On Writing Author Interview: Author J. Johnson Higgins

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? Writing gives me a jolt in the same way that caffeine does for most people. Just coming up with something for my story, no matter how small or big, is enough to get me through a day. It’s like a treat.

What is your least favorite part? I’m not a fan of the part where I have to sell my story. I’ve always written for fun and it always feels like a distraction from my writing and a lot of extra stress to try and stand out so someone will read my work. My confession: I wish it was completely someone else’s job so I can go back to writing.

Name one obstacle you’ve had to overcome.   I’ve had to overcome the pressure to write someone else’s book. I think we as writers get a lot of pressure to throw out our original ideas in order to write what experts or the markets say we should write. It was tempting but it was also at the root of most of my writing dilemmas. It can be paralyzing.

Is there a specific part of your writing you’re working on to improve?  I’m working on transitions and “scene changes.” Many times I’ll write whole blocks of my story and find myself rearranging things because they make better sense told in a different order or from a different point-of-view. Though it usually works out, I’m working on planning that sort of stuff out in advance instead of after the fact.

What part of your writing makes you particularly proud?   People say they can “see” my stories in their minds very easily. It’s the one consistent complement I get. That makes me proud of my work. I’m doing something right!

What does your favorite main character have in common with you?   My main character tends to get mixed up in things that are overwhelming and well outside of her comfort zone but she typically finds ways to keep her head on straight. She’s not perfect but she gets through it. We have that in common.

Do you do a lot of research for your projects or do you only write about what you already know?   I do a little of both. What I know seems to show up in my stories without even trying but every now and then I’m fascinated by something I really don’t understand and I want it in my story. Interestingly, after doing a ton of research, most of it does not make it into the final version because it’s not relevant and would distract the reader from the point I’m making. In sum, it helps to know how the world works for the sake of the reader that happens to be an expert but I refuse to bore the rest of my readers with esoteric fun facts.

How do you use the internet for your writing?   I use it to examine mannerisms and tones of voice. Unless I’m in a café or somewhere where I can watch people, I like to look at people’s reactions to questions and situations online and do my best to reproduce those in my story when I’m describing a character doing the same thing. My imagination is good but it’s unbelievable all the little things that a person does that imply their state of mind. Online dictionaries are great too for checking confusing words.

If you’ve won any awards for your writing, what impact do you think that has had?   No awards. I’d like to say that this has protected me from developing an inflated ego.

What one marketing tool have you had good success with?  Business cards. They’re like bookmarks but I actually carry them everywhere I go and they seem to end up in people’s hands even if I’m not trying to give them out! People seem to want them.

What good writing habits have you developed that you think would be helpful to someone starting out?   I’ve gotten pretty good at setting aside time most days to write, even if it’s not for very long. Planning and pre-writing is a must for me too.

Do you have any bad writing habits that you’d advise writers to avoid?  It’s not a good idea to make writing the very last thing on your agenda on any given day. Trust me, it won’t happen. Every now and then I convince myself that it’s no big deal and every time I’m wrong.

Do you have any strange writing habits?   I write rather short chapters usually but I guess it’s not that strange once you see how short James Patterson’s chapters are.

When you’re not writing, do you read, and if so, what?   I usually choose 19th century novels or modern thrillers. In all honesty, I read more non-fiction like newspapers and journal articles than anything else.  I don’t read my own genre. I’m actually disenchanted with the direction the genre has been going and the lack of innovation. I don’t want it rubbing off on me too much.

What are you trying to accomplish with/through your writing?   I hope that my writing is fun and interesting to read more than anything else.

ADVICE TO OTHER WRITERS
What words of wisdom do you have for young writers?  Just write what you want to write and believe in that story. Only change your creative work if you believe it helps make it clearer but don’t change it for other reasons inconsistent with your core principals as an artist. It is important that the writing means something to you. After all, you’ll be the one with your name associated with it.

What advice do you have for someone looking to get published?   There is no one right way to publish your work. For some, this means to publish through a traditional and mainstream publisher; for others it means to publish it yourself or give it out for free. I say do what suits you and your story. The worse outcome is not publishing your work at all, if publishing is a major goal of yours.

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?   No

Are you self-published?  Yes

How many different companies have you published with?   1

How long have you been writing?   17 years (but more seriously in recent years)

Do you write full-time? If not, what is your other job? And how do you balance work/writing?   I don’t write fiction full-time but I do write other things for a living. I’m a policy analyst so I write research papers and ghostwrite statements for people regularly. They are two very different styles of writing but with the same goal making sure the message is communicated to an audience effectively. I usually, write fiction in my free time (or I sneak it between other things when I’m not free).

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

     J. Johnson Higgins began his writing from a young age. In elementary school he was once asked to write a short myth as an assignment. From that point forward he continued writing short stories about magic and alternate worlds for fun. He continued this process on into his college years.
    His first novel, Legend of the Dark Messiah: The Mask and the Sword, was published in 2007. The novel was largely recognized as a refreshing new take on the Fantasy genre that combines an original modern-feeling world with a page-turning political conspiracy nicely woven into the plot.
    He currently lives in Maryland.
    His book, Legend of the Dark Messiah: The Mask and the Sword, can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, and iUniverse (eBook and hardcover versions also available here).

THE FUTURE
What are you working on now?  I’m currently preparing the second book in the Legend of the Dark Messiah series for publication. I’m also writing the third installment.

More information on Author J. John Higgins is available on his website at www.authorjjhiggins.com

Is there anything else you'd like to know about this author, or any questions you'd like added to future interviews? Let us know...drop us a comment below.

On Writing Author Interview - Boyd Lemon - Author

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?  I love writing practice, when I just pick a topic and do a timed writing on it; and I also love writing the first draft of a story or memoir.

 What is your least favorite part?  Proofreading.

Name one obstacle you’ve had to overcome. Learning how not to write like a lawyer.

Is there a specific part of your writing you’re working on to improve?  I think I can improve all parts of my writing.  I hope so.

What part of your writing makes you particularly proud?  How deep and honest I was able to write (my memoir).

What does your favorite main character have in common with you?  My favorite main character was a father trying to relate to his adult children.

 Do you do a lot of research for your projects or do you only write about what you already know?  I haven’t written anything yet that I have had to do a lot of research for (except my legal writing), but I would like to.  I enjoy research.

How do you use the internet for your writing?  For factual data and for promotion.

If you’ve won any awards for your writing, what impact do you think that has had?  I have not won any awards yet, but I haven’t applied for any either.

What one marketing tool have you had good success with?   Social networking has sold quite a few books.

 What good writing habits have you developed that you think would be helpful to someone starting out?  Writing every day, even if it is only for a few minutes.  Meticulous proofreading myself, and then submitting my writing to a professional proofreader before submitting it for publication.  Also, using beta readers I trust and considering their critiques.

 Do you have any bad writing habits that you’d advise writers to avoid?  Good question.  Hurrying my writing and setting deadlines for myself that are unnecessary.

Do you have any strange writing habits?   I like to change the locale of my writing a lot: cafes, home, the beach, on trains, on planes, in my garden, wherever I am.  I also carry a notebook around with me at all times and make notes when something occurs to me that I might want to put in a story or the book I am writing or might write in the future.

 When you’re not writing, do you read, and if so, what?  I read a lot—literary fiction, memoir, mystery and once in a while, fantasy; and once in a while, history and historical novels.

What are you trying to accomplish with/through your writing?  Simply self expression and the hope that others will read it and gain something from it.

ADVICE TO OTHER WRITERS
What words of wisdom do you have for young writers?  Keep writing, every day, if possible; and finish what your write.  Too many novice writers never finish what they write.  For that reason, I recommend starting out with writing short stories, if you want to write fiction, or essays if you want to write non-fiction.  Then after you have written a dozen or so short pieces, go for the longer piece.

What advice do you have for someone looking to get published?  Self publish or submit to small presses.  Don’t waste your time submitting to agents.  The chances of an unknown author being accepted by an agent are too small, and it takes too long.

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?  Three.

Do you have an agent?  No. 

Are you self-published?  Yes, for two of my three books

How many different companies have you published with?  Three.

How long have you been writing?   I’ve been writing  about legal topics for 45 years (I’m a retired lawyer), but I have been writing fiction and narrative non-fiction for about five years.

Do you write full-time?  Yes. 

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

Boyd Lemon is 70 years old.  He practiced law for 43 years in California, where he was born and raised.  After writing legal articles and a book, five years ago, he started writing fiction and narrative non-fiction.  He's studied extensively with author and teacher, Natalie Goldberg.  In 2007 he moved to Boston and lived there for three years, after which he moved to Paris for a year.  He returned to California in April 2011 and lives in Ventura in a cottage surrounded by a beautiful garden.  He has four adult children and four grandchildren.

Boyd's titles include “Digging Deep: A Writer Uncovers His Marriages,”  “Unexpected Love and Other Stories” and “Evaluating a Malpractice Case Against a Lawyer.”  They're available for purchase at http://www.boydlemon-writer.com/; Amazon.com; BarnsandNoble.com; and Smashwords.com.

THE FUTURE
What are you working on now?  I’m working on promoting my memoir.  I’m writing a self-help book about retirement; and every once in a while I take a break and write a piece of short fiction.

PARTING WORDS
Anything else about being a writer that you’d like to share?   It is my life’s passion, but I didn’t discover that until I was 65 years old.

More information on Boyd is available at http://www.boydlemon-writer.com/.

Is there anything else you'd like to know about this author, or any questions you'd like added to future interviews?  Let us know...drop us a comment below.

On Writing Author Interview: Author/Screenwriter Tom Szollosi

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?  Being on a creative roll, listening to my characters get up and walk around and talk "on their own".  They show you where you ought to be going, whether it's what you planned or not.

What is your least favorite part? Getting notes that make me realize I don't always have all the answers, and having to admit to myself that they're well taken and if I follow them the project will get better. Ugh.  I do hate that.

Name one obstacle you’ve had to overcome. Stuttering.  I had a miserable time when I was a kid, and I think it's one of the big reasons I became a writer.  Many of my friends tell me they don't even remember or realize that I stutter, but they should hear me read.  That's when it's a bitch.  And frankly, it's the one thing I dread in publicizing my writing, the idea of doing readings.  NOBODY would want to sit and watch me struggle through my own words, so I've avoided it.  I'm thinking of getting a friend of mine (I know a few actors, being a longtime Hollywood creature) to act as my mouthpiece when it comes time for the reading segment of the show.  I can answer the questions fine, and I've taught classes in screenwriting and did well enough to want to show up every week, but the idea of actually READING my stuff is more than a grown man should have to endure.  Not to mention his audience.

Is there a specific part of your writing you’re working on to improve?  I'm of the opinion that the day you quit trying to be a better writer is the day you ought to quit being a writer. It's a constant quest for a better way to do it, a clearer, more impactful, more graceful style.  And by the way, when I say graceful I mean in control,  so even if it's gritty and hardboiled, it works with clarity and accomplishes exactly what you want it to.

What part of your writing makes you particularly proud?  Some of the dialog.  I've studied it a great deal in script writing, and have always been astounded at the lack of naturalistic dialog in fiction.  Many really accomplished authors just cannot write dialog that anybody would ever say.  It's about listening to people, hearing what they cut off, what they truncate or jump over or ignore.  There's a lot of shorthand between people when they speak, and a lot of implication in what's said.  While this is harder to convey in prose, I do NOT think it's impossible.  It's just tough.  Read Elmore Leonard if you want to see the best in dialog.  It's like a great left jab. It pounds away with amazing speed, very light on the adjectival garnish and tending toward short, declarative statements that take a position.  This does a great job of advancing the character's point of view, and contributing  to the conflict.  I am not ashamed to say that my goal is to write dialog that somebody might believe actually came from Elmore Leonard.  I could then die happy.

What does your favorite main character have in common with you?   A whole raft of ...similarities.  My favorite character is named Mike Cotter, he's the main character -- or one of them -- ...which I hereby acknowledge was written at least in part (okay, large part) in as straight-from-life a way as I could stomach.  It was cathartic, specific, and therefore raced along at a really good clip.  I've always heard people say "write what you know", but to that I would add the words "better than you wish you knew it".

Do you do a lot of research for your projects or do you only write about what you already know?   I do just as much as will get me by. I prefer thinking from a character point of view; psychological over dry fact. Of course there are some times you simply have no choice, even though I don't love doing it.

How do you use the internet for your writing?   Promotion.  Not that I've been great at it, and not that I claim to really understand it.  I am constantly on the lookout for what I don't know, what I've overlooked, what I've just missed. Things like blogs, links, RSS, and zillions of other things that seem like second nature to a lot of people are elusive as hell to me.  Setting up a website was a clumsy, humbling experience, but I wanted to do it myself. It does NOT look like the most professional of sites, but that's okay, it's really mine.  I want the books to be professional.  The websites are supportive, but I never claimed to be a websiter, I claimed to be a writer.

If you’ve won any awards for your writing, what impact do you think that has had?  I have not won any awards since I got a trophy in little league baseball when I was 13.  I don't write to win awards, I write to tell stories and explore things about people that I find curious and interesting.  If they're not the kind of things that garner awards, I could care less.  I hope people like and respect what I do, because I bust my back doing them and I love being appreciated as much as anyone, but awards seem pretty arbitrary and are often based on things having nothing to do with quality and integrity.

What one marketing tool have you had good success with?  In all candor, it's too soon to have an answer to that.  I hope to be able to answer what marketing I've had success with in a few months.  I'm blogging and doing interviews like this one, along with verging on the obnoxious on Facebook and LinkedIn with my "news" about my new book and how it's available in Kindle, on Smashwords for every other kind of ereader, and on CreateSpace for paperback Print on Demand (see how I fall right into the ol' sales pitch?).  But so far, the jury's out.  ...it's humbling...

What good writing habits have you developed that you think would be helpful to someone starting out?  Do it every day.  Don't listen to people who say how intimidating it is to face the blank page.  Nonsense.  It's blank, it's full of potential.  And if you mess it up, you start over.  So what?  You're not cutting diamonds, you're writing stories.  There's got to be a lot of trial and error, because it's hard.  It's not going to just roll over and surrender for you.  Don't go back and reread to edit everything you've done up to the point you've reached.  (Of course, make sure you remember where you left off.) Don't do anything to stop the forward motion of the train.  Plenty of time to do that when you go back and start playing rewriter.  That's another hat, and you don't take it out of the closet till you're finished with the first one, the writer's hat.

Do you have any bad writing habits that you’d advise writers to avoid?  I'm pretty much a slob.  I tend to let papers pile up on my desk, and that literally cramps one's style.  It gets oppressive.  When the desk is clean and clear, it's a free, open feeling, which is literally going to pay off in what you write.  Clutter breeds clutter and less than strong, muscular writing.

Do you have any strange writing habits?  I regret to say, not really.  I drink a lot of coffee, but that's not so strange.  But it's just about the only habit.

When you’re not writing, do you read, and if so, what?  I read anything that challenges me to write more effectively.  I like to read writers who seem to be better at some facet of the job than I am.  Also, I like subjects and genres that I'd be very reluctant to try myself.  I don't think I'd be comfy writing an international spy thriller.  But I enjoy them when they're good.  I also love genuine, flat out literature.  Serious writing that gets reviewed by the big boys.  I loved "Let The Great World Spin" by Colum McCann, and I always buy the new Thomas Pynchon book, whatever it is.  The object there, incidentally, is not getting all the way to the end, because Pynchon is far more impressive as a stylist and when his verbal prowess and flexibility are on display.  His plotting and sense of story will sometimes, frankly, annoy the hell out of me or anybody else.  But he is a stupendous talent, and he reminds me of all the kinds of things you CAN do when you're writing, which almost no one else ventures into.  He's like listening to an orchestra comprised of instruments you've never heard before -- at least you've never heard them played quite that way.  When I was in college, some time before the invention of fire, I idolized Pynchon and wanted to be him -- not like him, actually him.  I'm not quite pleased that wasn't in the cards, but I still admire him no end.  I also -- from the opposite end of the spectrum -- love Elmore Leonard, especially his earlier works.  Nobody wrote hard boiled crime fiction on a par with Leonard, except Chandler and Hammett.  Those are the three Gods of tough fiction...

What are you trying to accomplish with/through your writing?  There are lots of snotty answers I could give, but the main things I want to accomplish are: to be a decent writer, tell an entertaining and well crafted story, and make a living at it.  That may sound like oversimplification to some, but not to anyone who writes.  I'd like, along the way, to illuminate readers about the human condition, especially when it comes to the dignity of just doing what you're supposed to do, the honorability of giving it your best shot, and the importance of loving generously when it's so tempting to be stingy.  Whether it's a son, a wife, an old friend or the family dog, the more you put out there, the more you get back.  I also -- and maybe this is odd, I don't know because I've always been fascinated with it -- enjoy exploring the nature of evil.  The remarkable banality and ordinary qualities of evil, which is all around us, every day.  It's unsettling, yet it's hard to take one's eyes off of it.  I think people don't understand what it is, how close they are to it every day, brushing right up against it.  They attribute it to sources rooted in superstition, instead of looking with clear eyed honesty at the fact that it's very much part of human nature.  Everyday human nature.  If I could make more people recognize that it's not Satan, it's the guy in the next apartment, I think I'd have accomplished something good.

ADVICE TO OTHER WRITERS
What words of wisdom do you have for young writers?  Save your money.  This is not a reliable profession.  You're a small businessman (person) if you're a writer, and you need to be comfortable thinking that way.  Be honest with yourself about your own talent, but don't let rejection eat your lunch.  Everyone gets it, hates it, and the sun nevertheless always rises the next day.  Shake it off.  Don't be jealous of the talent you see in others, the world's got plenty of room for everybody to succeed.  No one ever did anything but poison the waters by saying "not only must I succeed, but you must fail".  I've seen far too many talented people actually limit their own success by lugging such ideas around.

What advice do you have for someone looking to get published? Be patient, be dogged.  Understand that today it's quite possible that being formally published by an old fashioned brick and mortar publishing house is going the way of the record business.  The internet has changed everything.  Self publishing, independent publishing, whatever you want to call it -- is the rising wave of writing's future.  Already, ebooks outsell paperbacks.  That's not to say you shouldn't try going to traditional route if that's what you really value and want.  Of course you should.  But know that it's just ONE of the ways to get your book out there, and to start your career as a writer.

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?   Four.

Do you have an agent?   Not a literary agent. I have a manager for my screen and television work.

Are you self-published?  Yes, on the most recent book.

How many different companies have you published with?   Two.  Doubleday, in 1988, and Ravenous Romance in 2009.

How long have you been writing?   Since 1976, professionally.  That includes over 35 years writing for tv and screen.

Do you write full-time? If not, what is your other job? And how do you balance work/writing?  I'm writing full time now because it's been miserable finding a straight job to augment my writing income.  Of course, when I've been successful (translation: younger and not suffering from ageism), writing was the only game I'd consider.

So, any thoughts?  Here's the full scoop:
 
     I'm an LA native, longtime TV and screenwriter, sometime teacher of screenwriting, and oh yeah, I'm the novelist I wanted to be when I was a kid.  I've got a loving and incredibly patient wife, two sons, a terrific nephew with two gorgeous daughters I think of as grandchildren, and a chocolate Labrador Retriever named Kahlo (after the artist, at my younger son's insistence).  Professional details?  I've worked on shows like "The Incredible Hulk" and "The A-Team" along with a whole raft of other, lesser lights that I poured all my energy and heart into, because the truth is you work harder on the bad ones than you do on the good ones.  Don't know why that is, but it's true.  If you looked me up on Imdb, you'd see that I co-wrote "3O'Clock High" with my partner (for the first 17 years) Richard Christian Matheson, who was, is, and always will be one helluva writer.  I'm a very lucky guy.
 
     Tom's books include:  The Proving, horror/thriller police procedural elements.  Cold Angel, desert noir erotic thriller with large doses of humor, irony, and the belief that any beautiful woman can make a complete jackass out of any man, if she really wants to.  Dirty Hollywood, LA Noir, cops and desperados of the celluloid bottom-feeder variety.  The Space He Filled, family dysfunction goes off the rails when a 24 year old son moves out -- and vanishes.  A father's desperation leads an old friend to delve into the reaches of Hollywood's and Los Angeles' murkier corners and denizens to try and find where that wayward son has gone -- and why.  
 
     The Space He Filled in the Amazon Kindle Store, or through Smashwords for virtually every other kind of eReader, such as Nook, Sony, iPad, iBooks, iPhone, Blackberry and many other formats.  For a paperback copy of The Space He Filled, go to CreateSpace. The Proving is available as an eBook in all formats at Smashwords and in paperback on Amazon.  Cold Angel and Dirty Hollywood are available on Amazon in paperback and as eBooks.

THE FUTURE

What are you working on now?  I'm writing a novel called "Fat Tuesday", another one called "Bad Moon Over Hollywood", and a television pilot called "Eldorado Crossing", which is about two small border towns -- one in the US, one on the Mexican side -- and their interconnecting relationships and conflicts.  I'm not talking about the novels because they're not as far along yet as Eldorado Crossing, and they could yet undergo significant changes.  Suffice to say both are LA Noir of the kind I've explored in "The Space He Filled" and an earlier, far racier novel called "Dirty Hollywood" (which is also available on Amazon as an EBook from Ravenous Romance Publishing) , which is full of cops, desperate characters ranging from a drop dead gorgeous stage mother to a part time actor/part time serial killer who dresses in white and wields a knife like a master swordsman.  And of course, I'm working every day to figure out how to promote these things!

PARTING WORDS
Anything else about being a writer that you’d like to share?   It's tough on the eyes! It's also the only thing I've ever imagined myself doing -- with the exception of pitching in the big leagues, but that's not going to happen!

You can learn more about Author/Screenwriter Tom Szollosi at his website  as well as his author page on Smashwords,  and his Facebook page.  He's also got a blog at: http://bloginafog.wordpress.com/. 

Is there anything else you'd like to know about Tom, or any questions you'd like added to future interviews? Let us know...drop us a comment below.

Writing a Good Synopsis

Sometimes I'm not certain why writing a synopsis is such a difficult task.  Are you excited about your manuscript?  If you are, write down what you would tell a friend about your story in hopes of getting them interested in reading it.  Take those notes and make bullet points.  Organize them in a way that makes sense.  Start there.

Most synopses I see are brain dumps.  They are completely disorganized, mentioning things that have little impact on the story, and do not delineate an actual plot.  What is the conflict?  Who is the protagonist?  Who is the antagonist?  What is the goal?  What are the consequences for failure? 

Science fiction/fantasy pieces have been the worst, frankly.  I've gotten dizzy reading them.  What planet is this on?  What year?  And the words that are made up to represent something are strewn throughout the synopsis with no explanation, i.e. "The Wipcleat escaped from Tootoomootoo."  What is a Wipcleat?  Just because the writer knows it inside and out, sometimes an explanation can be forgotten.  Is the Wipcleat an organism?  The leader of a rebellious sect?  An emperor?  And what is Tootoomootoo?  A planet?  A prison?  A country?

A synopsis is the first thing an agent or publisher reads.  It represents your work and hopefully entices the person to read your story.  Make sure to put your best foot forward.

On Writing Author Interview: Writer Rosanne Dingli

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?   Being autonomous: not having a boss or having to be somewhere at the same time each day. I like being able to concentrate on my own priorities and be as chaotic as it is necessary to be.

What is your least favorite part?  Being autonomous – without a boss, or someone breathing down my neck, I get pretty disorganized. It all looks like fun, but it isn’t. I also don’t make as much money as I’d like, although that is not the biggest issue.

Name one obstacle you’ve had to overcome.   Just one? I could make you a list. The biggest was finding a writerly voice that blended in with the Australian ethos, while still appealing to an international audience. Being European, it was a difficult task. Finding an international publisher was the break.

Is there a specific part of your writing you’re working on to improve?  Yes - actually doing some creative writing.  I avoid it like a disease. 

 What part of your writing makes you particularly proud?   I am always proudest of my latest work, looking at it with some disbelief that I actually did the enormous amount of work each publication demands. Then I look back at other stuff I’ve published, and often wonder which part of me it was that could do such work.

What does your favorite main character have in common with you?   My favourite character is Bryn Awbrey, the symbologist (he doesn’t call himself that, but my publisher has)... He is Welsh and is chaotic, highly intelligent, and has heaps of empathy. I like to think I am empathic and of course, he gets his chaos from me. 


Do you do a lot of research for your projects or do you only write about what you already know?  Research is the most important, and the most enjoyable, part of what I do as a writer. The locations are fun to research because I get to go there. I try to weave in research into every family holiday, which is brilliant. I also include literary, music and art references into all my writing, and those are the things I enjoy most in life, so I often get carried away, and do lots of looking up and reading… and no writing.


How do you use the internet for your writing?    I doubt there is a writer today who can do without the internet. Research, support, ideas, collaboration with experts, fast communication with my publisher, opinions of other writers – all this would be much, much slower or non-existent, as those who have been writing long enough know. When I compare how I used to write pre-internet, and how I operate now, I realize it’s a double-edged sword. Impossible to do without, and infinitely distracting.

 If you’ve won any awards for your writing, what impact do you think that has had?   It’s important reinforcement of a writer’s efforts. It confirms what you think of your work, how you present it, and that your voice is accepted in a broader sense than individual writers saying nice things about you...

 What one marketing tool have you had good success with? Talking about myself as a writer and telling people – eyeball to eyeball, not only on the internet – about my work and my books. Nothing works like word of mouth, and people like to feel they have met a real writer, and that sells books like nothing else does. Everyone I come into contact with, people behind counters, at parties, at my kids’ schools… I talk to them and they look me up. There’s nothing like it. 

 What good writing habits have you developed that you think would be helpful to someone starting out?   I don’t have one to my name. All my habits are atrocious and I would not recommend them to anyone sane.

 Do you have any bad writing habits that you’d advise writers to avoid?   Like I said – everything I do is back to front, inside out and upside down.  

Do you have any strange writing habits?   Yes – all I do is strange. I try to write as little as possible and publish as much as I can. How does that compute? 

 When you’re not writing, do you read, and if so, what?   Big problem, reading. I try to read as much as I can, but it sends me to sleep – something to do with the eyes going left to right to left to right, zzzzz. When I’m awake, I try to review the books of fellow writers who write stuff I like. I do not review books for strangers or those whose books I have no interest in. I also like to read within my genre...

What are you trying to accomplish with/through your writing?  I don’t really know – a passage into the future? Immortality?  It’s all been said so much better by others. I do not have a social message for humanity, if that’s what you mean. I think I like to put down my observations of the human condition in an entertaining and thought-provoking way. I want readers to recognize and relate to stories I write.

ADVICE TO OTHER WRITERS
What advice do you have for someone looking to get published?   If you have something already written, get it fixed up to the highest level of finish you can, using the services of an editor. There are other ways, but an impartial, paid editor will probably tell you what’s wrong with your writing, the habits you have got into, and the rhythms you need to break. Then do it all yourself by learning each step as you get to it. There are too many new writers out there looking to get published, so cut to the chase and do it yourself. Many do, with some measure of success.

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? Currently in print – nine. Out of print, a couple.

Do you have an agent?   No, never have.

Are you self-published?  Only for some of my titles.

How many different companies have you published with?  Over my career since 1985, five. If you include Createspace, Smashwords and Kindle, eight.

 How long have you been writing?   Since 1985.

Do you write full-time? If not, what is your other job? And how do you balance work/writing? Yes. But not all of it is creative – I edit for clients, and write copy for a couple more. There’s no balance in anything I do – it’s chaotic at the moment.

 
So, any thoughts?  Here's the full scoop:
 
     ROSANNE DINGLI is a fiction writer with a foot in two camps. Her romantic thrillers are published by BeWrite Books, and her collections of stories and a poetry book are the products of her independent publishing. She put her out of print backlist back in circulation herself. A published author since 1985, with her first book released in 1991, Rosanne Dingli can claim to have worked over some of the most important upheavals and shifts endured by the publishing industry. She has occupied various roles in it, from EIC of a small magazine publisher to reading slush for a university press, as well as lecturing in Creative Writing. She lives in Western Australia.
 
    Her titles and genres include:  Camera Obscura, and According to Luke (Romantic thrillers); Death in Malta (Romantic mystery); Vision or Delusion, A Great Intimacy, The Astronomer’s Pig,  Making a Name,  Over and Above,  Counting Churches (Collections of short literary fiction and/or stories); All the Wrong Places (Poetry collection); and Short story ebooks Antwerp - The First Time, and The Red Volkswagen.

    Rosanne's books can be purchased everywhere good books are sold online – prices vary, so readers should shop around. It is possible to order all of them, especially the novels, at any bricks and mortar bookshop in the world, and, of course, at Amazon.com.

What are you working on now?  I am trying to draft my next romantic thriller, which is music based. I have just finished Camera Obscura, a romantic thriller about photography. My publishers, BeWrite Books, have put it into production this month.

Anything else about being a writer that you’d like to share? There is nothing more joyful and reassuring than the support of my partner and children. They take me seriously. They put up with my moods and strange habits, such as staying up all night, and talking about sales and drafts and edits. Being a writer is not easy, but it is a lot easier with a family that understands and smiles.

You can learn more about Rosanne by visiting http://www.rosannedingli.com/
 
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