Day Three of the Twisted Writers

Happy Wednesday!

I hope everyone enjoyed yesterday’s author interview with CJ Stuart and her first post over at the Twisted Writers blog.

Today’s author interview is with yours truly, me. Seeing as how today is my day to post over at the Twisted Writers, I felt it was only fitting that I answer the same questions that I asked of my co-conspirators.

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?

I was around 21/22 when it really hit me that I wanted to be a writer when I “grew up”. I was a wife, a mother and a small fish in a big corporation. And that was it. My husband nudged me to find a hobby that I truly enjoyed, and after stumbling across some old notebooks that I kept as a child, I remembered how much I enjoyed writing when I was little. Four months later I finished the first draft of my first novel. And fell in love, not with the novel, it was total trash, but with the makings of writing; the research, the solitude, the concentration, and the making of a world all my own.

Who or what inspired you to start writing?

My family! Those childhood stories were outlets for me when life wasn’t at its happiest. (Relax Mom, I am not saying that I grew up as an unhappy child, but there were bad times.) It was in those dark moments that I found an outlet that let me take the people around me that made me angry/sad and write them into terrible scenarios. Laugh all you want to, my dad still thinks I was a bit deranged in my early teens because he stumbled across one of these journals. 

Which writer do you admire most and why?

Oh, I admire many, these were the three that impacted me the most.

R.L.Stine for being my first favorite author when I was just ten years old. He taught me the excitement of twists, suspense, horror and that not every book must have that happy ending.

J.K. Rowling for putting together a world which had me coveting the ability to be able to ride a broomstick and drink butterbeer.

Laura Ingalls Wilder for growing up in an era that wasn’t that long ago, but long enough to be foreign to most of us and yet we wanted to be right there with her through it all. I still dream of owning a cabin in the big woods one day. 

What is your primary writing goal and what are you doing to achieve it?

To finish what I start. I am guilty of getting distracted in the midst of writing a story by my own imagination. Now when a new character screams for me to start on their story, I just grab a new composition notebook and jot down the ideas and shelve it.

Do you have any strange/ unique writing habits?

Probably lots, but they don’t seem strange to me.

What do you want your tombstone to say?

I plan to be cremated. This way my husband will never feel lonely enough to remarry! But because I know my family, I will also have a tombstone so that they have a place to go to grieve and leave my husband in peace. And because my husband and I have discussed this, my tombstone will say: I have to pee. 

What literary character is most like you?

Hermione Granger. As my husband and mom put it… my nose is always in a book -both for enjoyment and to find answers, I am bossy/pushy (I completely disagree), and I am a force to be reckoned with. 

If you had any super power, what would it be? 

The ability to read minds. I am always wondering what people are thinking and how they would react in different situations. I bet that if I was able to get mentally invasive, then I could cut back on my people watching when I am trying to characterize some of my characters.

Are you a Plotter or Pantser?

A pantsing plotter. I love rules, guidelines, outlines, but once I get into the writing flow, my stories can go off in different tangents of their own. When this happens, I just have to keep notes and add these new directions to my outline.

Give us an interesting fun fact about the book you are working on?

It was my mother who gave me the inspiration I needed when I was in a “slump” and couldn’t get a story completed. If she can remember the advice, she will get a kick out of what I did when she reads my manuscript. 

Where is one place you want to visit that you have not been before?

Europe. Anywhere in Europe, be it in the real world or fantasy (I’m hopping a ride with CJ to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, maybe convince her to visit Diagon Alley and The Burrow too) and I want to explore it! 

Would you like to give a snippet or synopsis of your current work in process?

One family. One Hour. One Action. Several Reactions. They say blood is thicker than water. But what do you do if that blood is slowly choking the life out of you? Within the Hour delves into the lives of six family members, three generations; each dealing with a situation that could make or break them.

 

Now please go check out my post over at Twisted Writers (and give me a shout out in the comments)!

Till tomorrow,

~AJP