Interview with:Anna Scott Graham [annascottgraham]
WRITING
 | What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote? My first memories are of Little House on the Prairie books, Ping the duckling and Frances the badger. I also loved Strawberry Girl.
I suppose I have always been writing, but I didn't always want to be a writer. I wanted to be a teacher, then an OB/GYN. When I found out how long you had to go to school to be a doctor, I reconsidered my plans.
I did end up as a teacher, homeschooling my kids, and that was how I began to write. My eldest daughter knows me well, strongly encouraged me to participate in NANO 2006. From there, I was hooked.
My friend Cindy was one of the first, besides my initial publisher. Cindy is my Jillsy Sloper of sorts, having been willing to read most of what I send her. Other friends have looked over my work, offering insightful and constructive tips. |
| What is your favorite genre? Can you provide a link to a site where we can read some of your work or learn something about it? My favourite genre is... Well, I know ones I'm not fond of; fantasy and science fiction, thriller/suspense. Otherwise I will read most any other work. I prefer third person POV, both to read and in which to write.
My website offers links to my published novel, as well as ones in progress:
http://www.annascottgraham.com/
For more day to day information, my blog can be found here:
http://annascottgraham.blogspot.com/ |
| What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write? The creative process varies from manuscript to manuscript. In some instances I tightly plot the entire book, in others I write after loosely conjuring up some notes. All plotting, whether in great detail or not, is done in longhand, on college ruled paper with gel pens. I love black ink, preferably with a .5 Pentel Needle Tip pen.
Before I sit to write, I read the previous day's work, so I know what in the world is going on. On a good day I can get a chapter written, but my typing is so poor, there comes the correction process. I read it over, then aloud. That part is quite set in stone, in comparison to how a manuscript comes to be planned. |
| What type of reading inspires you to write? It's not the reading, per se, but music. I get most of my ideas from song. I read for pleasure and for education both, but more for pleasure. |
| What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story? This is multifaceted, for plot and character go hand in hand. Some stories begin as more plot-driven, but then characters find their ways into the thick of things, and even the best laid plans are altered by those additions. Even in a tightly plotted story, surprises abound, keeping things fresh and spontaneous. |
| What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Third person, most definitely. I find many first person narratives hard to connect with, in that sometimes the viewpoint comes across so self-involved, it's difficult to find patience with the narrator. I prefer the story to come across from a multitude of voices, offering a layered approach. |
| What well known writers do you admire most? John Irving and Colleen McCullough, Amy Tan and Richard Brautigan, Anne Lamott, Joseph Grizone, Brennan Manning, Harper Lee, Thomas Cahill, and Elizabeth Prentiss. |
| What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create yours? Flaws as well as honorable traits. A character has to be human, has to be mired in love as well as loss.
I try to balance the dark and light, allowing characters their foibles. Otherwise they are bland, without force or charge. |
| Are you equally good at telling stories orally? I have been telling stories to my children for years, so perhaps yes. |
| Deep down inside, who do you write for? Myself. If I don't like what I write, what's the point?
Yet, I also feel compelled to write, a conduit of sorts. Since the beginning of August 2009 I have had more words come through my fingers than I know how to sort!
http://aug2009july2010.blogspot.com/
I created this blog to document what happens when one surrenders all to the words; A Year Of Writing, Dangerously. Have a look, if you want to know what comes of a commitment to follow a burning desire to let it all fall where it will. |
| Is writing a form of personal therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force? I certainly write about that which I know; perhaps therapy, but more for enjoyment, something to keep me occupied.
Yet, what I've been discovering since August is that there are issues buried far below the surface, ones a writer may have no conscious thought to plumb. The left hand knows not what the right is holding; when they collide it's overwhelming.
This is part of writing with which I have been struggling, in that I wasn't aware of what lay that deep in my head. Only now are notions surfacing, and at times it's only in the depth of my soul I find these thoughts, ideas have been hidden.
Is that the call of a writer, an artist? I'm unsure, yet, what I'm currently experiencing. All I can do is follow that road, see where it leads. To remain still isn't an option. |
| Does reader feed-back help you? Most definitely. One cannot write in a vacuum. All feedback is welcome; even if I don't think it relevant, it shows how my writing affects others. |
| Do you participate in competitions? Have you received any awards? I reached the semifinals of the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards, my first contest. Thoroughly enjoying the experience, I especially appreciated the interactive nature of the proceedings and have entered the 2010 ABNA competition. |
| Do you share rough drafts of your writings with someone whose opinion you trust? Not a 'rough draft', but one quite sorted. It may have gone through several readings and treatments, then I feel confident to let others have a look. |
| Do you believe you have already found "your voice" or is that something one is always searching for? I certainly have a manner of writing with which I feel comfortable, but it has taken a few manuscripts to reach that point. It may change over time, but for now, my current voice is one with which I am happy. |
| What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.? I previously started a new project on the first day of the month, the NANOWRIMO in me. As of late the scheduling has been more flexible, but I do complete a chapter a day, sometimes more. From August 2009 through July 2010 I am writing all that can be managed, a year of experimentation. So far more has been written than I imagined. |
| What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate? I don't listen to music as I write, otherwise a quiet room is sufficient. If the room is noisy, I pop in ear buds and listen to jazz, John Coltrane or Ornette Coleman preferred. |
| Do you write on a computer? Do you print frequently? Do you correct on paper? What is your process? I use a PC for all writing and editing, preferring to save some trees. All plotting is done in longhand, however, because I love pen and paper.
I write, read it over, read it aloud, then the next day read it before that day's work. I am very committed to that process, even when I'm dead tired and would only love to walk away from the monitor. Just my habit, and I can't seem to break it. |
| What sites do you frequent on-line to share experiences or information? I have a write-in group with which I meet weekly, preferring in-person events to online discussions. |
| What has been your experience with publishers? So far I have only had one experience, with a small house that specializes in medical texts. Hopefully my knowledge will broaden soon! |
| What are you working on now? Right now I'm working on my twentieth novel, Two Dans. I recently completed edits on my 2010 ABNA entry, and getting back into the writing has felt so good!
You can follow progress of the WIP at this address:
http://twodans.blogspot.com/ |
| What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone? Everything is a stepping stone to the next project. If it seems salvageable, go for it. However, don't be afraid to set aside a project that calls for incredible revisions. To be stuck on the same WIP for ages, in my opinion, hampers creative forces waiting to be tapped. |
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[annascottgraham]
Anna Scott Graham
California, USA
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