1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?
I prefer to begin writing in the late afternoon and continue into the night. I’m not a morning person, thus I feel as though creativity doesn’t really set in until later in the day. However, I always have my current project (whether it’s a story, novel or screenplay) in the back of my mind. Even when I’m not writing, I’m pondering ideas and revising sections in my mind!
2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?
I always use the computer, even for “jotting down” ideas. It’s so much faster to type than handwrite. When I’m inspired, I write first drafts rather quickly, so using the computer makes more sense. Plus, you can backup your work!
3: What do you draw inspiration from?
This is a difficult question to answer. My first response was “Everything!” Novels and films that I love are an influence, but as for my own stories, I’m not sure where they come from. When I wrote “Dimensions”, it began as a short story and grew into a novel. I don’t recall how I came up with the original idea, except that I intended to write a supernatural story.
4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?
I don’t think about word count, but I do push myself to write as much as possible when I’m in the middle of a project. I always think: If I don’t write this now, will I be as inspired tomorrow? I always am, but it bothers me when I know the next part of a story and I haven’t written it yet!
5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?
I self-published my novel “Dimensions” on Lulu.com and made it available on Kindle earlier this year. After having been through the self-publishing process, I would not hesitate to self-publish again.
The cover art for “Dimensions” was actually from a template that Lulu.com provided. One change I might make for a future novel is to make the cover art myself, perhaps a photograph.
6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?
I’ve loved writing for as long I can remember. In high school, I wrote two novels. Although they were never published, it really taught me the discipline of completing a full-length writing project. Since then I’ve written spec screenplays, short stories, nonfiction articles…
There’s nothing better than seeing your writing in print. I’ve written two articles for MovieMaker magazine, one in the print issue and one online, and although I’m proud of both, seeing my article in the print issue was a thrill!
7: Do you own an ebook reading device?
I’m always reading electronic files for work (as a screenplay reader), so when I read for fun, I like old-fashioned paperbacks. But since it’s likely that one day e-reading will be the main option, I better get used to reading on an e-device for fun too!
8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?
I love authors from the 1920s -- Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Evelyn Waugh. The writing style is really beautiful. The last novel I read was “Hector and the Search for Happiness” by Francois Lelord. It’s a short novel about a psychiatrist who travels the world in search of what makes people happy (I suppose that last part is fairly obvious from the title!) The writer conveys so much through simple prose and limited yet vivid description. It’s a wonderful read.
9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of book trailers. I’d rather imagine the characters, locations, etc. than see someone else’s visuals. It’s exciting when a good book is made into a film, but a book trailer doesn’t make me purchase or not purchase a book.
10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?
I suppose “Dimensions” doesn’t need too much explaining. Creating a title is one of the most difficult parts of writing, in my opinion. One aspect I kept in mind, though, is that some of the most beloved novels and films have very simple titles. Unless you’re lucky enough to use a great phrase like “The Sun Also Rises”, I think a self-explanatory title is better than a confusing one.
11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?
I recently started a blog to promote self-published and indie writers. I plan to post some of my own writing, including a short story series called “Tenacious Tuesday”, but I want to feature as many different writers as possible. I just posted a great short story from a self-published writer.
The blog can be viewed at http://selfscribes.blogspot.com
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