1. Did you choose the writing profession or did it choose you?
I never chose the writing itself, but doing it professionally came from knowing there was nothing else I could possibly spend my life doing without going stark raving mad.
2. What is your background? (education, work, etc.)
I graduated high school in 2001. That’s basically it; I began writing full time that summer. I did work the midnight shift for a few months at a convenience store, but that’s not something I like to think about.
3. When did you ‘know’ you were a writer?
It’s hard to say--I’ve heard I came out of the womb with a pen and paper in hand. I don’t think whether or not I’m a writer has ever been a question in mind.
4. How would you describe your style of writing?
Dialogue and character driven; darkly humorous and emotional.
5. What is your writing process?
I work in very short, creative bursts lasting about two weeks at a time. If I don’t finish the first draft of a book in that amount of time, there’s a good chance I won’t get it done at all, so those weeks are crucial to my process. After that, I usually take a break for a month or so, write a second draft, wait a few weeks and reread, then if it feels right, off the manuscript goes to the publisher.
6. What was your path to publication?
I started with poetry published in local newspapers and a few anthologies when I was eleven. That continued until about age fifteen, when I was briefly interested in journalism. I had several articles in regional newspapers, and worked as an editor for my school’s newspaper. When high school finished, I spent a couple of years working on different projects, finding my voice, until I submitted my third completed novel to a publisher, and later signed my first book contract at age twenty-one.
7. What is your favorite self-marketing idea?
I absolutely love marketing--if I wasn’t a writer, I would probably want to be in that field (second to world dictator, actually). It’s difficult to pick one idea, as I change my mind constantly. Currently, I’m loving chapbooks. I was just on a committee for a local chapbook fair where I also had some books for sale, and it’s such an amazing little creative outlet that is inexpensive to make, inexpensive for readers to buy, and can show people what the author is about and what their work is like. They make excellent prizes for contests, and are a great way to connect with potential readers. Definitely chapbooks!
8. What are the biggest surprises you’ve encountered as a writer?
I suppose it’s been a little odd that I’ve never struggled with publishing. I think I’ve only received one or two rejections letters in my life, and my first book was accepted to the first place I sent it too, so that was surprising. I figure I’m due for a big rejection one of these days, though.
9. How do you inspire yourself? What are your sources of creativity?
My inspiration comes from little moments I become obsessed with capturing. A feeling, an emotional moment, a revelation I need to express... Entire books of mine are built around figuring out how the people get to that moment.
10. What is your proudest writer moment?
Back when I was writing newspaper articles as a teen, I wrote a very political (and scathing) one about the then provincial government, and it resulted in letters and phone calls from my local M.P.P., and all kinds of people approaching me with praise for my research and what I wrote. Realizing I could evoke that kind of reaction in people as a fifteen year old with an opinion was damn cool.
11. What’s the best advice you were given about writing?
No one cares about your book as much as you do. So much emotion and time and effot goes into writing a book that most writers assume everyone will care about it as much as they do. Well, that’s not the case--no one cares. Except maybe your mom, and she’s not going to publish and distribute your book for you. If you can accept that early on, marketing will come a lot easier.
12. What is your most embarrassing writer moment?
I don’t think I’ve been embarrassed yet. And if I have, I’m certainly not going to try to remember. ;-)
13. What business challenges have you faced as a writer?
I’ve been pretty lucky with the business side. I have a supportive fiancé who covers finances and any costs I have, I have a decent enough head for marketing and business, so thus far I’ve been fine. (I hope this hasn’t jinxed me.)
14. What is your writer life philosophy?
I love what I do, and I’ll always be writing. Publishing is fun, though I’d drop it the moment it started seeming like work. I’m rather childlike in that I insist on everything I do being fun.
15. When you’re not writing what do you do for fun?
I love video games. I’m terrible at them, but I love a good survival horror game or anything with great plot and characters. I also draw, paint, and play around with digital art occasionally (I’m dreadful at all three, though), and I sometimes play guitar (poorly) and keyboard (poorer still). And I love television. Movies too, but there’s something about the serialized format for storytelling that I find very appealing. You do not want to call me during Veronica Mars, Dexter, or The Office. I also collect Buffy the Vampire Slayer prop replicas. Yes, please laugh at me.
16. Who do you like to read?
I don’t actually like reading much, which I’m told is odd considering I’m a writer. I’m just very picky, I suppose. I love Jane Austen, Edward Gorey, Louise Cooper, Jeff Strand, Elaine Corvidae, Judy Bagshaw, Kelley Armstrong, Jhonen Vasquez, and...yeah, that’s basically it. As I said, I’m a TV girl most of the time.
17. What’s your advice for new writers?
Learn not to suck at it. Really, that’s my advice for everything, though. Everyone has the same advice: rewrite, edit, crit groups, classes, reading, etc, but I personally think the key to becoming a better writer is to look at your work as if you were a reader, not the writer of the piece. You’ll catch plot inconsistencies, flaws, boring bits, and all that by yourself if you train yourself to look at your work that way.
18. What are you currently working on?
Right now, it’s National Novel Writing Month, so I’m working on a terrible fantasy novel that will never see the light of day when I’m done. Otherwise, I’m finishing up the second draft to the sequel to my debut novel “River,” called “Wolfe.” And I have a new book coming out late 2007-ish (“Bloodlines”), so I’ll be working on the sequel to that (“Hunter”) as well in the near future. Sequels sequels sequels! I’m also getting ready to launch the second part of my eSerial, “Children of the Apocalypse,” (available for free at my website as a thank you to fans and readers). And there are always a few other things. Part of that attention deficit problem I have is I’m not happy unless I have several projects on the go at once.
