Thoughts That Get Stuck in My Head: Friday is Fresh Voices Day

Showing posts with label Friday is Fresh Voices Day. Show all posts

Friday, August 27, 2010

Reminder for Author Interviews

In case you missed it, the author interview series "FreshVoices" and "Blooming Authors" have migrated over to their very own blog at Writing Insight. Didn't want you to miss out on the fun.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Lydia Ondrusek

You can check out Lydia's interview here http://tinyurl.com/wi-littlefluffycat because Fresh Voices has moved to a blog dedicated to writer/publishing interviews: Writing Insight. If you follow these interviews on Google Reader you may want to follow the new blog.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Bethany Harper

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

I want to be able to walk into Barnes & Noble/Hastings/Borders/Whatever and be able to buy my own book.

2. Why do you write?

I write because it's fun. I enjoy watching words spill across the screen, the sounds of keys clicking. I like the way pen feels when it meets paper. I love the chunking sound of a typewriter. The part I love the most is leaving Oklahoma, leaving my living room (or my
bedroom or school or wherever my body happens to be) and going somewhere else.

3. Your writing style is sweetly gothic. It reminds me of whispering in the dark with my sister, or making up ghost stories with my friends. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

I have never really worked on a specific voice as much as I've worked on being consistent and clear. The work published on my blog (so far) has been stuff I've done quickly, with no editing, so it's probably as close to my natural voice as you can get.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I love Stephen King. I find the characters he writes fascinating, and I love how all of his books seem to exist in the same universe-characters mentioned in one off that were the stars of other stories. I also owe him a debt of companionship, as I do to everyone I read.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

One of my many crafts is crochet. I've been doing it as long as I've been writing. I've never been sophisticated with my crochet, but building something stitch by stitch, row by row, and having something completed and recognizable at the end is wonderfully satisfying.

I feel the same way about writing. Sentences start with letters and words, stringing the sentences together makes paragraphs. Before you know it you've gone through a gallon of tea and there's this story. It needs some work (doesn't it always?), but the shape is there, the form.

It's the difference between buying a handmade blanket and making the blanket. Some people love handmade blankets, love the way they feel, but don't possess the talent (or the drive to learn the talent) to make them. Some people see a handmade blanket and want to do it. I'm the latter.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

I crochet and sew as well, and doing that (one or the other) for a living would be nifty.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

Plums!

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

Stephen King's On Writing became something of a Bible of Writing to me, and there's a quote in there about criticism that I try to keep to heart. "If you write (or paint or dance or sculpt or sing, I suppose), someone will try to make you feel lousy about it, that's all." It's especially worth remembering in the age of the Internet, where the trolls breed and lurk. They will deliberately be cruel, and they will hurt you. Write anyway.

Bethany Harper is short, has pink hair, lives in Oklahoma, and has a house full of animals-- 3 cats, 2 dogs, 3 gerbils. She's been voted 'most likely to turn into a crazy cat lady' at work. She crochets, sews, writes, program, games, reads, and spends the rest of her time working, going to school, or sleeping. You can find her online at Twitter (@MartianBethany) or on her blog.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Kerry Schafer

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

My ultimate writing goal? The pat answer is that I want to sell enough successful books to be able to quit my day job. I want to travel around with my wonderful partner, and write in fabulous hotels with the ocean outside my balcony. Honestly, as much as I daydream about this, and would love to have a fairy tale life, it's not my ultimate goal. My ultimate writing goal is to write a book that I, myself, consider brilliant, and that gets respect from my fellow writers. This may not be a book that the publishing world loves, and it may not be the sort of book that climbs the charts. But, feeling that I had achieved that goal would mean more to me than money or fame. I think. On Monday mornings I'd just take some money and fame.

2. Why do you write?

The answer to that question is - it depends. Some days I write because I love it and it's an escape from reality. Some days I write only because I'm too stubborn to leave something unfinished once I've started it. I do know that if I don't write I get snarly and all tangled up inside. There were some years in my life when I didn't write, and I regret them. I think if you're born with the itch to write and the ability to do so, you'd better do what you were meant to do, or there will be trouble for you later. Psychological trouble, I mean, which can happen when you block something integral to your being.

3. Your writing style is edgy but also has a feeling of wonder. Have you
worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

My voice has just developed over the years as a natural extension of myself. My personality is this way - I have a side that is cynical and sharp, and another side that is always looking for magic and wishing there were fairies hiding in the woods. When I write, sometimes there is magic, and sometimes there is gritty cynical reality. I love it when I find both.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

That is the sort of question I always have trouble with. How can I have a favorite when there are so many that I love for different reasons?
When I was a child I read and re-read everything by Louisa May Alcott, Lucy Maude Montgomery, and Laura Ingalls Wilder to the point of memorization. I never felt like I quite fit in with my friends and schoolmates, and the likes of Anne Shirley and Joe March were my companions and role models.

I had a Dickens phase that started late in high school, and I read every novel he wrote, most of them repeatedly, except for the Mystery of Edwin Druid. I didn't want to read something that wasn't finished. I still haven't read it.

As a child I devoured anything about King Arthur, and I've always loved good fantasy. C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Madeleine L'Engle, Guy Gavriel Kay, and more recently Terry Pratchett are among my favorites, but let's not forget Douglas Adams.

I could go on at length. I also adore good thrillers and mysteries, especially if they have a protagonist I can really connect with. I'm in love with Jonathan Kellerman's marvelous Alex Delaware and Martha Grimes' Richard Jury.

And now I feel guilty, because there are so many others I love who I haven't mentioned. I'm sure you begin to see my problem - I just can't pick a favorite.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

I remember the first time I wrote something that made somebody cry, and the feeling of wonder that something I'd put on paper could do this. I also remember the time I wrote an essay that made a whole roomful of people angry and caused a big argument. By the time things settled down my hands were shaking, but there was this amazing feeling of power, that I had somehow accomplished this fuss by the act of putting words together on paper. It is an amazing feeling to be able to create an emotional response, to maybe make somebody think or feel something new. There is nothing like the feeling of totally losing yourself in the words for awhile, of creating something that wasn't there before.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at
a different career, what would you choose?

I already have a different career. I'm not sure whether it chose me, or I choose it, but at this point I can't imagine doing anything else. I'm a mental health professional, and I work in crisis services. One part of my job is to serve as a DMHP, (Designated Mental Health Professional) which means that in the state of Washington I am entrusted with the responsibility of making the decision whether someone who is mentally ill should be involuntarily sent to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation. It's a job that shares certain things with writing. It is often difficult. The solution to a problem is often to be found only by creative thinking and stepping outside of the box. But it is also necessary and it is important.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

I can't pick a couple of favorite authors and you want me to pick one word for my writing? How about this: Mine. I think I have a strong voice that is unique to me.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

My best writing advice has, like everything else, come from an eclectic variety of sources. One of the earliest bits I remember, and perhaps the most important, was from a book on writing by Madeleine L'Engle, Walking On Water. I haven't read it in years, but the gist of it was that everybody has a story to tell. The great writers are rivers, but even those of us who are just little streams have a job to do and had better do it. Then there was this wonderful professor at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, from whom I was privileged to take an English class. Her name was Joan Rothstein Vandergriff, and among many other things she taught me to never settle for the easy version. My favorite writing book is The Right to Write, by Julia Cameron.

Kerry Schafer spends more time in jail than the average law abiding citizen. Fortunately this has everything to do with her job, and little to do with her morality. She inhabits an acreage of trees and grass and rocks which she shares with four males - one of the adult variety, and three of the adolescent species. It is safe to assume that she seldom gets her hands on the TV remote. Pets include the domesticated component: two cats, a dog, and a rescued fish (not kidding), and the regularly fed but not tame birds, deer and wild turkeys. Kerry carves out writing time wherever it fits. She has completed two novels and has one that is undergoing what she fervently hopes is the last round of revisions. In the background, lurking and not happy about it, are a number of others in various stages of completion. You can find her on Twitter as @uppington, or at her blog, All Things Good and Other Stuff.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Adrien-Luc Sanders

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?
Wow, you'd think this would be the easiest one to answer. I used to be able to glibly trip off, "To be a full-time writer!" Well, now I'm a full-time business writer (and fiction editor), but that was never really my goal. And although I'd love to be a published YA fiction writer, I don't think that would satisfy the goal either--as any published writer can tell you it's not exactly a profitable full-time job. Plus while it would be nice to be published...I think what would bring me the most satisfaction is to finish every story I've got brewing in my head. I have so many ideas that the hardest part for me is following through on all of them, but I think if I looked back in 50 years I'd be more satisfied with finishing two dozen stories than publishing just one. So that's my goal: to follow through on all my unfinished stories, while striving to improve my writing skills with each one. If one happens to get published it's a nice bonus, but considering the odds in the publishing industry I'd like to think my goal is more attainable. Does that mean I'm going to stop trying to get published? Heck no. But finishing the work is more important.

2. Why do you write?
I write because I enjoy the emotional reaction that good storytelling evokes--and because I'm too impatient to draw. I used to think I'd be a graphic artist, even tried putting together a comic, but I draw very, very slowly. In the time it takes me to draw one multi-page scene I can write five chapters, and frankly I'm a better writer than artist. So I write, hoping that when I share these stories they'll draw a strong reaction from the reader. I love to imagine stories and situations that evoke emotions and tangible response, whether it's a startled burst of laughter, the soft hitch of a heartbroken breath, or the white-straining knuckles of adrenaline and excitement. If I succeed in conveying that to a reader, in drawing that from them, then I'm happy.

3. Your writing style is elegant. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?
My writing? Elegant? Since I've never tried for elegance, I guess you could say it's natural--though it feels like hubris to claim something like that. I do struggle to progress my writing and improve overall, though I'm seeking more lean, effective prose that's concise while still remaining evocative. I think my style has grown from a complex combination of factors: the variety of things I read as a child (including the encyclopedia), the broader range of things I continue to read in my adult life, critiques from friend and professionals, my life experiences with various storytelling styles from different languages and cultures, and the influences of various English instructors starting at the grade level and moving through college. It's as natural as any process of evolution could be, but I wouldn't say it's self-generated, if that makes sense.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?
Oh dear - how much space do I have here, again? I love so many authors in so many genres, but for the sake of brevity I'll pick just three. Four? Five? Okay, three.

Diane Duane: Her Young Wizards series is one of my childhood favorites, and one of those that still stands the test of time even when reading from an adult perspective. Her prose practically effervesces; there's a joy in her writing that sweeps you up and carries you along. You can tell she loves her stories, her worlds, and her characters, and her wordcraft is beautiful: clean, yet so vivid and compelling. There's a breathless wonder there that captures the imagination of youth without dumbing down the story in the slightest.

C.S. Friedman: Her dark portrayals of antiheros and the gray area between good and evil are amazing. While her writing can be a bit heavier, she delivers descriptions that border on the tactile, rhythm and sound combining for something lush and decadent that makes her books a thrill to read. Her worlds are well-crafted, just familiar enough to be comfortable while alien enough to intrigue, with unique spins on old tropes that reinvent them as new. I love her dialogue, her characterization--even when I hate the characters. I hate them as people with traits I despise, not as poorly-fleshed-out characters. They're very real, and even when I loathe them I love them.

And now I can't pick between Julian May, Charles de Lint, and Richard Adams. Er. Problem. Well...Julian May is one who uses the English language beautifully, creating intelligent yet immersive prose in complex science fiction worlds that provide dramatic tension without venturing into space opera (though I do love a good space opera). Charles de Lint's stories of the Animal People and the world beneath the world we know have always pulled at my part-Native heartstrings; and he creates a very strong mythic voice that combines ethnic mysticism and folklore with gritty urban realism. He grabs your heart and holds it in Jack Daw's beak, or Coyote's trickster jaws. As for Richard Adams...while many might groan to find him on the required reading list for school, I enjoy the intricacies of his world-building and cultures. Maia in particular has an exotic flavor that combines political intrigue with diverse cultures to create a colorful and powerful world.

That was three, right? ~shifty eyes~ Oh, hush, I'm allowed to break a self-imposed limit. Stop looking at me like that.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?
The glamorous image of me as a long-haired Bohemian boy, sitting out on my balcony with my laptop, a cigarette, and a martini, pondering word choice while studying the glittering lights of the city below. Um. No? It doesn't work that way? What? That's never going to happen and I'm out of my mind? Oh. Okay. Well, for a more realistic answer: it's sure as heck not the money or the work hours. I sleep so little that it's becoming a running joke on Twitter. I can't easily say what's so compelling about this, which is kind of pathetic for someone who's supposed to have a talent for words. I think the only way I can explain it is this: writing is the only thing I do in my life where the frustration makes me happy. I could be stomping around the house at 3 a.m., snarling about how this stupid sentence just won't work or the blasted character isn't developed enough...but despite the eyestrain, raging headache, and exhaustion, I'm in my element and wouldn't want to do anything else. That's what makes it so attractive. It's a job and a life where even the difficulties are enjoyable, and you don't find that in many other places. But ask a professional athlete why they keep pushing themselves, why they keep running or lifting or whatever even when their bodies scream and their lungs threaten to burst; they'll tell you because even the pain is part of the joy of it. For me it's the same with writing and the writer's life.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?
Nanoscience. My interest in nanotechnology originally rose from reading science fiction, which led me to get into computer engineering in college...which led me back to writing. If it came full-circle again, I'd definitely go back into computing--even if nanoscience is venturing more into biology than technology these days.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?
Here we run into that hubris issue again. I don't know if it's really possible for me to objectively describe my own writing, and would feel arrogant choosing a word with a positive connotation. If I had to settle on one, though...I'd say "primitive." Take that in whatever context you will.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?
My freshman university English professor said, "Learn the rules, then break them the best way you know how." I think that applies not just to writing, but to everything. Learn the foundations; learn the right way to do things, so you have a solid base to stand on as you explore ways to break the rules and create something better than pure convention. When you have a strong grasp of the tenets of good writing, you'll know how to bend those laws to your will in ways that are unique, innovative, and compelling without crossing that fine line into disaster.

I'm still working on that part, but I'll let you know if I ever get there.

Adrien-Luc Sanders is a New Orleans transplant currently living in Chicago with one man and one cat, who both make enough mess for two. Or two dozen. A freelance writer and editor, Adrien works for companies such as Lyrical Press and About.com, while harboring daydreams of publishing YA fiction that brings ethnic and LGBT characters into the mainstream spotlight. He finds his own name entirely pretentious, has a secret love of romance novels, freaks out every time he finds another grey hair, and tries to convince himself that 1. they're silver, and 2. going grey at 30 makes a writer look "distinguished." (Really. Let him have his illusions.) He pretends to be professional on his blog, while acting like a total cynical spaz on Twitter. As he's writing this, his cat is trying to chew off his toes.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Mireyah Wolfe

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

My ultimate, long term, die-with-a-smile-on-my-face goal is to write stories people love to read—stories that make people go “Oh gosh, I wish I’d written this!” because those are the stories I love to read. My current goal at the moment is just to finish writing a story!

2. Why do you write?

I’d have to say that I write first for my own enjoyment, second for my own sanity, third for the people who poke at me to do it, and last for the possibility of being published, making the NYT Bestseller List and making a bucket load of cash. (Hey, a girl can dream, okay?)

3. Your writing is spunky and sassy. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

Judging by some of my *cough* early attempts at writing, I’d have to say that it’s both natural and that I’ve worked at it. I’ve been writing since I was nine, so everything I did at the start of this was very rough—especially my Voice. I like to think I’ve gotten into a rhythm over the past few years, but I imagine I’ll only get better with age.

I think my parents definitely influenced how my voice has progressed—I was not a witty child, honestly, but when my parents started homeschooling me, my own personality really began emerging, and with it, my Voice. (I may be less witty than I like to think, but we’re going to say that I am. *wink*)

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I’d say that my favorite authors are Rob Thurman, Karen Marie Moning, and Laurell K. Hamilton. All three of them have very distinct styles—strong, sarcastic, powerful voices, but they’re very similar in that their books are first person POV, and that their characters are alternately strong and vulnerable in regards to the secondary/supporting characters.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

Oh, it has got to be the ability to sit in a chair with mussed hair, grungy PJs, tapping at a keyboard, playing on Twitter and calling it “work.”

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

Hm. I actually have thought about this in those moments when I want nothing to do with writing. I’d open a small bookstore, help the local schools with their texts, the local library with supplying books…things like that. Or I’d work for a library. (And, obviously, I’d have to be the SuperHero “The Librarian” at night. Is it a plane? Is it a bird? No! It’s the Librarian! Come to snatch all your overdue books away!)

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

Emotional. Regardless of what I’m writing, it has to be filled with emotion or it’s not genuine.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

The best writing advice I’ve ever gotten was from a friend of mine, SM Blooding, which was immediately backed up by Maureen Johnson in her video “Dare to Suck.”

You are allowed, you are expected, you are required to suck. And that’s okay.

Trust me, that makes it a lot easier when I’m writing and I think, “Oh my god, that’s TERRIBLE.” Because then I can say, “Hey! That sucks! Awesome!”

Positive reinforcement is amazing.

Mireyah Wolfe is the kind of person who gets shocked by a joke phone buzzer, then follows the owner around to do it again. (Four times.) She is a stay-at-home student, library lurker, addicted tweeter and prolific blogger. Her genre of preference is Urban Fantasy with dashes of other genres for good measure. Dean Winchester is her muse. Mireyah can be found at her Blog, Twitter, or her Facebook. (Be warned: Although she tries to keep everything “Safe for Work,” things do have an occasional tendency to get a bit R-rated.)

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Liz Borino

http://writewords.typepad.com/write-words/"we do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit." - E.E. Cummings

Welcome to the latest edition of Fresh Voices. We are delighted to share with you the thoughtful and thought-provoking voice of Liz Borino.

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

More than anything I want to publish novels, and perhaps non-fiction books, that reach and influence a lot of people. In my deepest heart I long to see my name on bestseller lists; (New York Times, please). But that’s not what I’d base success on. I’ll base my success on how many people’s lives I've touched and views my words have changed. All that being said I would like to be able to support my family with my writing.

2. Why do you write?

I write because I got too old for imaginary friends. Seriously, when you’re five you can get away with walking around and talking to yourself, not so when you 15 or…23. So, I had to do something with all the stories that were/are constantly running through my head. I guess the short answer is I write because it sustains me. It keeps me sane, while at the same time not letting the world know how crazy I really am.

3. Your writing is very thoughtful and sincere. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

Given those two choices I’d say it’s natural for me. I like my readers to feel like they’re having a conversation with me. On the topic of conversation, I’m big into dialogue because I feel it’s the best way to understand characters. The books I remember reading most, The Outsiders, Little Women, A Home at the End of the World, to name a few, it was never the gripping story that held me fast and made me want to turn to the next page. It was the identification with the characters. That’s what I always want to convey with my writing. I want these characters to be your friends, just like they’re mine.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

My favorite authors are Michael Cunningham, S.E. Hinton, Victor Hugo, and William Goldman, just to name a few. S.E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders and I always looked up to her because she did that at age 14. This encouraged me to write despite my youth. I read Michael Cunningham’s A Home at the End of the World once a year. Hugo wrote Les Miserable, I saw that play when I was nine and finished the book when I was 12. I like Louisa May Alcott, but I can’t read any of her books while I’ve got a work in progress because I start to adapt her language use, not great for today’s reader! But I hold almost all authors in the highest regard. They all have something to contribute to the literary world.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

The excitement of telling stories for a living, the opportunity to alter people’s perception of a situation or even their lives, to give readers an escape when the world becomes too much, there are so many true answers here.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

I’d want to be a motivational speaker. I might do that as well, but people get messages more easily if they’re told in stories. That’s why I want to be a writer.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

Multidimensional.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

Steven King said something to the effect of “Treat writing like a job. Don’t wait for inspiration to write. Just sit down and write.”

Liz Borino is a passionate writer who is finishing a degree at Hofstra University and then looking for somewhere warm to migrate where she can change the world, one word at a time. You can find her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/lizb1987. She would love to hear from all of you there and has been featured on http://www.positivelypresent.com/2010/03/how-to-stay-positive-in-the-face-of-rejection.html. Soon her own blog will go live.

5/7/10 Update: The blog is live!

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Caitlin Whitaker

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

My ultimate goal is to get published, make billions, and have all my movies made into blockbuster movies with Colin Farrell as the romantic lead. I'd also like to buy an island in the South Pacific and hire a team of nannies and maids to do everything for me so I can take really long naps on 500,000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets.

You know something funny? I've never really thought about an ultimate goal; it's always just been one step at a time. The first step was to write a chapter. And another. I finished a book, finished it again (and again), and then started another one. My goal right now is to find representation with a good agent and then go from there.

2. Why do you write?

I write because I love to. It's the most obvious answer but it's the purest, simplest way to say it. I was this wildly imaginative kid who made everything into an adventure, which probably drove my parents up the wall. My little brother and I used to lay in the back of the family's rusty Ford Pinto (sad but true) and pretend we were in a submarine studying deep sea creatures (other cars). Honestly, we're lucky to be alive. Big old 18-wheelers were sharks and we'd pretend to shoot at them with harpoon guns. Amazingly, we were never run off the road by disgruntled truckers.

Putting all my crazy ideas on paper not only keeps me sane but feeds my soul. I love the sound of typing and the way the screen looks when it's filled with words. It's all very OCD, really. As cool as it would be to sell a million copies of each book and end up on the NYT Bestseller List, those things aren't motivating factors for me. My life is spectacular and writing is something I'll do forever, even if it never amounts to anything but a bunch of used up memory on my hard drive.

3. Your writing reminds me of a happy cowgirl - enough sass to be fun but she still has her boots on in case someone needs a whuppin'. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

I have no idea what that means. Honestly. In fact, I'm kind of freaked out by the whole whuppin' idea. As far as my voice goes, it's pretty darn natural for me. In WILL & MAGGIE, a love story about a 17 year old girl, I let myself be a little more descriptive and dreamy. I wanted the book to have an easy, hypnotic feel to really bring the reader into her first love experience. Justin, the teenage guy on the run in REM, is faster and edgier. As much as I love rhapsodizing about stupid things (purple prose is a weakness of mine), Justin wouldn't notice half the crap Maggie would in the same situation.

What you read on my blog is a lot like having a conversation with me. I talk too much, ramble, and love to laugh at myself. Whatever I'm writing at the time will have a small influence on my blog posts, of course. It's kind of like being an actor; I tend to hang onto some of my protagonsists characteristics even when I'm writing something other than the actual manuscript.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I grew up on Stephen King. In junior high, I devoured the uncut version of THE STAND and was morbidly obsessed with planning my strategy to survive the end of the world. I read THE SHINING and PET SEMETARY and was utterly disgusted by the film versions (where the heck was the exploding boiler? Huh? HUH?). His characters are unbelievably real-- like you might actually bump into them on the street someday. I totally relate to characters with psychiatric issues. I finally sold my bookcase-filling hardcover collection on ebay when I got married and space was limited. I'm still kicking myself over that.

Other favorites of mine are Anne Rice, Wilson Rawls, Scott O'Dell, Laura Ingalls Wilder, J.K. Rowling, Shannon Hale, J.R.R. Tolkien, Suzanne Collins, Stephenie Meyer, Margaret Stohl, and Kami Garcia. Even authors who will probably never be nominated for a Newberry Award can be amazing story tellers, and that's what it's really all about for me.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

This has to be a trick question. I've always imagined the life of a writer to be a quiet one; sipping tea by a window and tapping away at a keyboard for hours on end. For me, I grab moments during the day when I can; perched at my breakfast bar on the laptop with kids hanging on my pants with complaints, snack requests, and dirty diapers. I've actually had love scenes interrupted by puking children and fights over video games. Some of my best writing happens late at night when I get the kids in bed and my fifteenth latte of the day finally kicks in. I have to peel myself away from the computer and force myself to go to bed sometimes. If this is the life of a writer, I am not attracted to it at all. I'd much rather have the life of a twenty-something hotel heiress, thank you.

I am excited about the concept of book tours, however. I love to travel and wouldn't mind taking a break from the kids once in a while.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

There were two other things I wanted to be when I was growing up (author has always been number one): forensic detective and pastry chef. Decay and maggots make me throw up and zombies are my single biggest fear (seriously), so I leaned more toward pastry chef. I was all set to go to culinary school when I met my husband at eighteen and everything went awry. Writing involves far fewer calories, however, so it's all good.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

Pink. Next question please.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

Write for yourself. It may sound terribly selfish, but it's what works for me. I never intended to be a YA author, but my characters all seem to be around eighteen years old and I like sexual tension better than graphic encounters. I do drop the F-bomb in my first novel, but it would totally compromise the integrity of the scene to leave it out (you'll see when it's published). Anyway, I write what I want to read and it keeps it natural. Forcing my work to conform to a genre or a target audience would tick off the rebel in me and then things would get really nasty. Mama no likey.

Oh yeah, and Stephen King's ON WRITING. All of it. Seriously.

Caitlin Whitaker is an escapist mom raising five hooligans in rural Tennessee. She is married to a hot Marine, has a mad crush on Adam Lambert, drinks too much Diet Coke, and is allergic to house cleaning. Her first book, WILL & MAGGIE, is currently being considered by several literary agents while she plugs away at her second and writes mad notes on several others. You can follow her on Twitter; http://twitter.com/Saycaity (warning; she's a rapid tweeter) and keep tabs on her progress by reading her blog; www.saycaity.blogspot.com.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Quinn Katherman

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

Whenever I hear the word “goal” I think of soccer. I hate soccer, all that running up and down the field while kicking a ball—what’s the point? To get the ball past the goalie and score? Stupid.

I don’t like keeping score when it comes to my writing.

My only goal is to write. Write and write and write some more. Every day.

2. Why do you write?

Well since my modeling career never took off, American Idol rejected me, and then Steve Jobs beat me to the punch on the innovative technology front, I just decided it was time to settle for something that would put food on the table. Let’s just say if wealth were measured in Ramen Noodles, I’d be rich.

Writing is an escape for me, I write to be free from the claustrophobia of daily routines. My passion for writing comes from knowing what it feels like to read a book or story and find bits of yourself on every page, as if the author wrote the book for you. I like making people laugh and that’s what I try to focus on in my writing because I want to break the perception that female writers aren’t funny by encouraging other women to exercise their funny bones.

3. Your writing is quirky and fun. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

Oh, stop! I’m blushing! But yes, it’s true, I am naturally this hilarious and amazing, or “quirky and fun”—whatever you want to call it. (Good thing I’m also humble.)

As a greeting card writer, I spend most of my days writing fart jokes and birthday puns, which inevitably contribute to my voice. I also come from a crazy family that I love, but things haven’t always been easy. I have found that humor fills emotional voids like concrete, whereas ice cream tends to melt (of course, ice cream is still my food of choice whenever I decide to eat my feelings rather than write them).

I’m still developing my voice; I like to think of it as being in the training bra phase. Good writing requires a debilitating amount of honesty and a level of self-awareness you can’t escape. These things take a lifetime to develop and I think the most powerful voices out there are the ones that never stop evolving.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I like sentence writers. As you read their work each sentence makes you pause and marvel at the sheer genius of the composition, the artistic combination of words that couldn’t be placed in any other order and retain the same meaning. I had a teacher who called it “pondering the physicality of words,” which makes it sound like word porn and I’m totally into that.

Listing all of my favorite authors is nearly impossible, so I will narrow it down for the sake of my attention span, or lack thereof: Sam Lipsyte, Gary Lutz, Virginia Woolf, George Saunders, Sylvia Plath, Amy Hempel, Deb Olin Unferth.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

Absolutely nothing. Do you think I’m a sadist? There’s nothing attractive about the life of a writer, unless you excel at self-loathing, lying and already hate almost everything, which I do. I think the best part about being a writer is knowing that as long as you have a pen and paper, you can survive. It’s tangible, portable, physical and emotional.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

A ninja.

No, wait—a unicorn!

NO! A gourmet chef…

Ugh, never mind. Do you have one of those career aptitude tests I can take?

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

I’m going to oversell myself here and call it “trenchant.”

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

The one phrase that always comes to mind first is, “writers write.” It seems obvious, until you’re a writer that’s not writing.

I had another professor who was also an accomplished writer, and after class he used to say, “Well, it’s time for me to get back to my people,” referring to his characters in a story he was working on. Now when I write fiction, I strive to create the kind of characters that I want to come back to, characters that need me to finish their story so badly that leaving them alone for too long makes me feel guilty—I want my characters to be strong enough to make me miss them.

Quinn Katherman is a greeting card writer for American Greetings and lives in Kansas City. She is from Richmond, Virginia and attended The University of Kansas where she received a BA in Creative Writing and a BA in Communication Studies. Quinn has a blog, which you can find here, or you can get the condensed version by following her on Twitter or subscribing to her feed. Writing in third person makes Quinn uncomfortable, but she generally likes anything that makes her sound important. Quinn also likes unicorns, eating other people’s food (especially if it comes with a note that says “Do Not Eat”), the smell of new office supplies and drinking beer outside because that makes her feel outdoorsy.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice

Friday, March 12, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Kristy Colley

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

    I’ve always had this picture of Future Kristy (she’s cuter, by the way), sitting in her writing room, looking out the large glass windows into the forest, and spending day after day creating stories. I make small goals to help me achieve this vision (such as promising the Universe I’ll dye a strip of hair purple in July if I get an agent), but I wouldn’t say there is one Holy Grail of writing I’d like to find. I want that room, that freedom, those floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
   Simple put? I want to write novels full time. I think it’s safe to say that becoming a published author is in that mix somewhere.
   I read Laurie Halse Anderson’s blog often, follow her Twitter and Facebook feeds, and think, “I want to be the mad woman in the forest!” I want to get excited about Skyping with a class in Ohio or Tennessee or New Mexico about my book. I want to know I am opening imaginations, letting people ask questions, and letting them feel things they haven’t before. So, apparently, I want to be Laurie Halse Anderson. Who knew?

2. Why do you write?

As much as I always loved to read, writing makes sense as a hobby and profession for me. I love books, but I never confined myself to stories already told. In addition, I find myself like many writers: hearing voices in my head. (Good thing my husband is experienced working with mentally ill adults…) I think much like an artist feels compulsion to decorate a blank canvas, I have the compulsion to fill an empty page.
I’ve always been “inside my head.” I spend a lot of time there. While I’m okay in crowds, a good public speaker, etc., I’m introverted by nature. And because I spend so much time up there (er, in my head, I mean, not the clouds), stories matriculate naturally. Some people might walk past something mundane and never think of it again. I find it fun to create entire stories and probabilities around them. In fact, I once wrote an entire story about a door. And you know what? It was pretty awesome! And I’m a fan of awesome.

3. Your writing is very witty. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

I think it’s funny you use the word ‘witty’. It’s almost been my trademark. Most of my stories probably aren’t so different, they’re only told differently. By nature, I use humor as a shield. If you met my dad you would understand. (Although my mom is a bit of a question mark, too).
I think when I first began writing, I wanted to be taken seriously, and that certainly translated into my writing. It was too stiff. Once I gave myself permission to have more fun, the writing wasn’t as stilted, and the characters blossomed in my mind. I don’t believe it was something I had to work toward so much as something I have to remember to allow.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

   I love talking about other authors!
   As I stated before, I’m a huge proponent of Laurie Halse Anderson. I have honestly had dreams about meeting this woman. In one dream, she was even my mother. (Think that’s weird? Tip of the iceberg…) Not only do I admire her beautiful writing, but I admire her as a person. I love that she tackles these big issues in her books. They are relatable, touching, and stick with you days after. They’re the kind of books you have to run around asking if anyone else has read them because you must discuss! And as I said before, if you read her blog, you feel as though you get to know her. She’s always kind, even on politics and the multiple attacks against her books in schools, and very fair-minded. I respect her more than any author I’ve read or personally know
   The first book of Maureen Johnson’s I ever read was Devilish. Now, if you’ve read it, you know the MC, Jane, is a fantastic protagonist. I think reading her was the first thing that made me realize that it’s okay to give more humor to my writing. That it was often more fun to have a witty MC than to have a respected one. And they even sometimes go together.
   In addition to this, I love many YA authors – Carrie Ryan, whose prose is so elegant it’s easy to forget she’s writing about zombies, or Suzanne Collins, who is so alluring and chilling, even in the same passage. But I can’t forget Jane Austen. Is that cliché? Oh well, cast me in with the lot of them. I’m an Austen fan. Persuasion makes me swoon, and Pride and Prejudice feeds my need to read. (Clearly I’m not a poet. You can thank me later.)

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

I know many authors don’t like the business side of things, but I’m the opposite. In fact, sometimes I daydream about being an agent. *GASP* I’m also a masochist.
Not only do I love creating these worlds and people and problems and solutions, falalala, but I love making it more than flowery words and daydreams of cupcakes. I want to make my stories the best they can be, sleepless nights and all. And again, I want that room with the glass windows. I’m not afraid of hard work, but I sure do hope it makes me happy when I do it.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

I’d keep it all in the family. I’d still make my way in the world of literature. If I couldn’t be a writer, I think I’d want to make that dream come true for others. As I’ve always loved the editing side of things, I could see myself hopping on one of two trains (both fast moving): The Agent Train, or The Editor Train. The real question is: If Agent Train leaves Submissions platform and 8:03 going 49 mph and…okay never mind. I don’t like math.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

Yowza. No, that’s not my word. Just…an exclamation of having to make this decision. 
Perhaps that word would be Honest. No matter what I’m writing, I want it to be authentic. I want those secondary characters to pop in your mind like you’ve seen them before, you just know it. I want that protagonist to have a face and motive so clear, you’d think she was stalking you while you read. I want my villain to be so possible in real life that it gives you shivers down your legs. Most importantly, I want the message to feel real. There’s nothing worse than having a great story, great premise, and destroying it with dialogue and relationships and emotions that just don’t fit. I don’t want anyone to fault me for writing an unbelievable character. Even if what I’m writing is crap, at least it’ll be really honest crap.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

I’ve received so much writing advice that I think I hear the little synapses of my brain screaming at me to stop. Much of it’s helpful, but they’re just weaves in a tapestry. There are volumes out there filled with excellent writing advice, and much of it is good.
Not to sound arrogant (although I’m sure I will), but what helps me most is myself. If something isn’t working, doesn’t feel right, sound right, or is plain confusing…I give it time. I try to trust myself. There are days when I want to throw in the towel and say to my manuscript, “Forget it! I’m the only one committed to this relationship!” There are days when I lust after other manuscripts and wonder why mine isn’t as awesome as that. The fact is that I let myself experience these things. If you try to push away the natural feelings that come with writing, they will get worse. This isn’t to say that I don’t wallow or complain. Ask Jen Stayrook. She’s one of my best friends and a critique partner, so there’s a whole lot of honesty going on there. But the fears and insecurities and worries will pass. Trust yourself as a writer. I try to let myself experiment, fail, and succeed in my writing. It’s okay to take risks and come out with a piece of junk. It gets better. If you keep at it.

About Kristy:

I grew up in a tiny town in rural Missouri, and I think I’ll probably always be that Midwest girl deep down. I’ll always want to dig my feet in the mud and walk around barefoot and pick apples in September. I’ve lived in Utah for about six years with a short stint in England. Oh, my husband is one of those Hot British Men that Stephanie Perkins is always talking about.

As stated earlier, I’m a huge fan of anything awesome, and Sue London is certainly in that category. You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, or on my blog. At my blog, I aim to please, so if I’m not on target, please adjust your target. (I also have a wonky sense of humor).

Feel free to check out my current work in progress, a YA high fantasy called SINNERS. A rough Chapter One is posted, along with a description, and links to other novels in, around, or under my belt.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice

Friday, March 5, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Jen "The Amazing" Stayrook

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

I'd love to respond with something profound and say that I enjoy the feel of writing, I write because I can and I don't care if I never get published, blah blah something intellectual blah blah world peace...but I can't. That's not me.

Don't get me wrong, I love writing, but when I first started writing I thought if I said I wanted to get published, it made me seem like less of a writer. I thought it meant I wasn't in it for the act of writing and I only wanted to be famous or make money. (Which less face it, that's not true.) But if I'm being honest with myself, I DO want to be published, despite all those negative feelings I harbored for the thought. I shouldn't be ashamed to want to be published. No writer should. I want to see my name in print. I want people to read my work and enjoy it. I want to write everyday for the rest of my life and then write some more, from the grave. (If that doesn't hit the bestseller lists, I don't know what will!)

It's hard to say what my goals may be in the future as they change so often for me. Right now, my goal is finish my novel. Getting published would be the best thing, but I'm sure later on down the line I would want to win awards and sell so many books, etc etc. But for right now, I'll settle on my ultimate writing goal as finishing and publishing 5 books. That's a nice lofty goal.

2. Why do you write?

Writing has been the only constant in my life, but we have a Ross and Rachel kind of relationship. I even cheated on writing several times while we were on a break. But when I shunned my writing, cast it aside because I thought it wasn't good enough, it was still there when I came back 4 years later. Then I got knocked up with my writing love child....my novel. (These Friends references doing anything for you?)

I thought I couldn't have a future with writing, but now I realize that isn't the least bit true.

I write now because if I didn't I think I would go clinically insane. But I suppose writers are part of the insane, aren't we? We hear voices of "characters" in our heads. We listen to them, write them down. Sometimes we give into their whims and other times we fight back with the argument that it is best for the story. We love our characters and our stories like they are our children. I think that has a hint of crazy to it. If I didn't write, the characters in my head would literally drive me to insanity. It's an urge, an instinct for me to write. I have to have some sort of creative outlet for my brain, be it writing, drawing, playing the piano, anything, and if I don't I'm absolutely miserable mentally. If I don't write, it really starts to affect my health. True story.

I write because of the way I feel when I read a really good book. And that's what I want to give someone with my writing. Books have changed my life and if I can write something that really touches a person, that really relates to the core of who they are, then I think I'm pretty damn satisfied with myself.

3. Your writing is what I would describe as "brainy and passionate." Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

I'm not quite sure anyone has used those two words in the context of my writing before, but thank you! I'm an incredibly romantic person, but I can't say that I have really worked to achieve this voice. It's just who I am. Despite the funny exterior, those who know me really well, know that I am much more quiet and gentle than I let on. I try to see the beauty in everything. My writing is just a byproduct of that outlook on life.

I didn't have the best upbringing, so when I was free to do as I pleased, I felt like I needed to make the best of things. Why hold back? That same thought process is used for my writing. Why hide the things we really feel, especially if we know it's how others must be feeling as well? The best writing, I think, is the kind that speaks to a reader's heart.

I know this is all a very roundabout way to answer the question. I haven't tried to perfect the voice. I let it come to me. Oddly enough, I think I find my influence not in writing but in other arts, mostly music. I think that music can create such emotions in a person that you have no choice but to act as it dictates to you. When I want to write a particularly emotional scene, I choose my music accordingly. The same goes for dark scenes, scary scenes, happy scenes, etc.

But more importantly, when it comes to finding a voice, I think it's best to write what you want to read. Don't worry about what is popular, or what other writers are doing. Do what comes natural.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I don't really like the term "favorite" because I have so many authors that I like to read. "I could no sooner choose a favorite star in the heavens." Instead I think I'll list off a few of the more influential authors and what qualities make me enjoy them as a reader.

Jane Austen is a classic for me and I always have to use her as an influence for my writing. I mean come on, the woman who brought Darcy and Elizabeth to life deserves a big shout out in my book. But if I'm being honest, it was Pearl S. Buck that got me into reading. The Good Earth truly changed my perspective on what a good book could be, what it could do for a person. I admire JK Rowling for the ease of her writing. It's natural and real. The same goes for Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games trilogy. There's a beauty in the darkness of her writing. She's not afraid to show all. Even if it makes you cringe. Susan Kay, author of Phantom, wrote the first book I literally could not put down. It was the first time I finished a 500 page book in under 12 hours. If I had to pick an author to imitate, she would be it. Even Shakespeare has given me a taste for the romantic and dramatic side of things. Gregory Maguire has a fantastic mind. He can shape well-known stories and fairy tales and warp them into something more real. Well, that and he gave the world Wicked the musical.

I think everything that I have read comes into play for me as a writer. For all writers really. Even if it's a book I hated, it has still influenced how I write. It teaches me to recognize certain styles that maybe aren't as effective for what I need to best present my story.

I also like authors who can create memorable minor characters. I think the plot is driven by the characters with the cameos and if an author is great at incorporating them into the story, it makes the book significantly better, more well-rounded.

I love writers who are able to make me believe what I am reading; writers with conviction. Paulo Coehlo is an incredibly simple writer, but it's so beautiful that it's hard not to fall in love with every word. The Alchemist was actually book that changed my outlook on writing. I attribute reading it to my change in heart about writing novels. When I put the book down, an easy two days after I started reading it, I decided at that moment, I wanted to pursue being a writer.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

Changing people. Helping people. Building characters that you can see with your eyes and worlds that are full of magic and truth. I love it all. Really great books leave impressions on you that last a lifetime. Sometimes they can dictate how you feel about things, how you act, even if you don't know it. The chances of becoming a successful writer are slim. Despite my romantic ideals, I am realistic enough to know how tough the industry can be. But I'm okay with that. I'm okay with struggling to get by as long as I know I'm doing something I love. That's what pulls me in. I'm sure that with my educational background I could have a decent career and not have to worry about money. But of the options available to me, I would prefer to do the thing I love.

A year into my MA program, I sat down and tried to decide what I wanted to do with my life. I tried to imagine what I would be doing in 10 years. None of the jobs I envisioned would have made me happy. Writing is the only thing I can see myself doing for the rest of my life and because of that, it was really the only choice.

Being able to do something you love is a gift, so that is what attracts me to writing. It's not easy. Actually, I don't mind the writing process at all. It's time consuming. It's mentally exhausting. And sure, editing my novel right now isn't the most fun I've ever had with a red pen, but that pales in comparison to the horrified looks I get from people when I tell them I want to be a writer. But I just use that as motivation for writing more, writing better.

By the way, I'm also a psychic, that's how I know these things about the future and magic...

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

This is actually a really tough question for me because as many of my friends can tell you, my interests are extremely varied. Part of me wants to choose music as an option because I adore playing the piano and if I knew I'd be good at it, I'd love to play a piece of music that gives a listener chills. You know, playing one of those fantastic key changes that Hans Zimmer does so well. Actually, despite my earlier bit about varied interests, I think I'm just going to choose playing the piano professionally. I thought about rambling on about art and graphic design but I've changed my mind, playing piano it is. Quick! Someone call James Horner and see if he needs a piano player for his next soundtrack!

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

I think you've already chosen the word I would have used: Passionate. I write with my heart. There's really no other way for me.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

While I do agree that "write what you know" is probably the best advice ever given for writing (and "write what you want to read" is up there as well), there's another piece of advice that MADE me write.

"If you wake up in the morning, and you can't think anything but writing, then you should be a writer."

Okay okay, I think the real quote is from Sister Act 2 and it refers to singing, but still! It's a good piece of advice. It's how I knew I wanted to be writer. How I knew I COULD be a writer. I still wake up each morning with two thoughts in my head: "What can I write about today?" and "I need coffee."

Push all those rules aside about writing and just write. If you want to be a writer, then be a damn writer. Don't let anyone's pessimism get in your way.

About Jen:
I'm in my final year of graduate school, getting my MA in Art History at American University. I currently reside in Washington, DC and loathe traveling around the city. I'm a professional daydreamer and lover of all things chocolate. I enjoy violent video games in the wee hours of the night and cuddling on the couch with my husband and dog while watching sappy movies.

You can check out my blog at www.jenstayrook.com. Feel free to also follow me on Twitter: @JentheAmazing. For a sample of my writing you can read a scene from Spring of Innocents here: http://www.jenstayrook.com/?p=241

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Sarah Allen

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

My first goal is to be published, but I feel like that’s only the beginning. I think it would be amazing to win all kinds of awards, make the New York Times best seller list, etc. As far-fetched and idealistic as that sounds, I think every writer wants that for themselves. I love hearing what people have to think about my work, so having any kind of following to communicate with would be amazing. I also am interested in working with all kinds of genres, so although I will mostly be working in novel form, I’ve been sending out poetry, short stories and essays, and the plan for my next big project is screenplay. In the future I may even try lyrics. But, you know, first things first…I need to actually finish my book for it to be published.

2. Why do you write?

I feel like if I didn’t write, I wouldn’t be me. It seems so natural that writing is what I do. Great art has a huge impact on me, and I would love to work and hone my craft enough to be able to influence someone in the same way.

3. Your blog writing has an effervescence to it. Have you worked to achieve
that voice or is it just a natural style for you?

Thank you very much! I definitely have to say that if my writing as any effervescence to it, it is just the way I write. That word so accurately describes the way I am and my outlook on life that I don’t think I would be able to take it out of my writing. If I got it from anywhere, I got it from my mother; she is one of the most passionate, lively, interested people I know.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

This question is impossible to answer completely, of course, but here are a few writers who I think have directly influenced my writing style.

Connie Willis: I have never written any speculative fiction, as of yet, but Connie Willis’ personable, human, somewhat humorous tone is one that I enjoy immensely and try to use in a lot of my work. If you haven’t read her book ‘Bellwether’, you’re missing out.

Jane Austen: I don’t think I match her so much in tone as in interest and story. I don’t usually write grand, sweeping plots, so much as intimate stories about relationships. Like Jane.

Ernest Hemingway: I really like Hemingway’s distant, journalistic style. I think my style may be a little more personal than his, but his almost apathetic tone is really effective at least for me, and has definitely pulled me in that direction. Which I think is a good thing, considering I have a tendency towards over-sentimentality.

Neil Simon: I have been involved in theater my whole life, and the majority of the good monologues I’ve used for auditions, classes, etc, have come from him. I think we are very similar in story and tone, and when I write script, he is my inspiration.

Other writers that I love: Shakespeare, J.K. Rowling, Orson Scott Card, Billy Collins, W.B. Yeats, Stephen King, C. S. Lewis, Charles Dickens.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

I love talking about literature, so I think conferences, lectures, readings, etc., would be something I would enjoy very much. I love travelling, so I would enjoy doing book tours. I love online social networking, and that can be very effective as a book marketing strategy. As for writing itself, the process can be frustrating, but overall it is incredibly rewarding.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at
a different career, what would you choose?

Acting. Definitely. After writing a New York Times best-seller, my next chimerical dream is to win an Academy Award. Having said that, as much as I love theater, I still feel like writing is intrinsically part of my life, and what I am meant to do.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that
word be?

Chimerical. Effervescently.

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

My high school creative writing teacher used to tell us that whereas in real estate the key is ‘location, location, location,’ the key for writing is ‘details, details, details.’ I am always trying to bring my writing out of the abstract and into the concrete, and it makes such a positive difference. Detail can most definitely be the difference between good and great writing.

About Sarah:

I’m a senior at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, majoring in English. I’m a Mormon. I am obsessed with movies, theater, and television and like almost nothing more than brilliant acting. If I’m not reading or writing, I’m watching or acting and I would rather spend the weekend watching movies with good friends and good food then going to a party. My favorite kind of dog is a cavalier king charles spaniel. I like rain better than sun and I own all eleven seasons of Frasier.

In closing, what's a good example of your writing that you would like
to share with us?

First off, here’s a link to my creative writing blog which I post to frequently. I write about the writing process and things that creatively inspire me, and any comments and ideas would be wonderful. Also, I had a poem published in Inscape, BYU’s literary magazine, called Pet Diaries and a 100 word flash fiction story called Diamonds Are that I got to read on the BYU “Word of Mouth” podcast. I am also very active on Twitter.

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Jeremy Warach

"we do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit." - E.E. Cummings

Welcome to the first in our series of interviews with unpublished authors, Fresh Voices. It is fitting that Jeremy is the first writer featured since reading his vignettes were the thing that convinced us that we really NEEDED to do this series. We're sure that you will love Jeremy's voice as much as we do. You will find links to his fiction at the bottom of the interview.

1. What is your ultimate writing goal?

I have to say that I don't really know what my ultimate goal would be. Or perhaps I have a number of goals. For now, I would love to see a print journal publish one of my stories. Eventually, I would hope to have a novel published which is actually read and enjoyed by people. But first I would have to finish a novel. (Finish writing one, that is. I've finished reading two or three throughout my life.)

2. Why do you write?

I think I write because I've always had a voice in my head telling me, "That's something you can do." I don't listen to everything that the voices in my head tell me, but that's one of the things that have seemed pretty reasonable.

3. Your writing has a lot of atmosphere. Have you worked to achieve that or is it just a natural style for you?

The things that I've put up on my blog site (warach.com) are basically exercises. Throughout my life, I've started and abandoned many stories that I got stuck on (I have even written forty thousand words of a novel which I orphaned when I ran out of steam and enthusiasm for the story).

Starting and giving up on stories was very disheartening. But I found that I often had these little scenes or settings or just phrases pop into my head which sounded like they would be fun to write, so not very long ago, I decided that I would write them out just as isolated fragments of stories. No context, no character development, very little plot, and certainly no climax or conclusion: just vignettes. The intention was to simply set a scene descriptively. I also like giving them little cliffhanger-type endings, intentionally leaving the reader asking "but what happened next?" or "why did that happen?"

The decision to write these vignettes is what has kept me interested in writing. And in a way, they have propelled me further. An online friend who is a published author (Elissa Stein, coauthor of "Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation", see flowthebook.com) read my pieces and asked me to collaborate with her on a series of children's fiction books. Having a collaborator waiting for me to finish a piece of work was what gave me the incentive to actually muscle through and finish the initial draft of the story. And the rewarding feeling of finishing that initial draft is what gave me the impetus to continue writing. I have now completed a few more stories that I've submitted here and there for consideration.

Another encouraging person was Cristina Deptula from Synchronized Chaos (synchchaos.com, an interdisciplinary artist's webzine), who published one of my vignettes at http://bit.ly/bEvOzE. Having someone like my work enough to actually ask me if she could publish it was very gratifying.

4. Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I always have a problem with the word "favorite". In whatever realm being considered (authors, movies, music, food), I always have multiple favorites, and my favorites change over time or depending on my mood.

When I was younger, I was heavily into science fiction (I'm a nerd and proud of it). I devoured most of Isaac Asimov's novels, as well as many of those by Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Vernor Vinge, Poul Anderson, Larry Niven. I also love Tolkien, although I'm not a hardcore fantasy reader.

Later I read a few of the classics, like Dostoevsky and Moby Dick. (I can still remember a conversation with someone who asked me, "Why are you reading Moby Dick?" My answer of "Because it's a classic so I wanted to see how good it was" just confused her.)

In recent years, I've been reading more historical fiction and what I guess would be called "literary fiction". Umberto Eco, Iain Pears, David Liss, Arturo Pérez-Reverte. Most recently, Carlos Ruiz Zafón has just blown me away with the way he strings words together (at least in translation – I don't read him in the original Spanish).

I also enjoy reading science fact. I can get completely drawn in by a book on evolution or cosmology or quantum physics. Seriously.

5. What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

I don't know that I'm attracted to the life of a writer. Toiling for hours, days, weeks, months on a piece of work that people may dislike, or worse, completely ignore, certainly doesn't sound very attractive.

It is the end product that attracts me. Having a finished piece of work (as finished as a piece of writing ever is), published by someone who believes in it, read by people who enjoy it. That's what I look forward to.

6. If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

That's easy: musician. I've dabbled in music throughout most of my life, and I played in a few bands over the last several years, but I am at best mediocre at it. And I learned that being in a band is work, as well as being drama-filled. Once it stops being fun, I see no reason to continue with it. But if I knew I could make a good living at it and be happy with the situation, that would be a dream job.

7. If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?

I hope that an accurately descriptive term for my writing is "anti-soporific".

8. What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?

I've read a lot of good advice about writing. Some of the best advice even completely contradicted some of the other best advice ("Use outlines" versus "Don't use outlines". "Be very descriptive" versus "Be very plain". "Don't use parentheticals" versus "No, really, don't ever use them".)

What I've distilled out of all of that, for myself, would be something along the lines of: To be a writer, you must read (and you must read like a writer). To be a writer, you must write. Every day, even if it's just two sentences. I try not to edit very much as I'm going along. Editing while writing was one of the things that used to get me into a paralysis and prevent me from making any progress.

"Write what you know about." I didn't take this to heart for a long time. Since I was heavily into science-fiction for many years, my first (and second and third) attempts at writing were in that genre. But one thing about science-fiction readers is that they're sticklers. You have to get the science right. Even if it's science that you're making up, your stuff has to at least be feasible and consistent. If you're going to defy the known laws of physics, you'd better have a good rationalization for how and why that works.

When I tried writing sci-fi, I got bogged down in the details and distracted, endeavoring to make everything work, and the writing just wouldn't happen. ("How fast would a space station have to rotate to provide the same gravity as on the surface of the Earth?" Turns out that someone actually posted a calculator on their website to figure that out for you.)

Fiction which takes place in a different time or location has the same problem. If your main character is a silversmith in 1500's Spain, then you'd better know what it's like to be a silversmith in 1500's Spain.

So I decided to write in the (more or less) present, about situations which don't require any specialized knowledge. I did that with my vignettes and with the other stories I've recently written. They're just stories about people (whom I hope are interesting) doing things (which I hope are interesting).

About Jeremy:
I live on Long Island with my wife Abby and two children. By day, I am in the computer programming field, and in the evening, I squeeze my brain, hoping that something interesting will pop out.

You can read some of my things on my blog site at http://warach.com. One of the vignettes I happen to like is "Frost", which can be found at http://bit.ly/cjjVd0

Thank you for reading this edition of Fresh Voices. Feel free to follow the Fresh Voices list on Twitter or nominate yourself or another author as a Fresh Voice.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Resources for Fresh Voices

This list will continue to grow as we find more resources. Feel free to recommend more resources in the comments.

Crit Partners Match Service on Ning

Nominations for Fresh Voices

We are always looking for new talent to feature in our Fresh Voices interview series. Fresh Voices are published every Friday. You can nominate yourself or another writer for Fresh Voices by emailing cmdrsue@gmail.com or posting a comment here. All nominees will be subject to the Rules if they are selected for publication.

The benefits of publication as a Fresh Voice include admiration from other unpublished authors, promotion by Sue London as she drops your name (and interview link) at various blogs around the interwebs, and access to the freakishly high Google ranking of Thoughts That Get Stuck in My Head (we still haven't figured that one out, we think someone at Google must be a fan).

Rules for Fresh Voices

The weekly Fresh Voices post will feature an unpublished author, including an interview and a link to some of their writing. If you're reading this because you have been recommended to be featured as a Fresh Voice then congratulations! We couldn't be more excited than to be featuring your writing. If you are just curious about Fresh Writers then stay tuned for the Friday features or email cmdrsue@gmail.com for more details or to nominate someone.

But as Grandpa said when the boys got to Santa Carla: Rules! We've got some rules around here. These rules may be updated periodically based on lessons learned so please read them again before you participate as a Fresh Voice even if you have read them before.

Unpublished: The first criteria is that a Fresh Voice must be unpublished. But what does that even mean anymore? For our purposes please use the following definition of unpublished for nominating yourself or others: not published by a major publishing house, nor by a magazine with significant circulation (over 100,000), nor through self-publication with over 1,000 units in sales. Fair enough? Meanwhile, preference will be given to talented writers with no publication experience at all, excluding publication to their own website or blog.
Nice Matters: In its darkest moments this blog has maybe a PG-rating and most of the time we're more G-rated than a Disney film. If you are invited to be profiled as a Fresh Voice please avoid using vulgar language or it will be bleeped before publication. You are free to link to any of your own writing that you want to, but it would also be polite to warn our readers if the linked item is racy or NSFW (not safe for work). This rule also applies to anyone who wants to comment on a Fresh Voices post. Be nice or be deleted.
Pay It Forward: Becoming a Fresh Voice means joining a group with other aspiring writers and we can all use support from each other. In practical terms this means that you will commit to promoting the link for future Fresh Voices at least once on Fridays - through a tweet, blog post, Facebook update, whatever. An easy link to remember is http://tinyurl.com/fvfriday - that way you don't have to find the new Fresh Voice link. This way we can create a snowball and some exposure. Exposure may lead to interest, and interest may lead to someone coming along and reading YOUR interview and wanting to know more. It's just a big circle of happy.
There Will Be More Rules: Having spent many years as a bureaucrat I can tell you that this rule will keep getting bumped down because there will always have to be more rules. Because as the Bureaucratic Rule from the Notorious ADB goes: There's a reason, there's ALWAYS a reason... (Usually it's someone taking advantage and thus messing it up for everyone else.)

Thanks for your time and we look forward to featuring lots of Fresh Voices!

Notes: Updated on 4/18/10 to include new rule #3 Pay it Forward.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Thoughts That Get Stuck in My Day of the Week

Does this blog post look a little familiar? Yes, it's time for a change to our lineup. Like so many things lately, this is coming a bit late to be considered a "New Year" change; but better late than never I always say. There are changes to Monday, Tuesday, and Friday while the rest of the week stays pretty much the same. The change I'm most excited about are the plans for Friday (yes, this is the requisite teaser to scroll down). Feedback is always appropriate so make comments.

MONDAY IS MOVIE DAY: Do you know what we do all weekend? Watch movies (and tv shows) that's what, so on Monday we'll be ready to tell you all about it. There will be old stuff, new stuff, borrowed stuff, and blue stuff. (Ok, we're a G-rated blog, it won't be very blue. Unless Stitch or the Genie from Aladdin count.)

TUESDAY IS COMEDY DAY: Do you love the comedy like we do? Just a few minutes ago we tromped out in the cold while reciting Steve Martin's bit about kitty handcuffs. Come by on Tuesdays to check out a funny video or song. Or if you can't remember a particular comedian or bit then maybe we can help you out.

WEDNESDAY IS WRITING DAY: It's still all about writing! Fiction, non-fiction, screenwriting, writers' blog roundups, and updates on our writing pursuits. Come sit at our round table, have some coffee or tea, and do your best Dorothy Parker impersonation.

THURSDAY IS TOYS DAY: A day for all sorts of geek interests like internet games, new toys from ThinkGeek, updates on the D&D campaign... that sort of thing. Also reports on other bloggers who have posted fun things on their blogs (so drop me a tweet, email, or comment when you have something good).

FRIDAY IS FRESH VOICES DAY: Extending the writing theme into another day where we will post interviews with aspiring authors under the theory "it is that which is nurtured that grows." Feel free to recommend Fresh Voices to be posted on the Twitter List or featured on the Thoughts.

SATURDAY IS POP DAY: Pop psychology (yes, we will try to contain all of the personality tests and pop psych ruminations on a day when you're not likely to come by, isn't that kind of us?), pop culture, and sometimes soda pop. If you like all this stuff as much as we do then come by and let's entertain each other.

SUNDAY IS GOD AND CHEESE DAY: We will explore deep thoughts on philosophy, spirituality, or if nothing else occurs to us - cheese, in a bit of an homage (fromage?) to G.K. Chesterton.

Thoughts That Get Stuck in My Head

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Friday, August 27, 2010

Reminder for Author Interviews

Friday, June 4, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Lydia Ondrusek

Friday, May 28, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Bethany Harper

Friday, May 21, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Kerry Schafer

Friday, May 7, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Adrien-Luc Sanders

Friday, April 23, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Mireyah Wolfe

Friday, April 16, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Liz Borino

Friday, April 9, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Caitlin Whitaker

Friday, March 19, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Quinn Katherman

Friday, March 12, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Kristy Colley

Friday, March 5, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Jen "The Amazing" Stayrook

Friday, February 26, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Sarah Allen

Friday, February 19, 2010

Fresh Voices: Interview with Jeremy Warach

Friday, February 12, 2010

Resources for Fresh Voices

Nominations for Fresh Voices

Rules for Fresh Voices

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Thoughts That Get Stuck in My Day of the Week

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