FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are you working on now? At the time this is being written, (1/12/20) I’m brainstorming book 3 of my Witches in Coolersville series.
What do you think about basing your characters on real people? I do it all the time. Tara and Marissa both have traits based on myself, partly because they’ve been in my head for at least 10 years. As long as you don’t come out and write a direct carbon copy of someone you know, or a celebrity, no one should have a problem about it. Especially if it’s someone portrayed in a negative light. I’ve been developing a character somewhat based on an exceptional jerk I used to know, with a few twists in his storyline. He’s never going to read my work so I don’t really care about his opinion. You can always add one of those disclaimers at the beginning, “Any connection to real people is purely coincidental.”
Are you a planner or a pantser? I used to be somewhere in the middle. But, I’m learning how nice it is to outline. Even if it’s a pile of rough notes saying, “They argue and then he grabs her and kissed her until she can’t breathe. And then she punches him in the face.” Or, I’ll write out dialogue. I don’t have a full on, detailed description. I leave some things open to fill in later. If I haven’t figured out how Tara’s dorm is decorated or how Gran decorates her house for Halloween, I leave that open and figure it out in the actual writing process. Sometimes, I’ll just make additional notes if I’m not home. I keep a pocket notebook on me at all times for just such an occasion so I can write things down when the opportunity rises.
Who is your favorite author? So many! I love Nora Roberts. I’ve read several of her books multiple times. A.C. Gaughen has an amazing Robin Hood trilogy. Jenna Moreci is a fantastic author as well as a YouTuber. She has a sci-fi book and a dark fantasy adventure that are both brilliant.
What is your favorite thing to write when you’re working on a story? My favorite thing to write is dialogue. The way I see my story in my head is kind of like a movie or a TV show. And, the thing that stands out is the interactions between characters. Whether it’s the protagonist confronting the main antagonist, some simple flirting, or the characters going back and forth in a hilarious snark-fest. (I come from a family of smart asses. Snark is in my blood. I can’t help writing it.
What fictional death wrecked you the most? Oh wow. There have been so many over the years. Be warned. I’m about to spoil the following- Charlotte’s Web, Buffy/Angel, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and the Hunger Games.
The first one that got to me that I remember has got to be Charlotte the spider in Charlotte’s Web. I just couldn’t believe how she could go and leave poor Wilbur. But, when you find out he gets to live a long life, and he takes care of her daughter, you feel better because you know he is going to pass on her story and her memory and it’s just really beautiful and touching.
Another would be on Buffy when she finds her mother dead on the sofa and then Anya gives that wrenching speech about why she can’t understand how it happened. I think everyone who has ever lost a loved one has the “why” moment as they try to grasp the reality. Then there’s when Tara gets shot just when she and Willow reunited! Ah, I cried because I loved them so much. In Angel, it would have to be when Fred died and turned into Illyria. She was so sweet and I couldn’t take it. And then, in the series finale, when Wesley is dying and she turns back so he can die in the arms of the woman he loves. Tears! So many tears!
Sirius Black in Harry Potter book 5. I read that book in 3 days and I was so upset when he died. I almost gave up on the series. Didn’t think it could get worse and then we get to book 7 and I actually stopped reading for a while until my sister convinced me to keep going.
Doctor Who- there are 2. Billy Shipton because he was adorable and I wanted him to get together with Sally and when the Ponds left. Not a death necessarily with them but it still killed me.
And, in the Hunger Games when Prim died. I threw down the book and wouldn’t touch it for weeks. It was the whole point of the story- to save her sister! I thought of my own sister and it just hurt so bad. I was a mess.
What is on your TBR– Just got a huge pile of books from the library for research.