Abby Minard (host of the Above Water blog) and I have decided to join forces in order to do what we do best--conduct aspiring author interviews! That's right, we took the time to brave the spotlight of each other's blog, answering a series of questions loosely related to our writing.
But before I can share that, I feel as though I must scold you dear readers. It has been a little over 24 hours since I posted Hannah Rodger's aspiring author interview. Why oh why has it been neglected thus far? Now granted I posted it on a Sunday (traditionally a slower day for blogging) and I suppose that a few of you could have been off at church, but as for the rest of you, what's your excuse? :p Hannah gives such interesting answers! But don't just take my word for it, read it for yourself.
Now that that's taken care of, you can find my interview with Abby over at her blog. I had a great deal of fun answering her questions--be sure to follow her if you like what you see!
Finally, it is my great pleasure to welcome Ms. Abby Minard to this side of teh interwebz.
Let's start off with something simple. Who are you?
I'm a wife, mother of a Little Monster, aspiring author, part-time librarian, and pretty much the Queen of all things house related, although my loyal subjects do a great job of helping me from time to time.
Could you tell us a little bit about your work in progress?
Hm, if I did I'd have to kill you ;p Ha, just kidding. I don't talk about it much, but I would put it in the "classic" YA fantasy category similar to Graceling, where the world is completely made up. No crossover or contemporary elements.
What is the first story you remember writing? What was it about?
It was about this girl in a wheel chair that everyone made fun of. But one day there was a snake on the playground and she killed it by wheeling over it and cutting it's head off. Everyone loved her after that. That was 2nd grade I believe.
Are you more of a “plotter” or a “pantser”?
I'd say half and half. I plot out a rough outline of my story- kind of like a summary. Then I write down all the details about the world, it's history, all the names of people, towns and countries, and information about the certain types of magic used. But I don't have an outline as to what happens in each chapter. That's where the pantsing comes in. And then as I get to the end, I need another rough outline to make sure I am tying loose ends together, and remember who knows what and when.
All writers need encouragement. Who first encouraged you to write, and who is it that encourages you today?
My husband. Of course my parents loved my stories as a child, but I never really expressed wanting to be a writer. I think I may have wanted to be a children's book illustrator at some point, but it wasn't until several years ago that I started wanting to really write a book. He told me he would get me a laptop but I had to start writing. So he got me one, and I did. He's been a huge support, being very understanding when the house is a mess and laundry isn't done because I'm writing. I also have to give a shout out to all my crit partners. They are my better halves, and have guided me so much through this process. Without them, I'm sure my book would bomb. They are Andy Thompson, Colene Murphy, Melissa Wideen, and Jennie Bailey.
Which authors have had a significant influence on your writing?
Sharon Shinn and Garth Nix have had a tremendous influence. Their world building and character building are what I aspire my books to be like. I also love Anne McCaffrey- she had a huge impact on me when I was younger.
What music, if any, do you enjoy listening to while you write?
I can't listen to music while I write. I have to have complete silence. Music inspires me while I'm not writing, helping me to brainstorm, but when it comes to actually putting words on paper, I need silence to concentrate.
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses as a writer?
I'd say my strength is my world building. My crit partners and betas have always said they loved that about my book. Weakness would be dialogue. It takes me a while to not make it look cheesy.
What do you hope to achieve with your writing?
I want a teen to pick up my book and love it and be influenced by it, like the many YA fantasy books I read as a teenager.
What was once traditionally a print medium is now rapidly branching out into many digital formats. What do you think of this trend?
I was SO against ebooks when they came out. As with most authors, I want to feel my own book in my hands, smell the paper and touch the beautiful cover. And it's all mine. I was afraid in a few years we wouldn't have the chance because ebooks would take over. But now I am changing my attitude towards them. As long as print doesn't go extinct, I will embrace the ebook. If I don't I'll be left behind in the dust. Plus it does seem nice to have an ebook when traveling instead of a separate suitcase for your 20 paperback books.
What was the last sentence that you had to re-read over and over again because of its awesomeness? What struck you about it?
Hm, my memory is horrible when it comes to that. I come out of reading a book loving the whole thing, and usually don't have a certain sentence that strikes me. Across the Universe by Beth Revis was the last book I read, and I am sure there were many sentences in there that struck me as I read them.
What book(s) have you recently read that you would recommend to the readers of this blog?
Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Graceling by Kristin Cashore,
What advice do you have to other aspiring authors out there?
You need to actually write the book and edit it in order to be published. It won't do it on it's own, and if you need to take a break from something else like blogging, don't feel guilty for doing it. I am right now, and that was a pretty hard decision. But I wasn't getting anywhere on my editing, so I had to cut something out.
An apocalypse destroys the entirety of human literature, apart from the work of three authors that you can magically save with your wizardry – what do you save from imminent destruction?
Erm, I'm probably am not a good one to ask. I wouldn't save the "classics". But someone else will, so I'll say Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey, Sabriel by Garth Nix and The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Our time is at an end. For our curious readers, how can we follow your progress?
You can follow me at my blog:
http://abbyminard.blogspot.com
Thanks Brad- lovely questions!
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