Here are the first questions for my holiday contest--and they're good ones!
From V: I took a look at your artwork on your site. Very nice. How long have you been *dabbling*? Have you had any commercial success with your art?
Thanks! I've been drawing since I was a child but actually have a BFA in Studio Art (Printing and Painting), so I guess I've been at it semi-seriously for twenty-plus years--don't do the math ;) Although I've won a few awards in local shows and made a few bucks in outdoor art festivals, I haven't made much more than some extra spending money. My husband, also a painter, is getting back in the groove of making big ugly paintings again (well, his aren't so ugly), and I'm getting the itch to paint. Maybe now that we're living in a more cultural area, I can get something shown in a gallery and earn some cha-ching. We'll see...
J has two questions: 1) What qualities do you feel all your hero and heroines should have? 2) If you have the power to bring to life one of your characters, who would it be and why?
Hmmmm. Good questions. 1) I hope all my heros and heroines have the capacity to grow. I want them to be real and sometimes indecisive and maddening and quirky... kinda like me :) I also like to make them more aware of what their partner needs emotionally as the story progresses. Last but not least, I like them to make mistakes. Perfect heros and heroines make for boring stories IMO.
2) This one's easy -- I'd bring Brogan from Chosen: The Chronicles of Winter. He's the first "fantasy" guy I really brought to life by writing a story for him. Alien, nice cock, the strong, silent type... Yeah, definitely Brogan!
From fellow Amber Quill writer Jennifer Colgan: Of all the sexy hunks you're written about, who do you think is the ultimate lover? ;)
Hi, Jennifer! Without a doubt, Jovan from Topping Tora. A hot guy with a dominant streak who really wants to please a woman. He knows what he wants and he'll work hard to get it.
Speaking of lover boys, check out Jennifer's hunks on the book page of her gorgeous websites here and here (writing as Bernadette Gardner). I have a feeling Molten Man would have a lot of stamina :D
This one's from C: If you could have a dinner at your house with five of authors that inspired you from the present to the distant past, who would you invite and what did they do to inspire you in life/writing?
I saved the hardest question for last.
1) Randall Kenan, author of Let the Dead Bury the Dead. I love short stories, and he knows how to do things right. Awesome characterization. Tight, surprising, and full of twists. For those of you looking to write short, he's a great example to study.
2) William Faulkner. Want to get deep inside your characters' heads? Four words: As I Lay Dying. I think this is the book that made me want to write.
3) Eleanor Herman. I recently finished Sex with the Queen, and although I found it tragic, I loved it just as much as Sex with Kings. She proves that non-fiction can be as funny and sad and enthralling as fiction. If you need to do a lot of "telling" in your story, her writing can show you how to make it interesting.
4) Jeffery Deaver. Suspense tight as a drum with more twists than a Chinese acrobat. I'd give anything to be able to write a thriller the way he does. The problem is I get so into the story that I can't step back and study him.
5) I saved the best for last... my buddy Bridget Midway. She's a machine and can crank out stories -- good stories -- amazingly fast. She's always been a cheerleader for me when I need one; whenever I'm down about my writing, she slaps some sense into me and forces me to keep going. Plus she's serious about her craft and funny. I just hope she won't poke me with her fork under the table if I indulge in too many martinis :)
This was fun, and I hope to answer more deep, dark, probing questions soon! Bring 'em on!!
No comments:
Post a Comment