Writer Men of NWA – Duke Pennell

Duke Pennell is a writer, but he’s also editor of Frontier Tales ezine. He’s a member of our NWA Writer’s crit group and we’ve all benefited from his editorial suggestions.

Latest Title:     Frontier Tales ezine

1.  I’m always interested in the writer’s process. How often do you write? Do you have a daily word count goal? Give me an overview (or detailed if you really want to go there) of your writing life.

Recently, I’ve been pretty focused on editing rather than writing. Frontier Tales (http://www.frontiertales.com) and “The 44^th Flight,” a manuscript by Amy Weir, are taking up almost all my spare time. Occasionally, I set down and get something of my own down. The urge to write is almost like having a maddening itch. Sometimes it gets so bad I just have to scratch it, even though I really should be doing other things.

2.  Do you also work a full-time non-writer job or career?

Yes. I work at the University of Arkansas. I’m a Computer Systems Engineer by trade and training..

3.  How supportive has your family been of your writing time? Have you ever had to fight for your right to write?

Fabulously supportive. I’m fortunate that my wife loves writing and thinks it’s grand that I do too.

4.  How long does it take you to write (from start to finish) a novel?

I’m still working on that one. “The Devil’s Backbone” was a short story I wrote that insists it isn’t finished. That’s the one that keeps itching at me. How long? Wow. Ask me that when I’m done.

5.  What route to publishing did you take (agent, traditional, self-pub), and how long did it take from finish to publication?

My route to publication was shorter than most. I had some Western short stories I wanted to submit and I couldn’t find anywhere that was taking them. Out of desperation, I created Frontier Tales and began publishing other people’s work. I figured if I couldn’t get my stuff out there, at least I could help others. So far, it’s working out.

6.  Is there a theme, or premise you’d really like readers to connect with in your latest book/story?

“The Devil’s Backbone” is a story about love, respect, and responsibility. It’ll be interesting to see how many people connect with these values.

7.  Where are you going now, are you working on a sequel, or something entirely different?

I’m putting together the first anthology of stories from Frontier Tales. They’re all Readers Choice winners from the first year’s submissions. Should be fun!

8.  Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Everywhere! How can you look at the physicality of the world — the mountains, rivers, deserts, everything — and not be inspired? Or the people? Their needs, fears, and desires? Or, maybe most of all, from that dark place inside yourself where the secret stuff hides? Inspiration is easy. Everyone has an idea about a story. The hard part is getting it down so that the story you see in your mind is the same one the reader sees when he holds your work in his hands.

9.  With all the focus lately on authors providing a lot of their own self-promotion, what are you doing in this respect?

I’m trying to be of service. My magazine publishes other people’s stories. I’ve been judging novels for different writers’ conferences and organizations. I’m doing public speaking whenever anyone can use my expertise. I believe if you help enough other folks get what they want, the universe helps you get what you need.

10.  Who or what would you say has been the biggest influence on you as a writer?

My maternal grandmother. She told me the first stories that I remember. Just the memory of sitting in her lap, listening to her tell the tale of When Grandpa Shot The Whale, brings a warm glow to me. I’d like to pass that glow on to others.

11.  Where can we find your book? Is it available in e-format as well?

My stories are in earlier anthologies from Echoes of the Ozarks, Voices, and in the latest Cactus Country.  But you can find me every month, online, at Frontier Tales. If you haven’t been by lately, take a gander. You might even be moved to send in a tale or two yourself!

Thanks, Madison!

 ***

You’re welcome, Duke I’ll have to take another look at your ezine now. The latest photo prompt (posted yesterday here) might inspire me to write a tale that fits the genre.

This was the last of the interviews I have lined up for the men of northwest Arkansas. If anyone else wants to participate, no matter where you live, let me know and I’ll send you the questions. 

Next week look for Viviene Tuffnell’s interview. She’s a writer-friend of mine I met through blogging and Twitter.

Writer Wednesday – Men of NWA – Russell Gayer

Russell Gayer is a member of our NWA Writer’s crit group. He frequently makes us cry with laughter. I hope you enjoy his interview and leave him a comment.

Latest Title:      Several in the works—mostly short stories      

1.  I’m always interested in the writer’s process. How often do you write? Do you have a daily word count goal? Give me an overview (or detailed if you really want to go there) of your writing life.

I try to write about an hour every morning before I go to work.  Sometimes, if things are slow, I’ll squeeze in a little while at work. There’s no word count goal. It’s all about the creative mojo—as long as the words keep coming I write ‘em down. During hunting season, I take a pad to the woods with me. There are fewer distractions in the forest.

2.  Do you also work a full-time non-writer job or career?

Yes, I’m very blessed to have a great job in the printing industry. One of the perks is that we can provide self-promotion materials to fellow writers at 30 to 50% savings.

3.  How supportive has your family been of your writing time? Have you ever had to fight for your right to write?

In my short story, How to Write ‘How To Books,’ our hero emerges from his writer den to find the house dark. His wife is concerned that if he sees his shadow they’ll have six more weeks of writing. My wife is much more supportive than that. In fact, she’s downright tolerant.

4.  How long does it take you to write (from start to finish) a novel?

I don’t know if I have the attention span to write a 200 page book. Furthermore, my personal relationship with laziness and procrastination tends to stall every project I start. My plan is to string together a group of short stories and essays into a book. Give me two more years.

5.  What route to publishing did you take (agent, traditional, self-pub), and how long did it take from finish to publication?

The stuff I write is “last page-humor” magazine fodder. I did some on-line research and found a long list of publications that accept humor submissions. It’s only a matter of time before I wear them down with persistence.

6.  Is there a theme, or premise you’d really like readers to connect with in your latest book/story?

I want my readers to laugh out loud, spew coffee out their nose, and have tears running down their cheeks. That’s my reward. That’s how I get paid.

7.  Where are you going now, are you working on a sequel, or something entirely different?

I’m trying to finish Raising Cain, a political satire. The ending seems to be as evasive and hard to manage as the principle characters. I have two other short stories in the works. One is a western (with an unusual protagonist) and the other, an experience with inept plumbers.

8.  Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

With humor, inspiration is everywhere. I’ve gotten ideas driving down the road, in boring seminars, newspaper articles, and just observing people. Last week, I bought some two-bite Halloween candy bars that are labeled “fun” size. What’s the alternative? Does your mouth water for a “hard labor” candy bar?

9.  With all the focus lately on authors providing a lot of their own self-promotion, what are you doing in this respect?

My writing career is in the toddler stage. Right now, I don’t have a whole lot to promote, so I’m trying to establish a platform. I started a blog recently entitled, What’s So Funny? http://russellgayer.blogspot.com/  It’s a good way to expand your audience and establish a “online presence” that editors and publishers seem to expect.

10.  Who or what would you say has been the biggest influence on you as a writer?

Linda Apple invited me to NWA Writers Workshop http://www.nwawriters.org/index.php  They helped tighten my writing and taught me how to use my tool box (duct tape and baling wire). Authors whose style I admire (and try to imitate) include, Patrick McManus, Ben Rehder, and David Sedaris.

 ***

Writer Wednesday – Men of NWA – M. G. Miller

M.G. Miller is a Southern Gothic novelist and former fiction editor for a national horror magazine.

Latest Title: Bayou Jesus       Author name:  M. G. Miller

1.  I’m always interested in the writer’s process. How often do you write? Do you have a daily word count goal? Give me an overview (or detailed if you really want to go there) of your writing life.

Lately, I’ve hardly had time to write at all, but when I am in
the groove, it starts at 3 a.m. every day.  During the week I only have a couple of hours each day which is usually spent editing what I’ve already written, but on weekends I’ll
write until I’m exhausted–or the phone starts ringing, which is one of the reasons I get up so early, to get some work done before the rest of the world wakes.  I don’t have a word count goal, though, I just write until a scene is finished. An average day yields about five or six pages, a great day is ten pages or more.

2.  Do you also work a full-time non-writer job or career?

Yes, I also work full-time.  Keeps me living in luxury and the electric
bill paid.  Ha.

3.  How supportive has your family been of your writing time? Have you ever had to fight for your right to write?

Have you ever had to fight for your right to write? I’ve never lacked support from family, but I think we’ve all had to fight for our right at some point and on different levels, be it naysayers or simple interruptions.

4.  How long does it take you to write (from start to finish) a novel?

It takes about a year and a half for me to write a novel while also working a full-time job.  In the past I’ve been lucky enough to devote uninterrupted time to my work, and when that’s the case I can finish a novel in a year.  I did, however, write one in six months once.  Weirdest thing I ever did, though, and I doubt it will ever see the light of day.

5.  What route to publishing did you take (agent, traditional, self-pub), and how long did it take from finish to publication?

I had an agent first, but that didn’t work out very well (neither did my second agent for that matter), so I self-published.  By doing so, the books were eventually discovered and bought for traditional publication. From finished product to traditional publication was a period of nine years and a collection of 225 rejections, 109 on one book alone.  I have no sympathy for writers who bemoan that they’ve received 20 or 30 rejections.

6.  Is there a theme, or premise you’d really like readers to connect with in your latest book?

In regard to the ebook reissue of Bayou Jesus, the theme is racial intolerance.  Its sequel, Seven Devils (release date TBA), concerns itself with organized
religion and societal structure.  Other novels have dealt with revenge, redemption and matricide.  (But I really do love my mom, okay?)

7.  Where are you going now, are you working on a sequel, or something entirely different?

I’ve only written one sequel thus far, which was very different from the first book.  No two of my novels are alike.  I feel that once I’ve covered something, it’s time to take on another challenge.  My current work in progress is based on a true story of a mother who killed her own children in the name of God.  No sunshine and rainbows there.

For years I’ve wanted to write a novel revolving around Patty Hearst’s kidnapping, too, the twist being that she’s not actually in the book, merely her experience with the Symbionese Liberation Army used as allegory for a character in search of herself.
That may come in the next few years.

8.  Where do you find inspiration for your stories and novels?

The news, books, movies, but mostly from people-watching and listening.  If you create a believable character first, the story will practically tell itself.

9.  With all the focus lately on authors providing a lot of their own self-promotion, what are you doing in this respect?

Be it traditional or self-publication, the majority of authors have always had to do
a great deal of their own promotion.  I have a Facebook author page, I Twitter, I blog, I’ve built a website.  All this is a full-time job in itself.  But the most important thing one can do is simply to write the best book you possibly can and hope you get lucky.

10.  Who or what would you say has been the biggest influence on you as a writer?

I’ve been most influenced by the works of Joyce Carol Oates, Flannery O’Connor, Tennessee Williams and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.  And like K.D. McCrite said in her interview last week, the old I’ll-show-you attitude works wonders for one’s motivation.

11. Where can we find your book? Is it available in e-format as well?

The reissue of Bayou Jesus by Southern Exposures Press will be available this Christmas, exclusively on Amazon Kindle.

Thank you, Madison, for the opportunity to share.

 ***

Visit M.G. Miller’s website at http://www.mgmillerbooks.com

Writer Wednesday – Men of NWA – Dusty Richards

Today I’m going to start profiling the men writers of northwest Arkansas.

Dusty Richards is the anchor of our weekly crit group that meets in Fayetteville every Thursday. When we unruly writers get too disorderly, he quickly gets us reined back into line. He was quick on the draw and returned my questionnaire (with answers) in record time!

My favorite answer from Dusty is #3. Love his wife’s response.

http://www.dustyrichards.com/

Author name:  Dusty Richards

1.  I’m always interested in the writer’s process. How often do you write? Do you have a daily word count goal? Give me an overview (or detailed if you really want to go there) of your writing life.

I write every day I am at home. My days at the computer run from 6 to 15 hours
per day when I am here.  I like to turn out ten pages of a book per day.  Some
reach 20 others three.  But then there are rewrites, editing, proof reading, research on some subject.  Since I am now acquiring western books and short stories that cuts into my production.

I also write several columns and short stories my life is varied.  Farm and Neighbors, an ag magazine in this area, a monthly one in Maryland, a quarterly one in Storyteller magazine.  Plus speak at conferences and involved in writer group conferences

2.  Do you also work a full-time non-writer job or career?

I am board president Ozark Electric Cooperative and their  representative  on the Oklahoma statewide Electric Coop board. A member of the Rodeo of the Ozarks board of directors. President of Ozark Creative Writers Conference, President elect of
Ozark League Writers, Next June I will be the President  of Western Writers of America.  I am not on face page and all those others.  I answer all my email on the days I am home—that’s enough.

3.  How supportive has your family been of your writing time? Have you ever had to fight for your right to write?

I had not sold a book back in the “80’s    I was using a Commodore computer.  My wife and I drove all over one Saturday.  I had to put the header on the page then print it again to have a manuscript.  There were scads of computer stores but none could sit me down and show me how they worked. Till we got to Megabit in Fayetteville—they set me down at a Mac and I quickly typed two pages with headers and page number.

I was thinking it works and how easy. I wanted to think about paying for it.

My wife Pat  said, ”Aren’t you going to buy it?” “I am thinking about it.”

“If it was tractor you’d already bought it.  Make the deal, you need it.”

That’s the kind of support I have gotten from my family.

4.  How long does it take you to write (from start to finish) a novel?

108 novels under my name and pseudonyms Some take forever to write, like pulling teeth without a pain killer.  Some go so fast you think you won the Kentucky Derby writing them.  Books vary in size from 225 pages to 300 on to 400 manuscript pages.

The fast ones are as good as the hard ones.  They’d all be fast if I could write them.

5.  What route to publishing did you take (agent, traditional, self-pub), and how long did it take from finish to publication?

Major publisher take from eighteen to 24 months to get a book out after you write it
for them.   Small publishers can get it out in 3 months.

My agent and I have had a great relationship. She like most of us are finding less and less slots available for her customers.  She and I have climbed over the mountains looking for writing deals. We continue.

6.  Is there a theme, or premise you’d really like readers to connect with in your latest book?

n/a

7.  Where are you going now, are you working on a sequel, or something entirely different?

I have a new series coming at Berkley (current project)  The Chaparral Range War.  The Brynes Family Series for Kensingtom  #2 book “Between Hell and Texas” coming in Dec   In Nov  “The Outlaw Queen” Frank Brothers Series Cactus Country Publishing I enjoy writing the west.  I have tried some others genre.  They aren’t my thing. I have written about many factors, cattle drives, outlaws, law men, horses and the west after the civil war.

I must not do bad.  I have received many nice awards including 2 Spurs. The Will Rogers Medallion, a Fictioneer finalist, Spur finalist last year.  The Cowboy Hall’s best book Wrangler award.  True West named me as the greatest alive western writer last march and I am on the Arkansas Writer Hall of fame with Dee Brown and Charles Portis.

8.  Where do you find inspiration for your stories and novels?

In old diaries, historical events in the west. I have a very extensive library and I read all the time.  I have walked most of the ground I write about.  I don’t change the events of history simply walk through the trees.

9.  With all the focus lately on authors providing a lot of their own self-promotion, what are you doing in this respect?

Fired my web master and hired an aggressive one. Doing more things to get exposed and get my books out there.  And looking at a book club of the month  More on that at The Cactus Country publishing. Look us up.

10.  Who or what would you say has been the biggest influence on you as a writer?

I have lots of people to thanks but Dr. Frank Reuter who is retired now took
three of my early books and scalded them. Each time I re did them but by the third one I guess I knew what I needed to do.  Scathing no holds barred critiques and from them I knew what not do and the third one he did, he said he’d not edited hard enough he was so busy reading it.  That was Noble’s way and my first novel to
sell in New York.  The N W Ark Writers I attend every Thursday in Fayetteville that I am home is the second source of any improvement I made.

11. Where can we find your book? Is it available in e-format as well?

Many of my books are on Amazon and in E book form there too. Cactus Books look them up. Try a book store they can usually order them They treat books like magazines they won’t be there long. Many people want my back books have to go to used books stores  I’m here this week I will be in a meeting in AZ next week.

Thanks, Dusty.

Women Writers of NWA – K.D. McCrite #WW

I’ve stretched my long arm out a bit to include Harrison as part of northwest Arkansas. K.D. McCrite answers my 11-Questions this morning. I particularly liked the answer to #10.

If you are a woman writer who resides in northwest Arkansas and you’d like to have your interview posted to my blog, let me know this week. Unless someone else steps forward, next week I’ll begin on the men writers of this region.

Author name:  K.D. McCrite

Latest title: 

Confessions of April Grace: In Front of God and Everybody (May 2011); The Deed in the Attic: an Annie’s Attic Mystery (June, 2011) Confessions of April Grace: Cliques, Hicks, and Ugly Sticks (December, 2011) The Unfinished Sonata: an Annie’s Attic Mystery (early 2012)

 

1.  I’m always interested in the writer’s process. How often do you write? Do you have a daily word count goal? Give me an overview (or detailed if you really want to go there) of your writing life.

I write every day, but do not have a set word count. If I can meet my deadlines several weeks ahead of time, I save myself a lot of stress. I take a little time before I start writing to ponder what I’m about to do. Sometimes I walk or take a drive and try to visualize the scene. It’s good to think about all aspects of scene, how all five senses are engaged. Then I write.

2.  Do you also work a full-time non-writer job or career?

Not any more, thank the good Lord, and my husband. I’ve been a librarian and I’ve been a mental health caseworker.

3.  How supportive has your family been of your writing time? Have you ever had to fight for your right to write?

Growing up, I had met with a lot of resistance from my evangelical family.  Not sure why they were so dead set against me pursuing a God-given talent, but they were. My
husband is very supportive of me.

4.  How long does it take you to write (from start to finish) a novel?

It varies from book to book. If I did not have TV or Internet or pets, I’d finish my books a lot more quickly.

5.  What route to publishing did you take (agent, traditional, self-pub), and how long did it take from finish to publication?

My first books, I found a publisher on my own. I now have an agent and I thank God for her every day. Time from finish to publication varies. For the “Confessions of April Grace” series, it seems to be about six months or so from the time the “final cut” is approved until I have a book in my hand. I believe it’s about the same, give or take a month or two for Annie’s Mysteries.

6.  Is there a theme, or premise you’d really like readers to connect with in your latest book?

I try to have a little “lesson” in each book I write, but mostly, I just want to people to have a good time reading my stories. My current published books are mostly heavy on the humor, but I do have some darker tales out there that my agent is shopping around. I’d love to see those in print. They’re heavy and deep, definitely some underpinnings of angst and desire in them.

7.  Where are you going now, are you working on a sequel, or something entirely different?

I’ll keep writing the April Grace series as long as anyone will buy them. I love those stories. I’d like to balance my lighter writing with something darker and more serious, but at this point, I’m going with the flow to see where it takes me. I do have an idea for another series that my agent encourages me to put together. I’ll probably do that in the next couple of months.

8.  Where do you find inspiration for your stories and novels?

There is no situation where I don’t see the possibility for a story. My brain seethes with “What ifs” all the time. In fact, sometimes I wish I could turn off my
imagination.

9.  With all the focus lately on authors providing a lot of their own self-promotion, what are you doing in this respect?

I do whatever I need to do. There are so many “indies” out there, trying to sell their books to the world, that unique promo is hard to create. It’s like paddling a canoe in a swimming pool full of swimmers. The best I can do is write a story that rises above the pack, and make sure others know it’s out there.

10.  Who or what would you say has been the biggest influence on you as a writer?

Odd as it sounds, I believe the nay-sayers early in my career gave me impetus to prove them wrong. The “I’ll show you!” mindset. I knew I had the goods, and if I did not persist in writing, it would just prove they were right in saying I couldn’t do it.

11. Where can we find your book? Is it available in e-format as well?

The “Confessions of April Grace” books are available everywhere books are sold, and all the usual online places. You can get the Kindle version, too.  Books for the “Annie’s Mysteries” series are written exclusively for the Annie’s Attic Mystery Book Club and are not available in stores. However, they can be found from time to time on ebay and such places. I believe Amazon may have used copies periodically. Of course, anyone is welcome to join the Book Club, and I try to keep a few on hand.

Women Writers of NWA – Velda Brotherton #WW

Velda is one of the founding members  of the NWA Writer’s Workshop. Not only is she immersed in her own writing career, she graciously volunteers her time to meet with a growing group of writers every week on Thursdays to help us whip our manuscripts into shape. Today I’m proud to have her answering my 11-Questions.

Author name:  Velda Brotherton

Latest title:  Stone Heart’s Woman and Wolf Song , both November releases

1.  I’m always interested in the writer’s process. How often do you write? Do you have a daily word count goal? Give me an overview (or detailed if you really want to go there) of your writing life.

I write every day but Sunday when I laze around and visit with family. Usually I do my email for an hour or more in the a.m., then write from 1 to 5 or so. Often I do this in jammies unless I’m expecting company, which isn’t too often during a workday.

I’ve never had a word count goal. I write and once I get involved in the story, fingers fly and my mind follows suit. I’ve been writing like this since 1983, and have never tired of it. As I’ve gotten more involved in several projects at a time, I’ve had to set up a schedule that allows certain work done on certain days so I can keep up with emails, promotion, writing blogs and short stories and articles and whatever book or novel (s) I’m working on. During the day I try to spend a half hour or so sitting on the patio in the sun, or in the summer I take time out to swim with my daughter when she’s not busy. At night I often lie awake living in one of the stories I’m working on or setting up a workshop. I hold two a year.

2.  Do you also work a full-time non-writer job or career?

Nope. I’m retired from all that nonsense and have been since we moved back to Arkansas in 1972. We weren’t Hippies, but back-to-the-landers.

3.  How supportive has your family been of your writing time? Have you ever had to fight for your right to write?

Early on, when I was writing with no interest from publishers, I often got this sideways look and sometimes even a, “How long are you going to do this before you give up?” question. My husband was ambivalent at first, but after I started to get published he became very supportive. When my mother was alive, she resented the time I spent writing when she wanted me to spend more time with her, but she was actually responsible for me going to work for a weekly newspaper that led me to so many stories over the years. She loved my books, too.

4.  How long does it take you to write (from start to finish) a novel?

My novels usually take at least a year to write, and that includes research, which takes a couple of months, off and on, depending on whether it’s historical or contemporary. I’ve one novel, though, that I’ve worked on off and on since I began to write. One day I may get it right and publish it.

5.  What route to publishing did you take (agent, traditional, self-pub), and how long did it take from finish to publication?

I’ve gone just about every route there is so far.  I’ve had three agents with traditional publishing in New York, I’ve gone the regional publshing route with no agent, and now I’m self-publishing, if you could call it that, the back list of western historical novels that were originally published in New York. They are going on Kindle, but will eventually be on all digital Ebook formats. And I intend to follow that up by self publishing some novels that have never quite suited NY publishers.

6.  Is there a theme, or premise you’d really like readers to connect with in your latest book?

You know, I hear theme tossed around all the time, but never think of it when I write a book. I think about my characters, their strengths and weaknesses and how they’re going to survive all the problems I throw at them. I suppose you might say I write about women strong enough to stand up to adversity, no matter how bad it gets. But theme? Who knows what that really means? I don’t.

7.  Where are you going now, are you working on a sequel, or something entirely different?

Yes, in fact, I have three women’s fiction manuscripts stacked on my desk right now.
If I ever get them edited just the way I want, I plan on publishing them to E
Books. I also have two new books coming out: One is a Western Historical
Romance, Stone Heart’s Woman with The Wild Rose Press and the other is a
mainstream paranormal, Wolf Song from SynergEbooks. It will be out in November.
Another book that will surprise everyone, I expect, is still sitting at a
publishers waiting to be considered.

8.  Where do you find inspiration for your stories and novels?

In my life and the lives of others and a very wild imagination. Sometimes I’ll be watching a movie and some character will walk through and I’ll suddenly imagine her involved in my story. Or at the end of a story, I’ll wonder what might have happened next and write a book about it, not using a single character from the original story. Things strike me at the oddest moments. Sitting on the shoreline of a lake in the Ouachita Mountains in Southern Arkansas while on a camping trip, I came up with one of the women’s fiction novels I’m editing now. By the time we left our campsite and came home I had most of the idea stuck in my head. All it needed was the writing.

9.  With all the focus lately on authors providing a lot of their own self-promotion, what are you doing in this respect?

I’m
concentrating on online promotion. Last summer I wore myself out physically
promoting two regional nonfiction books. I won’t do that again, I can’t. The
Internet offers all I need to promote E books and that’s where I’m going with
it. Guest blogging, getting acquainted on special social media sites that cater
to my audience, making sure my books are featured any and everywhere available.
It’s a never ending process.

10.  Who or what would you say has been the biggest influence on you as a writer?

Oddly enough, both are men. The biggest influence on
my early writing is Dusty Richards who supported me from the beginning, who
urged me on when I wanted to back off; the other was Parker Rushing, the editor
of the newspaper I worked for. He taught me so much and did so much for me
early in my career. In fact he threw my first publication party at his home.
Sadly, he passed away soon after my first book came out, but I’ll always think
of him as a huge supporter and good friend.

11. Where can we find your book? Is it available in e-format as well?

My books are all available at Amazon including the Kindle editions.
Barnes and Noble also carries all my print books, as do several other online
book stores. It’s really easy to find them. Search for Velda Brotherton at
Amazon and they’ll all pop up. That’s easier than a link for each book.

My website is www.veldabrotherton.com for those who want to read first chapters and find direct links to order my books.

Women Writers of NWA – Sarah Paige Berling #WW

Sarah answers my 11-Questions (minus 1). She used to meet with us on Thursday’s gathering of NWA Writers but moved away last year to Oklahoma.

Author name:  Sarah Paige Berling

Latest title:  Current WIPs: Time’s Eye and Forgive Me If I Sleep

1. I’m always interested in the writer’s process. How often do you write? Do you have a daily word count goal? Give me an overview (or detailed if you really want to go there) of your writing life.

I tried setting goals for myself, and then was always disappointed in myself because I never met them.  I try to write everyday, or at least several times a week.  Usually I write in spurts, whenever the mood overtakes me.  I’ve found that forcing myself to sit down and write creates poor results.

I’ve been writing since I was 12 (I’m 24 now).  I prefer to write long-hand, because it lets my mind work more steadily.  But I create better work when I sit down to type.  It just takes a bit longer.  Very frustrating.

I’m currently a Creative Writing major at the University of Central Oklahoma.  I’ll be graduating in May.

2. Do you also work a full-time non-writer job or career?

Sorta.  I’m a full-time student and I work about 25 hours a week at two different jobs.  But because all my classes this semester are in the evening and the jobs only take up a few days of the week, I still find plenty of time to sit down and write.

3. How supportive has your family been of your writing time? Have you ever had to fight for your right to write?

My mother has always been very supportive, as have my husband (Eric) and my best friend (Philip).  My father is always interested when I mention it, but he usually forgets about it the next day.  My siblings don’t really care and none of my family have ever read anything I’ve written.  They’re more abstractedly supportive.  Philip and Eric read whatever I ask them to, and give good feedback, which I really appreciate.  A writer friend of mine, Danny, helps by pointing out the inconsistencies in my stories, which is a huge help and makes my writing stronger.

4. How long did it take to write (from start to finish) your novel?

FMIIS took a little over a year, but that’s because it was a collaborative work.  I’ve been working on Time’s Eye, piece by piece, for about 3 years.  I believe that, once I finish it, I will have the idea of how to start and end a novel more firmly planted in my head, so the next one will take less time.

5. What route to publishing did you take (agent, traditional, self-pub), and how long did it take from finish to publication?

The only piece I’ve had published, a flash fiction piece for a zombie anthology, was sent straight to the editor.  When I try to get FMIIS and Time’s Eye published, though, I will try an agent first, and if that fails, I will go straight to the publisher.

6. Is there a theme, or premise you’d really like readers to connect with in your latest book?

I haven’t realized a theme in either novel, yet, but maybe I will as I go through and edit them.  I have another project that I’m planning on starting this month, and the premise I’m working on is, “We create our own reality.”  Or something to that effect.

7. Where are you going now, are you working on a sequel, or something entirely different?

I’m not a big fan of sequels.  I’m working on something completely different now, something mythologically-based in a  post-apocalyptic world.  I find that my writing goes through phases:  I had an“assassins” phase, where every protagonist was an assassin (this was back during my younger teenage years); then I had a “dragons”phase, where every story needed a dragon (older teenage years); and now I’m in a mythology phase, where I learn as much as I can about other existing mythologies, then go about creating my own.  I’m also very interested in the different ways humanity is going to destroy itself.

8. Where do you find inspiration for your stories and novels?

A lot of times, dreams.  Sometimes, it’s something I think I see somewhere (when really it’s something much more mundane).  Like this one time, I was driving home from work at 2 in the morning, and there was a car parked on the side of the road.  But because it was so late and I was so tired, I thought it was a tank, which led to a story-creating frenzy in my mind. And I get a lot of ideas by talking to Eric and Philip about things that interest us, like mythology or science.

9. With all the focus lately on authors providing a lot of their own self-promotion, what are you doing in this respect?

I have a blog that I update around once a week.  The address is http://sarahthestoryteller.wordpress.com.  I use it mostly to post advice to new writers and talk about whatever I happen to be working on at the time.  Whenever I learn something really useful and awesome in class, I’ll post it on the blog, as well as when I read a really good/awful book.  Because Creative Writing is a subset of an English degree, I have to take quite a few literature courses, so sometimes my posts are more literary-based than writing advice-based.

10. Who or what would you say has been the biggest influence on you as a writer?

My insatiable urge to read.  I’ll read good books to learn what to do and I’ll read bad books, to learn what not to do. I’ll read different genres (though I prefer to stick to sff), just to see how they’re different.  And I love rereading books, years later, just to see whether the authors still touch me in the same way they originally did.  A lot of times, I’ll reread a book I loved when I was a teenager, only to think, “Wait, this got published?  Man, if this got published, I’m a shoo-in.”  Arrogant, I know, but it helps my flagging self-esteem at times.