Interview with:Christy Tillery French [christytilleryfrench]
WRITING
 | What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote? The Dick and Sally books for kids are the first books I remember reading. In fifth grade, I started our school's first newspaper and was sole writer/editor. I guess the first to read what I wrote were the other elementary school kids! :o) |
| 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? |
| What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write? My creative process is sporadic at best. An idea will bang around in my head for awhile until it gets to the point where I can't stand it, I just have to sit down and write. |
| What type of reading inspires you to write? Those books in which I lose myself and enter into that magical world of fiction. |
| What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story? Conflict and resolution. Oh, and a romantic relationship never hurts! |
| What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? I love to read both although find first person limited to the narrator's voice. It basically boils down to the story and whether it's better written in first or third person. |
| What well known writers do you admire most? Harper Lee, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Elmore Leonard, William Lashner, Janet Evanovich, Diana Gabaldon. |
| What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create yours? A character has to "feel" real through their actions/demeanor/dialogue. Mine seem to create themselves. I'm just along for the ride. |
| Are you equally good at telling stories orally? Gosh, no, although I wish I were. My dad is a fabulous storyteller, but I'm too introverted. It's so easy to write a story but to have to tell it is terrifying! |
| Deep down inside, who do you write for? Myself. |
| Is writing a form of personal therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force? Oh, yes, writing is a form of personal therapy. I worked through marital problems with my first book. And I agree, internal conflicts are a creative force and what better place to resolve them than through one's own characters and plot? |
| Does reader feed-back help you? Definitely. I always ask readers to respond back to me about what they like or do not like about my books. I need to know my strengths and weaknesses as perceived by readers. |
| Do you participate in competitions? Have you received any awards? More so in the past than now. My first book, Chasing Horses, was runner-up for the Madcap Award for Best in Romantic Comedy. The Bodyguard and the Show Dog was named the 2006 Single Titles Reviewers Choice Award and finalized in the Dog Writers Association of America 2006 Writing Competition, Fiction. |
| Do you share rough drafts of your writings with someone whose opinion you trust? Rarely. And only one person if I do: my sister, Cyndi Hodges aka Caitlyn Hunter. She's a talented writer and I trust her opinion. |
| Do you believe you have already found "your voice" or is that something one is always searching for? I think I'm getting there. |
| What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.? I set goals and try not to get too upset if I miss them. However, I've learned I work better under pressure. I do need to be more self-disciplined about reaching goals. |
| What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate? Complete silence. |
| Do you write on a computer? Do you print frequently? Do you correct on paper? What is your process? Definitely computer. I rarely print out anything on paper anymore and proofread from the screen. |
| What sites do you frequent on-line to share experiences or information? Sisters in Crime, the Guppies, Authors Den, Independent Authors Guild, Murder Must Advertise, Weapons Info. |
| What has been your experience with publishers? My first publisher has earned a horrible reputation and I wish I had researched them more before following my agent's advice and signing with them. I am really happy with the publisher of my last two (and one to be published in 2009), L&L Dreamspell. They're highly energetic, positive, promo savvy, and easy to work with. |
| What are you working on now? Three things: A psychological suspense. A futuristic romance. And my sister and I are doing a "faction" about our Great Aunt Bessie, who lived a truly interesting life in the mountains of North Carolina. |
| 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? Pull them out, polish them up, and submit them. I say that, although I'm doing the very same thing. I have a romance I wrote that's about 1000 pages that's just sitting in my closet. Shoot! |
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Christy Tillery French
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