On Writing Author Interview: Coral Moore

To avoid pre-conceived notions which can sometimes be connected with certain genres, the number of books published and/or an author's appearance, none of that information will be revealed until the bottom of the interview.   So pour a cup of coffee, have a seat, and check out this interview - see how much, or how little, you have in common with this published author.

ON WRITING:
What is your favorite part of being a writer?
My favorite part of being a writer is inventing characters. It’s also my favorite part of being a reader, connecting with characters and following them on their journeys.

What is your least favorite part?
I’m not very comfortable with promotion, so I’d have to say that’s my least favorite part.

Name one obstacle you’ve had to overcome.
I think my biggest obstacle is my own mind. It’s easy to read that first draft and see it as unsalvageable, so that’s my big struggle.

Is there a specific part of your writing you’re working on to improve?
I have a pretty spare writing style, so I’m always working on more evocative descriptions.

What part of your writing makes you particularly proud?
When someone tells me they enjoyed a story I wrote, I feel tremendously proud. Since I’m very recently published, looking at my book page still gives me a little thrill, too.

What does your favorite main character have in common with you?
Wow, that’s a great question. Candor is a trait I share with most of my main characters. My main characters don’t tend to lie or evade their responsibilities.

Do you do a lot of research for your projects or do you only write about what you already know?
I do many hours of research, but most of it doesn’t make its way into the story directly. I like to use it as a spice to make my characters and world richer.

How do you use the internet for your writing?
The most honest answer is probably too much! However, since that’s probably not the answer you want, I use it primarily for research, and also as a dictionary and thesaurus. I also keep backups of all my writing ‘in the cloud’ because I’m terrified of losing my work.

If you’ve won any awards for your writing, what impact do you think that has had? 
I haven’t won any awards… yet!

What one marketing tool have you had good success with?
It’s a bit early to answer this for me, but I think the act of connecting with (and not so much selling to) potential readers is a powerful tool that we can all use successfully.

What good writing habits have you developed that you think would be helpful to someone starting out?
One habit I’ve developed is not to delete anything. When I decide to remove a scene or line, I put it into a spare parts file and sometimes if I’m stuck I go back there looking for inspiration.

Do you have any bad writing habits that you’d advise writers to avoid?
I do a lot of rewriting while working through my first draft. I wish I could stop because it makes my first drafts take much longer than they probably should.

Do you have any strange writing habits?
I chew a lot of gum while I’m writing, always minty flavors. No idea where I picked up that habit.  (FYI – they say that chewing gum stimulates the brain – so this is actually a very good habit!)

When you’re not writing, do you read, and if so, what?
I read a lot and my tastes are varied. I like Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Thrillers, Mysteries—I think that about covers it. *grin*

What are you trying to accomplish with/through your writing?
I just like to tell stories. I find it fun and rewarding in its own right.

ADVICE TO OTHER WRITERS
What words of wisdom do you have for young writers?
Keep working at it. I know it sounds trite, but that’s really the best piece of advice I’ve got. Write lots of words and keep writing.

What advice do you have for someone looking to get published?
I would say that you should take stock of why you’re writing before you decide between self-publishing or traditionally publishing. Do some research on the benefits of self-publishing and really consider if you can go it alone.

Any thoughts on what this author writes?  How many books published?  Here's a little more information about the author...
 
How many published books are to your credit?  1

Do you have an agent?  I do not have an agent.

Are you self-published?  I am! (Yes, I am quite enthusiastic about that.)

How many different companies have you published with?   1 – my own

How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing off and on for twenty years, but I just seriously started working at it in August of 2010.

Do you write full-time? If not, what is your other job? And how do you balance work/writing?
I have a full-time, non-writing job as a marketing analyst, basically a spreadsheet monkey. It’s really difficult to balance them, but what I try to do is set a time every night that I do nothing but write or writing related work.

So, any thoughts?  Here's the full scoop:

Coral Moore has always been the kind of girl who makes up stories. Fortunately, she never quite grew out of that. She writes because she loves to invent characters and the desire to find out what happens to her creations drives the tales she tells.

Prompted by a general interest in how life works, her undergraduate schooling was in biology. She follows science news and enjoys conversations about genetics and microbiology as much as those about vampires and werewolves. Coral writes speculative fiction and is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Writing at Albertus Magnus College.

Currently she lives in Connecticut with the love of her life, who offers both encouragement and kicks in the tail when necessary. Also in residence are two mammals of the families Canidae and Felidae.

Author Coral Moore’s new Urban Fantasy titled Broods of Fenrir – is available for purchase on Amazon.com

THE FUTURE
What are you working on now?
I have another novel completed that should be out in the spring of 2012 called Elements of Rebellion which is a traditional fantasy.

PARTING WORDS
Anything else about being a writer that you’d like to share?
I love being a writer and I encourage anyone that thinks they have stories to tell to try it out.

Where can people learn more about you?

My website: http://www.chaosandinsanity.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/coralm

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