An Interview with C J England
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It's a real pleasure to have
the opportunity to 'speak' with Erin
Grady this month and get answers to all my burning questions on her
writing and WHISPERS, her newest release, due out in stores in April 2006.
To start off, I'm always interested in the "why a
writer?" question. Did you always want to write? Or did you stumble
into writing?
Cindy, the why for me is definitely a "since I was
little" answer. I started
my first book when I was 11 or 12. I
never finished it, but I was already bitten with the writers bug.
I discovered that first start with a bunch of old papers a few years
ago and realized I actually had a plot and characters-not a very good plot
or characters, but it was there. And
though I always wanted to be a writer, I lost track of that goal during my
late teens and early twenties and it wasn't until I started working as staff
at
How long did it take you to get published?
I actually did things backwards.
The first editor who actually read my first book, bought it.
It was an amazing thing, but when I say I did it backwards, here's
why. Most writers cut their
teeth on a couple of books and then sell.
Along the way they've learned a thing or two about how the publishing
business works, what to do and what not to do.
I, on the other hand, published my first book and then went on to
make every beginner's mistake possible.
My frustration at my own stupidity nearly drove me to quit in the
long years between the publication of my first and second book, but I am a
stubborn woman, as my husband will tell you, and I didn't give up.
Peeking at your blog,
you make a comment that you are more of a re-writer than a writer. Do you
work off an outline on your first-draft or do you just worry about getting
the story down on 'paper' and then figure out how to fix it later?
I am such a seat-of-my-pants writer it's scary. And it's certainly gotten me in trouble before. I get the story down, but often I don't know key points when I go in. I'm learning with each book how to identify those key points so I don't get lost along the way. I have a friend who is a very talented writer (who I know is going to be published with her next book) and she writes such detailed outlines that it boggles the mind. You can ask her any question about her story and she has an answer. Me, not so much. I've tried writing outlines, but I just don't follow them. I like the surprise of figuring things out along the way, but I don't recommend this method for the faint of heart. I've hit "the two weeks before final copy is due" point and not had an ending before and it's not a pleasant experience. J
What helps to inspire you when write? Is it being
immersed in the story itself? Or do you listen to music while you write?
I remember once hearing this writer say that she could only work in the mornings and in absolute silence. I was blown away. I have a full time job, two kids, a husband and I go to school. I write when I can. Sometimes it is literally one minute here, thirty there. I wrote my first two books on my lunch hour at work. As long as no one is talking directly to me or asking me questions, I can block out the world. Of course, there's always someone in my house that wants to talk directly to me and ask a million questions. It can be frustrating when I have a scene forming in my head and then a voice says, "Mom, where's the scotch tape? (peanut butter? my socks? Dad? the moon?) An interruption can make scene disappear like smoke in a wind storm. Sometimes I get it back. Sometimes I have to recreate the wheel.
What does your office (or workspace) look like? Is it
neat as a pin or does it look like a tornado? *g*
Well. . . big important author that I am, my office is shared with two kids, a husband and two dogs (count four "manned" computers and two canines in a 9x9 room. It's very cozy). I have a small corner to call my own and that's it. I do, however, have total control over the décor so I have my book covers and awards hanging on the walls as well as maps which help me when I'm writing about a new place. Of course I have books stacked everywhere, too. And I do mean EVERYWHERE. J
How do you juggle writing with the busy day-to-day stuff
of motherhood? Do you keep to a rigid writing schedule, or do you work
your writing time around your family obligations?
With the deadlines of WHISPERS my family finally took a step back and said, we need to let mom do this. Prior to that, I just crammed my writing into any open space I could find. My family will always come first, but I think they are starting to understand just how important it is for me to have a writing career and how hard I'm working to make it happen
If you had to pick a favorite character from one of your
books, who would it be and why? How about a favorite character from
someone else's books?
Wow, a favorite character. Well, I love all my men. I can't help it-I create them. J I can't tell you which one I love more than the other-depends on my mood. As for my female characters-I guess you could say I have a special place in my heart for Tess Carson from ECHOES and Ella Beck from WHISPERS. They are different women, but they both have been dealt a bad hand that they have to make the best of. I think they both have the kind of personal strength and compassion that I would hope to have myself. As far as favorite characters in other books-you'll laugh at these two because they are so different, but Miss Elizabeth Bennet of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and Larry Underwood of Stephen King's THE STAND. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is perhaps my favorite story of all time because-well, it just is. I've read it a dozen times and seen every film adaptation ever made. THE STAND is, in MHO, one of the best books ever written. Stephen King creates such incredible characters. They live, breathe, have flaws and strengths. In THE STAND he takes such ordinary, in Larry's case losers, and makes heroes out of them. It's amazing how he does that. How's that for an answer? J
WHISPERS is a fabulous blend of third-person and
first-person narrative. I was
completely drawn in to the first-person narrative
of Ella Beck, and normally I tend to
shy away from stories with first-person in them. However, you've made Ella
and her experiences so real to me that
each of the first-person passages captivated me. Did you have a difficult
time switching between third and first person? Which do you prefer to
write?
First, let me say THANK YOU!!!
Ella was my first ever attempt at writing first person.
I loved it. Like you,
I've never been a big fan of the first person narrative, but when it's
done right, it can be fascinating. I
am so pleased you liked her voice. Writing
first person took a little getting used to, but it was personal and
liberating, that once I got my rhythm I really enjoyed it.
It wasn't difficult to switch between the two because the voice,
for me, was entwined with the characterization and so I was simply
switching characters. I will
definitely try first person again somewhere down the road when a character
calls for me to get up close and personal.
J
WHISPERS centers around the fictional town of
Well, there's a story in that. J I live in Both ECHOES and WHISPERS deal with the idea that past and present are interwoven and impact the future. This is something that has always fascinated me, so naturally, I was absorbed into both the past and present worlds you've created in each of these books. What is it about this 'theme' that intrigues you and compels you to write about it? EVERYTHING about this intrigues me. I think I have several more books to write with this theme because it just flat out fascinates me. I believe in past lives and I believe in lessons that we have to learn.
The relationship of Ella and Sawyer in WHISPERS is a
very intriguing one, and certainly atypical of a traditional
"romance". In fact, I think Ella's entire story is very
different from what I've read in any romance (or suspense) books, which is
why I think it is such a wonderful part of your book. Was it hard to
create such a gritty reality for Ella's world?
You ask some great questions! It wasn't difficult to write the grit of Ella's world because I'd done so much research on it. Prostitutes were in the first wave of civilization in any of our western states. It was fascinating learning about their life and what an existence they had. Some of the reading I did about prostitution in the
I loved both Gracie and Reilly. As a reader, they were
very vivid characters, and I found it easy to root for them
and identify with the hardships they'd both endured. You have a
knack for creating strong, yet world-weary characters (Tess
& Grant in ECHOES and the whole colorful cast of WHISPERS).
Is this just instinct? Or do you do need to do in-depth
characterizations before you write? Either way, your characters are
wonderfully three-dimensional!
Okay, will you be my new best friend? J Characters. . . I have to identify with my characters in order to write a book about them. I consider myself a strong woman-I juggle a lot of balls in my day to day life and any woman that's going to make it in my books has to be able to do the same. I'm not a hard ass and I don't think my women need to be either, but they have to have principles and beliefs and they need to be able to stand up to adversity. As for my men. . . <sigh> I love a strong man, but I don't think they need to be Superman. A person who's been chewed up a bit by life is more interesting and will probably appreciate a good thing when he sees it much more than the person who's never had their mettle tested. It's our trials, tribulations and failures that make us who we are.
What are you working on now? Can you give
us a little hint so your fans have
something to look forward to after they've
finished devouring WHISPERS?
I am VERY excited about what I'm working on now. I have a trilogy planned that is going to play with time in a way I haven't done yet. The first book (working title VANISHED) takes place in the Sedona/Verde Valley area of
Thanks so much,
Thank YOU, Cindy. You asked some terrific questions. I appreciate the chance to do this. Be sure to stop by Erin Grady's Website for information and excerpts of WHISPERS as well as information of Erin's other books, WEB OF SMOKE and ECHOES. And don't forget to check out our review
of WHISPERS here at CK2S Kwips and Kritiques. This is one book
you'll want to snap up as soon as it's available.
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