What got you into writing?
The short answer is my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. MacNeilis, and her lesson on writing poetry. It was then that I discovered the thrill of finding the perfect metaphor, and the joy of being able to delight an audience. But I think even without that lesson that I would have found my way to writing. It’s so much a part of the fabric of who I am that I can’t imagine being any other way.
How long have you been writing?
Well, the first attempts started in fourth grade, but I soon realized that I needed to have more than just a passion for metaphors and pleasing my audience. So I read voraciously to teach myself by example (something I recommend for all aspiring writers) and I practiced, practiced, practiced. I took creative writing classes in college and grad school (very helpful), but I wasn’t really ready to send out work on a regular basis until my early 30s. Once I started, there was no stopping me….
Who are your favorite authors?
I have two major favorites, Margaret Atwood and Charles de Lint. I discovered Margaret Atwood in college when I was assigned The Handmaid’s Tale, and I’ve eagerly read her work ever since. She is absolutely brilliant in the way she conjures an image with poetic metaphor, and she doesn’t pull any punches. I was introduced to Charles de Lint by a co-worker sometime around 2004 or 2005. Reading him felt like coming home. He is considered the father of my preferred genre to write, urban fantasy, and he is truly the master. I am in awe every time I read him.
Other than my favorites, I read pretty widely and dip into a lot of different genres and authors. I like Brandon Sanderson, Jeri Smith-Ready, Jim Butcher, and Jacqueline Carey for ripping good reads I just can’t put down. I like Neil Gaiman for his incredible talent and creativity. Jane Linskold surprises and delights me. I enjoy reading the classics, like Shakespeare, Tolstoy and Nabokov, to challenge and educate myself about the history of narrative. And contrary to the beliefs of some, the classics are not dry and boring. Once you get used to the rhythms of older language use, they are just as good, if not better, than anything written today.
Have you ever tried different styles of writing?
When I was in grad school I tried to write mainstream literature, but it just didn’t work for me. Everything I wrote in that style fell flat and felt lifeless, but as soon as I put in something that went bump in the night – a ghost, for example – things just came to life. There’s room in the world for all kinds of literature, but I’m just not interested in writing anything unless there is at least a touch of the fantastic.
How long does a story take to write?
It depends. Some stories are easy and I can set down an average length short story in a matter of days from start to finish. But other stories don’t gel right away, and I can’t quite put my finger on why they are not working. So those sit and wait and I come back to them and prod them every now and then to see if I can get them to work. Then, finally, something will click and I can finish it off. Some stories take hours, some stories take years. It all depends on the tale.
How long does it take to publish a story?
It takes longer than most people expect. I can shop a story to all kinds of magazines and anthologies for years before I get an acceptance (average response time is three to four months), and then it takes and average of 12 to 18 months from acceptance before I see my work in print.
Do your stories spring fully-formed from your brain?
I only get that lucky on very rare occasions. Most of the time I get the kernel of an idea – a plot point, a character, a location that piques my interest – and I roll that around in my head anywhere from days, to weeks, to months, to years until it collects everything it needs to become a full fledged story. I’m able to work out a lot of these missing pieces when I’m doing physical, repetitive tasks, like driving, working out, or household chores.
Would you ever consider ghost writing?
I hesitate to give a firm and absolute “no,” because you never know what the future can bring, but this is as close to an absolute “no” as I can get. I have very limited time to write since I also hold down a full time day job in order to keep the bills paid until I can do that with my writing. I already have so many ideas of my own that I’m burning to write that I don’t want to write anyone else’s ideas. I want to spend my precious time writing my own stories, not someone else’s.
Are you writing a book?
But of course! Isn’t every writer? I actually have several ideas for novels, some of them are even series of novels, and the real trick is to carve out the time and make myself focus on just one so that I can get it complete, from start to finish.
