white
wolves, and orphans in a way that would be appealing to an adult and if that
was what I wanted to write about, it seemed writing for middle grade readers
was a safer option.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How was THE WOLF PRINCESS born?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I read to my children a
lot when they were younger. I found copies of the books I had enjoyed and it
was a really lovely way to rediscover those stories. But we read a lot of
current writers, too. Also, in my own reading, I had given up on almost
everyone other than the Russians. I can’t say why, but nothing else appealed to
me. So without realising it, I started writing a children’s story set in
Russia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Did THE WOLF PRINCESS require a lot of research?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did spend some time
looking at photographs of forgotten Russian palaces, but I think that was
probably the only specific research I did. The rest of it came from years of
reading that was not done as research.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The WOLF PRINCESS feels magical even though it’s not
fantasy. Is that deliberate?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t make a
conscious decision to make the novel feel magical. I wrote what I would have
loved to have happened to me at that age. I think one of the disappointments of
being a grown up is that there are no diamonds in the chandelier.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Did any specific fairy tales or folklore influence THE WOLF
PRINCESS?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I collect old books of
fairy tales, often because the illustrations are so beautiful. There is one
Russian tale, Snegourochka, the Snow Maiden, which I think is one of the
saddest stories ever... I used a quote from it in the book... but really, there
was no one tale in particular.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Read.</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-50107931591179091062013-12-09T07:00:00.002-08:002020-12-12T15:35:50.974-08:00KALEENA FRAGA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIS0SWkGfEK1nMZuSH4WGG5BaffH4Wji94CciijPeRMOZCXausWYEBNZsI5FlIi44Vc3yy5ix3PtqSt6_6Qi1kE5Kq85vu0_I9HC_aoEIlg21EaJBY8ZI6IGZXN1HniVcaPBGghaHxKueC/s1600/Kaleena.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIS0SWkGfEK1nMZuSH4WGG5BaffH4Wji94CciijPeRMOZCXausWYEBNZsI5FlIi44Vc3yy5ix3PtqSt6_6Qi1kE5Kq85vu0_I9HC_aoEIlg21EaJBY8ZI6IGZXN1HniVcaPBGghaHxKueC/s200/Kaleena.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
Interview with KALEENA FRAGA</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<i>Kaleena Fraga is from Bainbridge Island, Washington. She
graduated from Oberlin College in 2013 with a double major in History and
French. Currently, she is spending a year in France teaching English in the
small Normandy town of Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><i> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfiT7TwwfGb4T43UdKGT5jBBqCIjfmsIC6CeFkOkpz384b6UPelZGCeOZ-uYpog4SmB4RvSsBe4c_jXq_AfCHB3yl5tlcmMROU4MmVeMqPBxmaI2Orw5nHc9EHxajEcC478VYIobrLtcW/s1600/Obliquity.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfiT7TwwfGb4T43UdKGT5jBBqCIjfmsIC6CeFkOkpz384b6UPelZGCeOZ-uYpog4SmB4RvSsBe4c_jXq_AfCHB3yl5tlcmMROU4MmVeMqPBxmaI2Orw5nHc9EHxajEcC478VYIobrLtcW/s1600/Obliquity.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b>What are
you reading right now?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
I <i>just</i> finished
MADDADDAM by Margaret Atwood. It was the third in a series and really fantastic!
I'm about to get started on THE LUMINARIES by Eleanor Catton. I’m also
rereading HARRY POTTER in French, because I’m in France now and trying to
immerse myself in the language.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b>What
first sparked your interest in writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
I don't remember a time in my life when I didn't write. Even
before I knew how to hold a pencil, I loved telling stories. I was the kid who
had dolls with detailed backstories and, of course, an imaginary pet
dog/sidekick.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b>What do
you love the most about writing? The least?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
I love it when one idea leads to another, and another, and
another, and I look down and I've been writing for an hour without realizing
it. It's the feeling you get when the ideas come so quickly you can barely type
fast enough. Basically, I love to be <i>immersed</i>
in a story. I do and don't like starting things. On the one hand it's exciting
and new and that can be a great feeling - but to find the right inspiration,
the right way to approach the story, to think about the characters and their
journey takes time (sometimes a <i>lot</i>
of time) and I'd rather just start writing than over-think things.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b>Tell us a
little about your writing process.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
I take an idea and run with it. I read about how some
authors have detailed outlines of what will happen in their novels/stories...I’m
not organized enough for that. I've always just written and written and
surprised myself with what appeared on the paper.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b>What are
your passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
Writing and reading, of course. I'm passionate about
history, especially presidential history, and I have a budding passion for long
runs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b>What
inspires you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
The people around me, things I see on the news or online,
and questions I have about the world that I try to understand by asking my
characters to struggle and figure it out for me. Writing, for me, is a way to
understand the world. If I don't get something, maybe I'll understand it better
through the eyes of one of my characters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b>Why
speculative fiction?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
I really like the blurry line between fact and fiction. With
speculative fiction you can either stay close to that line or go much, much
further. I prefer to write stories where, among the characters living normal
lives, one thing is slightly off. I love how much freedom speculative fiction
gives to the writer to explore that one, strange thing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b>As both a
writer and reader, do you prefer either science fiction or fantasy over the
other?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
I prefer science fiction because the "science"
part can be discreet - normal people, normal lives, one odd occurrence.
That being said, I am waiting along with the rest of the world for George R.R.
Martin to finish up with the next GAME OF THRONES novel!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b>How was “Island
of Dreams, Island of Fears” born?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
I think I was fifteen or sixteen when I wrote "Island
of Dreams, Island of Fears." I was travelling with my family when I first
saw the news coverage of the tsunami in Sri Lanka and it really stuck with me:
the incredible tragedy of the event, the sheer destructive power of nature, and
all the stories that the people who survived started to tell. It made me think
about how sudden death can be. So I took that idea and tried to explore it
through my story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<b>Do you
have any advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0.1pt; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
Just to write, write, write. And read!</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-31956504346916738122013-12-02T07:00:00.004-08:002020-12-13T17:48:18.878-08:00LAURIE GRAFF<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoFCbGRl70SQUk2NB46n-A7UfcbwGkDfJ_bk6299TJlO9uadTvbpV6xYMLroR_IwHbqCXccOgFyuYy5Y2At68N0c_LwhKaWch-iXiiiwROFtmKQXTNFPPmNC67-v4PQq8lV6KrtdQPNGB/s1600/Laurie+Graff.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoFCbGRl70SQUk2NB46n-A7UfcbwGkDfJ_bk6299TJlO9uadTvbpV6xYMLroR_IwHbqCXccOgFyuYy5Y2At68N0c_LwhKaWch-iXiiiwROFtmKQXTNFPPmNC67-v4PQq8lV6KrtdQPNGB/s1600/Laurie+Graff.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
Interview
with LAURIE GRAFF</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Laurie
Graff, author of the bestselling YOU HAVE TO KISS A LOT OF FROGS, has also
written the novels LOOKING FOR MR. GOODFROG and THE SHIKSA SYNDROME. She’s also
a contributor to NO KIDDING, COMPLAINT BOX NY TIMES, LIVE <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ItwwFgwfCuHHjp13AYK5QitTjrNpbabtrkd5H9k1q1nC8MsmmcqmU1nZUfpYNuOB0yp9ZCz3OBAAr_KqbZ4e9z9RZdST3-HumSswe6cGAe8yZJGDnmbH3-dWhReMXHZaMOaodjKcVU4g/s1600/No+Kidding.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ItwwFgwfCuHHjp13AYK5QitTjrNpbabtrkd5H9k1q1nC8MsmmcqmU1nZUfpYNuOB0yp9ZCz3OBAAr_KqbZ4e9z9RZdST3-HumSswe6cGAe8yZJGDnmbH3-dWhReMXHZaMOaodjKcVU4g/s1600/No+Kidding.jpg" /></a>ALONE AND LIKE IT,
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIE, and SCENES FROM A HOLIDAY.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b>What are you
reading right now?</b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
I
just last night finished reading Ellen Burstyn’s autobiography, LESSONS IN
BECOMING MYSELF. It is amazing how
you think you know someone’s background and how blindsided you are by their
persona. She really overcame huge familial obstacles alongside having a spirit
that created a lucky streak. Of course no <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqR-C64EgBtC7kea1xngXdjZKMf4b1s3zZzTSyl88okqQJoGM-gxLmXXrZ6s6SDW9ziXmBGs6Cs22tcVOhadhiKpOJMfIQxFREJvdj0uVVfx1iPTRByaQvRJtYlaarrw1WB6AcOC6aBYs/s1600/Shiksa+Syndrome.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqR-C64EgBtC7kea1xngXdjZKMf4b1s3zZzTSyl88okqQJoGM-gxLmXXrZ6s6SDW9ziXmBGs6Cs22tcVOhadhiKpOJMfIQxFREJvdj0uVVfx1iPTRByaQvRJtYlaarrw1WB6AcOC6aBYs/s1600/Shiksa+Syndrome.jpg" /></a>one’s life is linear, and the story
of what she did to heal herself is compelling. She said something so astute
that the moment we accept it (whatever it is) is the moment transformation
begins.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b>What first
sparked your interest in writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
Nora Ephron,
Carrie Fisher, and Tama Janowitz. I was reading all of those women in the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuA6N9-9IsrX4BgnYsAOzNvNKyx0HY8vOxpyAOq3UwI8He6s5tYBUHw-XIcvWcb7n0iskJOFcplqzuL_A0VC9jgq2qGKTEggttpOXhU1BSg0t2J3kbxHm-CKdpHahx4lQsa85zVc5lYjHX/s1600/Looking+for+Mr.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuA6N9-9IsrX4BgnYsAOzNvNKyx0HY8vOxpyAOq3UwI8He6s5tYBUHw-XIcvWcb7n0iskJOFcplqzuL_A0VC9jgq2qGKTEggttpOXhU1BSg0t2J3kbxHm-CKdpHahx4lQsa85zVc5lYjHX/s1600/Looking+for+Mr.jpg" /></a>80s’
and just got into the whole “look inside the urban single girl’s head” and
started to write down the stories I was telling to my friends. And they came
out with a “voice” that was me, but not. It was a writer’s voice. Since I had
been working up till then as a professional actress it was a pretty cool
surprise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b>What do you
love the most about writing? The least?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
I
love when I get lost in it and hours go by and I had no idea how that even
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWKIV5QhyphenhyphenDPlzg0M_6o8zWB2knBR6c_m95WXON_QVGxSL2RT3TSsY9h9G8zGIzXRj9pbopV90nBNhhvcOqmqkmFtvLDgdU4x_fEQ3SelEYPmUTMJtyqH86x6Hy_hqV-Oo85SPU43xrwtg/s1600/You+Have+to+Kiss+a+Lot+of+Frogs.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWKIV5QhyphenhyphenDPlzg0M_6o8zWB2knBR6c_m95WXON_QVGxSL2RT3TSsY9h9G8zGIzXRj9pbopV90nBNhhvcOqmqkmFtvLDgdU4x_fEQ3SelEYPmUTMJtyqH86x6Hy_hqV-Oo85SPU43xrwtg/s1600/You+Have+to+Kiss+a+Lot+of+Frogs.jpg" /></a>happened. And when that is not happening… well, I like that the least.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b>Tell us a
little about your writing process.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
I
think about it as I’m walking, at the gym, running, on the subway, and then I
go. It’s a movie in my head and I just let it spill. I don’t like to outline or
make notes. I like to know what happens next and organically let it come out.
There are points when I must write and organize but mainly I like to let it
spill.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b>What are your
passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
Outdoor
cafes, having wine anywhere near or on water, affection, great humor, food,
beautiful environments, themed parties, fashion, the tradition of Judaism, New
York City, theater, romance, and the great magic that can surprise us in life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b>What inspires
you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
Feelings
I get from 70’s music. All the passions I just mentioned above. And people who
manage to overcome their fears.</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b>Did you know without
a doubt what you would write about in your NO KIDDING essay or did you have a
few topics from which you narrowed it down?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
I
did not know what I would be writing until I was writing it. But that first
image of being up in the country at sixteen years old with my friend outside
her bungalow hanging the laundry popped into my head when I sat down to write.
And I kept from there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b>Was if
difficult writing about something so personal?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
It
was clarifying to discover I really felt that way. I love the personal essay.
You don’t worry about plot twists; it is just making a point for what has
already happened in life and how you already feel. My brother asked why anyone
would want to share that, but to me it is encased in a literary package and so
I don’t feel exposed. But I do feel I help share a point of view that is
helpful and interesting to others.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b>Do you have any
advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
Write.
Write what you want and do it just for you. And then worry about whether or not
it’s “something.” Just self-express.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<b>Is there
anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
I
wrote in my essay the best is yet to come and I really want that to be true!</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-10735692012876967642013-11-25T07:00:00.003-08:002020-12-23T19:47:10.647-08:00KATHERINE LONGSHORE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRA45j3SzihQHAmWOaCbWuhcSU1iZlzeSPYaXtYYWSztXbivM5MRWac9m4xi6pqDtLsh_Z6GnNX90KBb5q9sLrpGzSPjNHmExpr7b0o5aG_IsiNcPsFa7kyr0vMTsu5iJDlcQ4OTqUmFny/s1600/Katherine+Longshore.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRA45j3SzihQHAmWOaCbWuhcSU1iZlzeSPYaXtYYWSztXbivM5MRWac9m4xi6pqDtLsh_Z6GnNX90KBb5q9sLrpGzSPjNHmExpr7b0o5aG_IsiNcPsFa7kyr0vMTsu5iJDlcQ4OTqUmFny/s1600/Katherine+Longshore.jpg" /></a></div>Interview with KATHERINE LONGSHORE
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<span class="dropcap"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I've always been a writer. I've been
writing stories since I learned how to hold a pencil, asking my dad how to
spell words while I worked under the bar stools at our kitchen counter. In the
course of my life, I've worked as a dishwasher, lingerie seller, coffee
barista, cake decorator, ship's steward, video rental clerk, freelance
journalist, travel agent, waitress, contracts manager, bookseller, and
Montessori preschool teacher. But in writing for teens, I've finally found
my calling. And through writing, I am able to encompass all my loves. Becoming
a character made of words. Exploring new worlds. And living history.</i>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dz4eA_osCCOvLGrnQHvCRE-Z560ePKig4Ga71nabyDi0AWDMiLhBLGIOJoITafCGFtFOdXXzoDQmbH_rGOX2rvh04O7Xfb1lcsfJLSANsHdcnCiLWZeGj9QACnZXKO8fgScetB9FqlMR/s1600/Tarnish.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dz4eA_osCCOvLGrnQHvCRE-Z560ePKig4Ga71nabyDi0AWDMiLhBLGIOJoITafCGFtFOdXXzoDQmbH_rGOX2rvh04O7Xfb1lcsfJLSANsHdcnCiLWZeGj9QACnZXKO8fgScetB9FqlMR/s1600/Tarnish.jpg" /></a><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are you reading
right now?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ALL THE TRUTH THAT’S IN ME by Julie Berry and THE OLD WAYS
by Robert MacFarlane.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first sparked
your interest in writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIyYhRsO9asnabJ09hIu2lnqS4trRKvzom9k4G7GrqoF1Gfvrg8TJYEXpeU7yekoJmfHnKRJtUGqPnOSk6ZyyZAPHOIYRtZG8NSF8c09qfOF4hxK02gpmVFuBVOjDXVX8WWCku1ra_Xz-/s1600/Gilt.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIyYhRsO9asnabJ09hIu2lnqS4trRKvzom9k4G7GrqoF1Gfvrg8TJYEXpeU7yekoJmfHnKRJtUGqPnOSk6ZyyZAPHOIYRtZG8NSF8c09qfOF4hxK02gpmVFuBVOjDXVX8WWCku1ra_Xz-/s1600/Gilt.jpg" /></a>Learning how to write! I can remember pestering my dad to
spell words for me when I was in the first grade so I could write stories.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you love the
most about writing? The least?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I love the surprises. The scenes where suddenly the
character takes a right-hand turn when I was thinking I’d make her go left. The
unexpected kisses and dialogue that seems to come from somewhere <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">real</i> and not from inside my head. And I
absolutely love playing with words. What I like the least are the days my evil
inner <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBM1cpWpAKB8dwCGLJi0X5QdK_KAV7xKa40aNB-ZnGQxKU2fmsJDAYickCUerI1Ffy5w6xpDxWMNVVs90qArEqbfgqDIMG1BlvtJ4Z03ZHqe21HLauhrEY5uJN-63rgxhL2hvYOp5OKBK/s1600/Brazen.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBM1cpWpAKB8dwCGLJi0X5QdK_KAV7xKa40aNB-ZnGQxKU2fmsJDAYickCUerI1Ffy5w6xpDxWMNVVs90qArEqbfgqDIMG1BlvtJ4Z03ZHqe21HLauhrEY5uJN-63rgxhL2hvYOp5OKBK/s1600/Brazen.jpg" /></a>editor takes over and squelches all creativity. Those are the days I
clean the bathroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little
about your writing process.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My process is different for every book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first book I just wrote, sitting
down every day and asking myself, “What happens next?” For three books, I’ve
tried to outline, getting a sketchy synopsis together and mapping some stuff
out on my story board. And then I ignore all of that and sit down to write
every day and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6f9Pj9s2M9aetNVNiifDr3bLlMAdQjLfdQLLMWJtBwp-c5RDbnYmGX6gdr3jpVV-fEDO3AmAP9s6iXBm7uyWWa0hkNCkVWDDyGpI5ZUMuVs6iq903B6FFRswYddWbuxF0QnFkxdDttodS/s1600/Manor+of+Secrets.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6f9Pj9s2M9aetNVNiifDr3bLlMAdQjLfdQLLMWJtBwp-c5RDbnYmGX6gdr3jpVV-fEDO3AmAP9s6iXBm7uyWWa0hkNCkVWDDyGpI5ZUMuVs6iq903B6FFRswYddWbuxF0QnFkxdDttodS/s1600/Manor+of+Secrets.jpg" /></a>asking myself, “What happens next?” - usually coming up with
something vastly different than what I outlined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For four out of the five books I’ve written, I’ve had to throw
out the first fifty pages - it’s like I have to start with the backstory in order
to start the story. And with MANOR OF SECRETS, I had a general outline and
every day sketched the next scene on an index card so I could just get up and
write it the next day. I tend to do a lot of plot work in revision - sometimes
throwing out over half of the book in the process. It’s like I don’t know what
the book is about until I’ve already written a draft. But I get there in the
end.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCc5JviT6gUroeNWmLVXdVm0U4wuZyy5TOcGObqnPAD3osh-M2BkZWxsXOMUJAKWwuGcRaGvomUem8NtPpnLKLSGsDcPOXeGs3nfwGHtk11lgBbKd3OQclJqbExEszaliCeXAhMjWGDwy/s1600/Courted.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCc5JviT6gUroeNWmLVXdVm0U4wuZyy5TOcGObqnPAD3osh-M2BkZWxsXOMUJAKWwuGcRaGvomUem8NtPpnLKLSGsDcPOXeGs3nfwGHtk11lgBbKd3OQclJqbExEszaliCeXAhMjWGDwy/s1600/Courted.jpg" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your
passions?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
History, feminism, justice, love, honor, costumes, travel…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What inspires you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The world around me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Real people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>History.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love, honor, justice…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why young adult?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A librarian friend once told me that when people come in
wanting to know about life, she sends them to the YA section. All of human life
is here: good and evil, friendship and betrayal, love and joy and hopelessness
and despair. It’s heady stuff. But what I love most is the thrill of all those
firsts - first kiss, first love, first adventure, first grief. There’s
something tangible about it. Visceral. And I love that most YA forever looks <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">forward</i> instead of back. There is always
- even in the darkest moments - a little bit of hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why historical
fiction?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I decided to start writing fiction, my husband recited
the old adage: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">write what you know</i>. I
know a lot about Henry VIII. My kids used to play a game with me where they
would ask, “Who was Henry’s mother’s sister’s husband’s daughter?” To which I
can answer, “Mary Howard.” (Not Henry’s niece, but Thomas Howard’s daughter
from a second marriage and the narrator of BRAZEN, actually.) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But more than that, I write historical fiction because I
feel that a good story is timeless. It wouldn’t matter if a story like Anne
Boleyn’s rise and eventual fall was set in 16<sup>th</sup> Century England or
modern China or a futuristic, post-Apocalyptic dystopia. It would still be an
incredible journey of a girl who started with little and became queen
(literally or figuratively) through the strength of her own personality. Great
stuff. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How were GILT and
TARNISH born? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
GILT began with the question, “Why would a teenage girl marry
a bitter, decrepit old man?” After some research, I added the big <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What if?</i> As in: “What if Catherine
Howard wasn’t the ignorant, promiscuous airhead the historians make her out to
be?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
TARNISH began with similar questions: “What kind of teenager
would become the Anne Boleyn we all know and love?” and: “What if her flaws and
actions were misinterpreted by her contemporaries - and historians?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What about your
upcoming book MANOR OF SECRETS?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was asked if I could write a “YA Downton Abbey” and became
immediately obsessed with the two characters - one who lived upstairs,
comfortably and restrained, and the other working downstairs, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Did the books require
a lot of research? How much did you alter history for the story or fill-in-the-blanks?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of my books have required a lot of research. I enjoy it
- reading recently-published histories and visiting locations and digging into
old manuscripts to find just a hint of something that could give me a clue to
character, setting or story. For my Tudor books, I have been determined to be
as historically accurate as possible. Because history is so rich, however, and
because not all historical details help move the story forward, I have had to
trim here and there (like the character of Henry Mannox, who had an affair with
Catherine Howard before the action begins in GILT) and downplay certain
elements (such as politics and religion, which were very important to the
Tudors, but aren’t what my stories are about).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">There are a lot of Tudor
novels in historical fiction. Why did you decide to write some more? </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because there are so few written from a teenager’s
perspective. By the age of sixteen (and sometimes earlier), Tudors were
considered adults and treated as such. But that doesn’t mean that they didn’t
go through the same things teenagers do today - self-doubt and the desire to
rebel and all the emotions stirred up by hormones. So many historical novels
set in Tudor times are about how <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">adults</i>
navigated the court. Imagine how much more difficult - and how much more
fraught - it would be if you were a teenager? Like high school, only with the
added threat of decapitation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have any
advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keep writing and write what you love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stories don’t get told if you don’t sit
down to tell them, and books that suck people in are written by people who pour
themselves into the story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is there anything
else you would like to tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I read everything I can get my hands on. Contemporary,
historical, paranormal, science fiction, fantasy. Anything that inspires
someone to tell me, “This book is really good. You’ll like it.” I don’t want my
own writing to be limited by the label of the historical fiction genre, so I
try to break out of it with my reading as much as I can. As I said before, a
good story surpasses genre, and good writing transcends it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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That said, I’m always looking for recommendations!<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-9445632076694530412013-10-18T07:00:00.002-07:002020-12-26T18:32:59.355-08:00LISA ROGAK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xK2bmDyuc8IPex-W4kF_pL70_fH64C_QTzGstx8Och_ft3xKjxmdKF0FX6fCAVopu2KwJ2xdG6Iq1AQnATXiGLH3Z8cy2E7m6kCYh-sFUKvQFZ6SrZ2yxEfmLgJv3t9i40lZwvM42gsq/s1600/Lisa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xK2bmDyuc8IPex-W4kF_pL70_fH64C_QTzGstx8Och_ft3xKjxmdKF0FX6fCAVopu2KwJ2xdG6Iq1AQnATXiGLH3Z8cy2E7m6kCYh-sFUKvQFZ6SrZ2yxEfmLgJv3t9i40lZwvM42gsq/s1600/Lisa.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwYlIFpTVTAKlskieKrPFO9YudvfzTLoUsj-e0NnGpPed18nq1wG76JxyUcMl21aZg4M4kl11piQjDI6iYEKM-vXRM9u0oPXsJhjjqpUpfFUoW-fFTXJNIGkeUUsGAzQydUYAJsUOQ-tR/s1600/Dogs+of+War.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwYlIFpTVTAKlskieKrPFO9YudvfzTLoUsj-e0NnGpPed18nq1wG76JxyUcMl21aZg4M4kl11piQjDI6iYEKM-vXRM9u0oPXsJhjjqpUpfFUoW-fFTXJNIGkeUUsGAzQydUYAJsUOQ-tR/s1600/Dogs+of+War.jpg" /></a>Interview with
LISA ROGAK</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lisa Rogak is the New York Times
bestselling author of more than 40 books. Her works have been mentioned in The
Wall Street Journal, Parade Magazine, USA Today, Family Circle, and hundreds of
other publications. She has also appeared on Oprah. Her latest biography, AND
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTHINESS: THE RISE (AND FURTHER RISE) OF STEPHEN COLBERT, was
published by St. Martin’s Press in the fall of 2011. THE DOGS OF WAR: THE
COURAGE, LOVE, & LOYALTY OF MILITARY WORKING DOGS followed shortly after.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are you reading right now?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I
usually have 10 books going at once. I am reading lots of books on farming and
raising sheep, though I have no desire to do so…in my stack: THE DIRTY LIFE, SHEEPISH,
THE WORLD’S STRONGEST LIBRARIAN, STRINGS ATTACHED.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sHcuN5vTg7JFXs-drL2oYVo5g6-C3WglnI9vG4_OxKmTD_Kxw9Cxsrx7B0LXvXNx2ymNEDZmrawMDce39_uSE5XYBbgvtyIuPBdIktltVTTvNDbD7yxz3Edhyphenhyphengf95oLAW4kWIJJqiAzH/s1600/Dogs+of+Courage.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sHcuN5vTg7JFXs-drL2oYVo5g6-C3WglnI9vG4_OxKmTD_Kxw9Cxsrx7B0LXvXNx2ymNEDZmrawMDce39_uSE5XYBbgvtyIuPBdIktltVTTvNDbD7yxz3Edhyphenhyphengf95oLAW4kWIJJqiAzH/s320/Dogs+of+Courage.jpg" width="213" /></a><br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first sparked your interest in writing?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">I
read voraciously as a kid, but I didn't think of being a writer as an adult. I like
to say I became a writer when I learned I could get paid for indulging my
curiosity and getting to ask total strangers nosy questions.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you love the most about writing? The least?</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSynokCTUJ56Mng9zF5HolUQv1dR35DXlTLKPXLMxBAQN7TvyfXQgYox2Y6q559692Z6BhfHFqELY0lX89sYixmLIfftmhGC7vQfDEzAEKKNGmGgOTZrUJMDk6dDzjyA6r4j-gETgJIy6Q/s1600/And+Nothing+But+the+Truthiness.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSynokCTUJ56Mng9zF5HolUQv1dR35DXlTLKPXLMxBAQN7TvyfXQgYox2Y6q559692Z6BhfHFqELY0lX89sYixmLIfftmhGC7vQfDEzAEKKNGmGgOTZrUJMDk6dDzjyA6r4j-gETgJIy6Q/s1600/And+Nothing+But+the+Truthiness.jpg" /></a>I
love the research part the most.</div>
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The
least: waiting to get paid.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little about your writing process.</b></div>
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I
spend very little of my time writing, only about 10%. I'm not sure if that is
the case for most writers, but the research takes up the bulk - after I start a
book, I research various stories, figure out who to contact, and then how to
contact them, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBYhzyk8EY2QX1TArljPznuk5xm_y0X409iIgALW0Qmoaq4TKyVB5WN0cv4hxluJtN-hIKIRw_ChQQwZxjgJ0s8qMbnQamuewLW6KY6IBZSZa-g31Q-_1izggWVjdeKgrlJ1K2JcfbwJn/s1600/Haunted+Heart.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBYhzyk8EY2QX1TArljPznuk5xm_y0X409iIgALW0Qmoaq4TKyVB5WN0cv4hxluJtN-hIKIRw_ChQQwZxjgJ0s8qMbnQamuewLW6KY6IBZSZa-g31Q-_1izggWVjdeKgrlJ1K2JcfbwJn/s1600/Haunted+Heart.jpg" /></a>and then communicate with them - along with the business end of
things. Research is the polar opposite of writing, so I can't do both at once.
The writing goes very quickly once the research is done.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your passions?</b></div>
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I
love to bake and cook. I used to love to travel and spent a few years as a
nomad, but now I'm settled back in New Hampshire quite happily. And I have to
get outside and move - walk or bike - every day or else I'm cranky at day's
end.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What inspires you?</b></div>
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Getting
up every day. Each day is a gift.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why write about dogs?</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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A
lot of the books I write are based on ideas from editors, publishers, and my
agent. I've never owned a dog, but am surrogate aunt to several dogs here in
New Hampshire. After researching DOGS OF WAR and DOGS OF COURAGE, I really
understood dogs a lot better; in a past life I was a crazy cat lady. Today I
have no animals.</div>
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</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Why biographies?</b></div>
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Again,
because of market conditions: who's popular, who doesn't have a current
biography available, etc. That's the kind of writer I am. That said, once I dig
into the subject of my book, I'm intrigued and energized by the topic for the
length of the research.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How was THE DOGS OF WAR born?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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After
the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, word got out there was a military working
dog on the mission. All of a sudden, people wanted to know more about these
dogs. My publisher asked if I wanted to do a book, and we were off and running.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Which do you enjoy more: research or writing?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Research.
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Read
everything and just start writing. Create your own reality and ignore the
rules.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is there anything else you would like to tell us about
yourself?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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If
the photos in my new book ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY: HEARTWARMING STORIES OF ANIMALS
CARING FOR ONE ANOTHER don't make you go “awwwwww,” then you should check for a
pulse.</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-898149204805682552013-10-11T07:00:00.001-07:002020-12-26T20:31:47.930-08:00SUZY SORO<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmpc8UGE1NGmnVEZLx813V0FWWEvtiedbk1-Cof1g0kfMHcSGuinK3Sq2z2qzuHh-2DyCapxWx3P8CobHOU7ehaICfXGppu5x0OfUb21SFwrNJH-6Fc9R1NWOVNJQ7ulaseIUvKydT-f7/s1600/Suzy+Soro.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmpc8UGE1NGmnVEZLx813V0FWWEvtiedbk1-Cof1g0kfMHcSGuinK3Sq2z2qzuHh-2DyCapxWx3P8CobHOU7ehaICfXGppu5x0OfUb21SFwrNJH-6Fc9R1NWOVNJQ7ulaseIUvKydT-f7/s200/Suzy+Soro.jpg" width="157" /></a>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
Interview
with SUZY SORO</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Suzy Soro is a comedian, actor, and
writer. On </i>Seinfeld<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
she got the last chocolate babka, and on </i>Curb Your Enthusiasm<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Larry David called her a very bad name. Her
first memoir, CELEBRITY sTALKER, was published in 2012. She lives in Los Angeles,
waiting for the next earthquake to destroy her enemies. </i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2UwoyZsk-eI4pOEuY72OIROyURm-iki98gKzCzYS3WFOuhZoEqSyFLSLYCAvISXNvfexrP7D0Pjnv3Cz8xbSmD3RksFMWYBcKlMxJdzcYqWwCsmJ9s3P-cb04EfErwSMFCh8cov0q92b/s1600/No+Kidding.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2UwoyZsk-eI4pOEuY72OIROyURm-iki98gKzCzYS3WFOuhZoEqSyFLSLYCAvISXNvfexrP7D0Pjnv3Cz8xbSmD3RksFMWYBcKlMxJdzcYqWwCsmJ9s3P-cb04EfErwSMFCh8cov0q92b/s320/No+Kidding.jpg" width="217" /></a><br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are you reading right now?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
IS
EVERYONE HANGING OUT WITHOUT ME? by Mindy Kaling, BOBBED HAIR AND BATHTUB GIN
by Marion Meade, and ALL MY FRIENDS ARE GOING TO BE STRANGERS by Larry
McMurtry.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
No,
I don't have ADD.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first sparked your interest in
writing?</b></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI272JORamdGVtCsIZMWBEpHD-ZIqtF4LGw7nMqZVDZjj-zscTo2OLq_b7YLsTC-6BWQ-G6jRP7LlDoLL-TnL5xRU0mwFT0eZj7Nd1cipaT6-4zBvCjrWIS_onmiXp37jur1sScZ-loAJ0/s1600/Celebrity+Stalker.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI272JORamdGVtCsIZMWBEpHD-ZIqtF4LGw7nMqZVDZjj-zscTo2OLq_b7YLsTC-6BWQ-G6jRP7LlDoLL-TnL5xRU0mwFT0eZj7Nd1cipaT6-4zBvCjrWIS_onmiXp37jur1sScZ-loAJ0/s320/Celebrity+Stalker.jpg" width="213" /></a><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
When
I was sixteen, I told my Dad a story and he said I should write it down on his
old upright Underwood, which weighed about a hundred pounds because it was
surely made out of Civil War cannonballs. He was an intimidating Army Colonel
and I was scared of him so I did. I still have his typewriter. It's in a closet
because I can't lift it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you love the most about writing?
The least?</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
The
thing I love the most about writing is when I finish a chapter and consider it
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4nQJLTOkQesRHRkhibmigft2qJIwBUd-SA4PhIut-q39PaT4hGie8cZHACzIeCNMEsPHtEa3v_mrJGENy4Aj25t-U6ZN-kMEZeBa3G-tVTh0WZp4V-Ky3e2qekuFDRviM79n0hioFqbx/s1600/My+Funny+Valentine.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4nQJLTOkQesRHRkhibmigft2qJIwBUd-SA4PhIut-q39PaT4hGie8cZHACzIeCNMEsPHtEa3v_mrJGENy4Aj25t-U6ZN-kMEZeBa3G-tVTh0WZp4V-Ky3e2qekuFDRviM79n0hioFqbx/s320/My+Funny+Valentine.jpg" width="200" /></a>perfect.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The
thing I love the least about writing is discovering that my perfect chapter
really isn't so perfect after all.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Moral
of the story: Reread at your own peril.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little about your writing
process.</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
First
I make sure there's nothing good on TV or Netflix. Since there's always
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJsnynXTNUIIgVd_5t2ZtzKk-pyZRIQSX1a__cU1aeLu73VKNVVUlcG45ZJzbEU1WmjR-SZ__KTEwG9J0MDlHcwwSIjGK8FMzyASxFIJQEZTs-iFiVm6vWpiknyc-mLd0dMG7hH-TwS1g/s1600/BlogHer+Voices.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJsnynXTNUIIgVd_5t2ZtzKk-pyZRIQSX1a__cU1aeLu73VKNVVUlcG45ZJzbEU1WmjR-SZ__KTEwG9J0MDlHcwwSIjGK8FMzyASxFIJQEZTs-iFiVm6vWpiknyc-mLd0dMG7hH-TwS1g/s320/BlogHer+Voices.jpg" width="206" /></a>something good on one or the other, I persuade myself that the sale of what I'm
writing will pay my rent. Obviously I'm delusional.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your passions?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
Acting,
traveling, reading, staging people's homes for resale, feng-shui.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What inspires you?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
Sometimes
I reread Sedaris or Burroughs and they inspire me to try harder.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Did you know without a doubt what you
would write about in your NO KIDDING essay or did you have a few topics from
which you narrowed it down?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
While
others struggled with their innermost thoughts on the subject and came up with
insightful responses, I didn't even have to think about it. My
goal in writing is the same as my goal in being a comedian. If I can't be
funny, I should choose another profession. So How Can I Make This Funny trumped
Why I Never Had Children.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Was if difficult writing about something
so personal?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
I'm
not Jon Stewart. I don't talk about politics. I'm not Jerry Seinfeld. I don't
talk about lost socks in the dryer. I'm a blabbermouth who talks about
everything personal.</div>
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If
my therapist ever publishes the notes on my sessions, my point will be proved.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have any advice for aspiring
authors?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
Marry
for money. Then you won't have to write.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is there anything else you would like to
tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
Yes,
but this is a PG site.</div>Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932476506716389108.post-8609824541015119262013-09-27T07:00:00.001-07:002020-12-23T20:02:01.485-08:00HENRIETTE MANTEL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT10cvt50GAnkTQ3_5nYnulWSZEfLM1-BaiNehL4c00T1TtAVyQCwH4TDbGpdKxdaHthg_6o911Wg2CkMBdF0mMSOGtbh3tBVh0ATbkqSbpsf-E27U1zwbQJbDWJoR4GN9aVnwvU9ob0xy/s1600/Henriette.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT10cvt50GAnkTQ3_5nYnulWSZEfLM1-BaiNehL4c00T1TtAVyQCwH4TDbGpdKxdaHthg_6o911Wg2CkMBdF0mMSOGtbh3tBVh0ATbkqSbpsf-E27U1zwbQJbDWJoR4GN9aVnwvU9ob0xy/s1600/Henriette.jpg" /></a></div>
Interview with
HENRIETTE MANTEL
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In NO KIDDING, comedy writer
Henriette Mantel tackles the topic of actually not having kids. This
fascinating collection features a star-studded group of contributors—including
Margaret Cho, Wendy Liebman, Laurie Graff, and other accomplished, funny women—writing
about why they opted out of motherhood. Whether their reasons have to do with
courage, apathy, monetary considerations, health issues, or something else
entirely, the essays featured in the pages of NO KIDDING honestly (and
humorously) delve into the minds of women who have chosen what they would call
a more sane path.</i></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MxlP8Qdjpv3f8LzLEfmUgULJ67wt4OJtoeFXtjwv1Ssoloow2Nj6its9ANTv7jVE2p9H4lQWHNuJcBQk2yOu_MtTV7xyOPeYw7uulx4RDZHPBkrfC0a7CNxosz2kW4_VXw8tw1wzs_xq/s1600/No+Kidding.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MxlP8Qdjpv3f8LzLEfmUgULJ67wt4OJtoeFXtjwv1Ssoloow2Nj6its9ANTv7jVE2p9H4lQWHNuJcBQk2yOu_MtTV7xyOPeYw7uulx4RDZHPBkrfC0a7CNxosz2kW4_VXw8tw1wzs_xq/s1600/No+Kidding.jpg" /></a><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are you reading right now?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
THE
ABOUNDING RIVER.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What first sparked your interest in
writing?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
I
couldn't draw what I was thinking so I decided to write it. I liked to tell
people what I was thinking about.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What do you love the most about writing? The
least?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
I
can't remember who said it but "The best part of writing is having written."
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
The
least? Starting up.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little about your writing
process.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
I
have to have a deadline, even if it's with myself or else I procrastinate too
much. I write best from <span class="aqj">6am-11am</span>. I only write after <span class="aqj">4pm</span> if I am forced to do so.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
I
just start. Then I edit all the garbage I wrote before my consciousness kicked
in.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What are your passions?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
Oh
boy. I love the land I grew up on in Vermont. I like to paint walls. If I
could I would do yoga 5 times a day.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What inspires you?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
Inequity,
inequality, underdogs being shit on. My cats. My depression.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How was NO KIDDING born?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
I
had a boyfriend with a kid that I was attached to and that is what my essay was
about. She made me think about how I never wanted a kid and what having a kid
would entail. Then I was watching some of my comic friends read from a book of
essays about having kids and all their experiences and I said to my friend Lew,
"Yea well what about ME?" and he said, "Well, write one."
so I did.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You edited the collection as well as
contributed your own essay. Was either role - editor or writer - more fun than
the other?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
I'm
not going to say editing wasn't fun but...dealing with 35 personalities, mostly
women comics was interesting to say the least. I'm proud of my essay, but when
I wrote it I wanted to write something "not funny.” Then after it got
published, I thought…wow, that was a definite odd choice for me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How did you decide who else would
contribute?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
I
called some friends and it snowballed. I basically asked anyone I spoke to for
3 months straight.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Did you know without a doubt what you
would write about in your own essay or did you have a few topics from which you
narrowed it down?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
I
wrote my essay before I sold the book.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Was it difficult writing about something
so personal?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
Being
a (former) stand-up I'm used to spilling my heart out. But yes, it's a
little different on paper. It's all so <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">real</i>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do you have any advice for aspiring
authors?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
Just
write with wild abandon and don't stop. Don't give up. Keep writing. And
rewriting. And rewriting....</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is there anything else you would like to
tell us about yourself?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
When
I was in 7th grade I won the Vermont Forestry Essay. The topic was "What
Vermont Forests Mean to Me"... I will never forget how many times I wrote
it over and over so it was perfect.</div>
Rachel Hanleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17862552984593297195noreply@blogger.com