What is Sarah's favorite way to edit? Why does she hand edit in favor of simply editing from the computer screen?
Learn this and more in today's author interview!
Tell me about yourself. What got you started in writing?
When I was a little girl, my dad would make up bedtime stories
with whatever we wanted in them. I’d pick a submarine, my sister would pick
purple unicorns and he’d make up a story that included both. I've been making
up stories ever since.
How and where do you write? Do you
prefer a lap top or do you prefer writing freehand?
I write on my desktop computer. I’m a musician and I have
problems with my wrists so I have to be careful when I’m typing for long
periods of time. I have a nice comfy ergonomic keyboard. I have typed on a
tablet while traveling. I like to write at night when I can get totally lost in
my story without interruptions. During the day my three daughters keep me busy.
What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite
part about writing?
My favorite part about writing is getting totally involved in a
scene, when I glance at the clock I’m startled to see that hours have gone by
and I've written several thousand words. My least favorite part is editing.
Editing requires a very different mindset than writing. My favorite way to edit
is to read my book out loud to one of my daughters. Hearing them gasp at an
exciting place or groan when it’s time to stop for the night is my payback.
How do you come up with your characters? Why would readers want
to get to know them?
My characters I take from a facet of my own personality or from
people that I know or have known. I've lived in several states and remember
people from school classes that I haven’t seen for years. I remember the way
they made me feel, how they acted and how they talked. I use those memories
when writing.
What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?
I have a website, facebook page, Goodreads author page, and an
Amazon book page. I also have a poster and bookmarks that I use when I visit
local schools for literacy nights and to talk to classes.
How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?
I get engrossed in a book and get it written in a couple of
months then I won’t write for months. I write in the evenings and when my
children are at school. After I finish a book I’ll go through a couple of rough
drafts and then start emailing copies to my proofreaders. I’ll also print a
copy and hand edit. I can see a lot more flaws when it’s on paper.
What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?
I’m currently working on the second book in my elements series.
The first book, Ocean Lost, was published as an eBook on Amazon November
2013.
I’m working on the sequel, Caverns Found. Ocean Lost is
about a merman hiding as a human in Utah. Caverns Found is about four
teenagers in Northern California who develop the ability to transform into
dragons. I've also started the third book about two teenagers living in Quincy,
Illinois.
Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.
I have an epic fantasy series about a young girl who develops fire
magic. She faces down an evil king and then will save the galaxy by the end of
the series. I have two of these books written and am working on the third, when
she’s a young adult and the world wars begin. I’m having trouble because the
first books feel like fantasy, but then I don’t want it to be a big shock when
the alien invaders arrive…
What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but
doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?
How much do you want it? Are you willing to write and rewrite a
million words? There’s a certain level of writing skill to getting published,
but after that, it’s extremely subjective. If you love writing, you’ll keep
doing it until you get published. I learned a lot from writing critique classes
and letting others read my books. Their comments have helped me become a
stronger writer. What I see in my head isn't always what I've written and fresh
eyes help me find the spots where I wasn't clear enough. I love the quote by
Isaac Asimov, one of my favorite writers, I carry it in my day planner. It says
“I write for the same reason I breathe- because if I didn't, I would die.” I
want to write, the stories keep coming to my mind and want to be told.
Another quote that I love is by Marianne Williamson -“Our
deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are
powerful beyond measure.” I write because I love creating. I love the feeling
of taking an idea, a character, an emotion from my mind and sharing those
elusive thoughts by crystallizing them into words that flow into sentences and
then collect into the ocean of language that makes up a single book.
***
Thank you, Sarah!
To learn more about Sarah:
My webpage/blog is:
sarahwagstaff.com (it doesn't
have the html://www. at the front)
My Book's URL is:
My book's facebook page is:
I have author pages on Amazon
and on Goodreads.
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