At what point do you think someone should call themselves a writer? IMHO a person can call themselves a writer once they finish a project. Putting THE END on a WIP evokes a whole lot of positive emotions. Until then, you’re a wannabe or aspiring writer. Once you can call yourself “writer” the next step is published author.
Do you play music while you write — and, if so, what’s your favorite? No. I tend to get either too caught up in the story and the music bothers me OR too caught up in the music to concentrate, especially when my feet get to moving along with the beat LOL!
Do you prefer ebooks, printed books, or audiobooks most of the time? Had you asked me this ten years ago I would have said print books, hands down. However, with the gift of a Kindle I’ve come to realize how much a blessing it is to have any number of books at my fingertips. Especially when travelling. One device is a lot lighter and easier to pack than a trilogy. I’m seldom able to pack less than 3 books at any given time because when I go on a reading binge, I read, and read. And read. You get my drift.
If your book were made into a movie, which actors would play your characters? I’d love to see Amber Marshall and Graham Wardle from Heartland play Kyleigh and Lance at some future date.
What books have you read more than once in your life? Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and the Born In trilogy by Nora Roberts are all-time favorites of mine and I read them on a regular basis. Also, With One Look by Jennifer Horseman.
What’s your favorite and least favorite part of publishing? Creating, Writing and even Editing can be fun. Marketing sucks the life and fun out of being a published author.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books? Ideas come to me in various ways. Sometimes I overhear a snippet of conversation that sets me off. Other times, I’ve had a single thought, or a phrase run through my head out of nowhere. A dream. Kyleigh’s Cowboy started as a short story for a popular woman’s magazine. When it was not accepted, I decided to see if I could develop it into a novella or novel. Happily, I succeeded.
What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book? As with any venture you undertake (weight loss, exercise, prayer, meditation, etc.) you can’t “find” time to write, you have to MAKE time to write. Look closely at your schedule and see where you can pencil in 30 minutes of writing time. Mark your calendar and sit down every single day with your manuscript. Computer or pen and paper makes no difference and remember 1 page a day equals a 365 page novel at the end of a year. Even if you don’t get a whole page written, write something…. A sentence or paragraph. As you commit to that time and place, your brain will begin to register, “Hey this is writing time,” and you WILL become prolific during your allotted period. More often than not, that thirty minutes will grow because you’ll be so excited over your progress you won’t want to stop. And don’t stop until you put THE END. Even if it’s drivel, get those words down. Anything can be fixed but unless you finish, you’ll never feel that sense of accomplishment all writers feel.
Does writing energize or exhaust you? Or both? Whoever said writing was easy hasn’t struggled to get that perfect sentence, exotic prose, or prolific story down. Depending on how the book is flowing, writing can exhilarate and exhaust at the same time. Ever hear the phrase “brain tired.” Yeah, that’s it.
Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved? Yes, in my book, Tempered Joy (book 4 in my series) the main character from book 1 (Tempered Hearts) and supporting character in 2 and 3 (Dreams and Joy) dies. I think I cried more in that book than any other. Then again in book 5 of the series, Tempered Truth, another beloved character dies. I’m a 100% panster (write without outline or anything) and didn’t plan this at all for either.
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Pamela-S-Thibodeaux/e/B002BM045Q