Thank you for having me on your
blog today. I'm excited to be here.
1: What is the most productive
time of the day for you to write?
I am a morning person. My brain shuts down
about 8p so I write in the morning. Especially if I have to write fresh. If I am
revising I can do it in the afternoon, but evening does not work. Most days I
am up by 5:30, but don't really get started until the kids are in school.
2: Do you start your projects
writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?
Years ago I wrote paper and pen.
Then I decided I hated the typing in time so I trained myself to write on the
computer. I have a laptop so I can be anywhere when I write.
3: What do you draw inspiration
from?
Anywhere. I see stuff on the news
that gets my brain moving. I see a movie and think about how I would have told
that story.
4: Do you set goals for yourself
when you sit down to write such as word count?
When I am writing new stuff, I
try for five pages a day. Doesn't sound like much, but I have a part time job
and kids and a husband and their various activities. Revising I shoot for ten
pages a day. Any more and I'm reading not looking at it critically.
5: Are you a published or a self
published author and how do you come up with your cover art?
I am both, I guess. The Drinking
Game is published as was Corpse Whisperer. But now that Corpse Whisperer is out
of print, I put it out on Kindle. The cover art is a collaboration between
myself and my son. He's very talented and creative.
6: What drives you to choose the
career of being a writer?
I can't not write. I've wanted to
do this since I was in fifth grade. I couldn't stop now.
7: Do you own an ebook reading
device?
No, but a Kindle is on my Christmas list.
8: Who are some of your favorite
authors and What are you reading now?
Lisa Gardner is my favorite. I'd love to
list more indie authors, but until I get a reader, I can't say who I like. I
look forward to discovering many new ones. Right now I am reading Pandora's
Daughter by Iris Johansen, another favorite author of mine.
9: What do you think of book
trailers and do you have any plans to have any?
I don't watch them, but I do
have one for Corpse Whisperer. I'm not sure if they are effective, but it
didn't cost my anything so I had one made.
10: How did you
come up with the title of your latest book?
I began writing it around the time
Horse Whisperer came out. Seemed a logical title to me since my heroine does
talk to corpses.
11: What are you working on now
that you can talk about?
Write now I'm working on a new writer's workshop for
next year. Don't have a title yet, but it is a two week course about layering
in all the aspects of a story.
Thanks for having me today. I'm
offering a prize! For one lucky poster I will send you a bag of chocolate. This
is for US residents only.
cmr
Chris,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I too am an early bird and my creative mind seems to stir up in the morning hours. I'm amazed how so many writers also have full time and/or part time jobs yet they seem to be able to pour out a stories one after the other. Great interview with honesty.
Jeffrey Barbieri
www.JeffreyDBarbieri
Lets Find You
FROG
Hi Chris,
ReplyDeleteWow, getting up at 5.30 every morning,that takes devotion. I couldn't do that, but I do find I write best in the morning, but make it about 8 oçlcok. Yes working and family certainly do interupt the writing flow.
Good luck with all your ventures.
Regards
Margaret
I haven't seen 5:30 AM in ages, unless I'm on my way to bed and peek out the window. I'm such a night person. Great interview, Chris. I'm considering self-publishing one of my books, just don't know how to go about it quite yet...or how to get it on Kindle. I may have to email you. :)
ReplyDeleteGinger,
ReplyDeleteFeel free to e-mail me. You know I'll share. I can even talk about it on your loop if you want.
cmr