so, as i've taken-up with writing again, after my maternity-leave from it, i've been wanting to add some more writing-related content to the blog; i am especially interested in adding interviews with writers (leave a comment if you'd like to be a part of this!). it is always interesting and inspiring to me to learn how another writer operates.
the first interview of the bunch is with a fellow wintergoosepublishing author, kathryn mattingly. her first novel, benjamin, was released this year, and her short story collection, fractured hearts, is coming out this january, followed by her second novel, journey, in november 2014. she blogs at pen publish promote, and you can check out links to all the places benjamin available HERE.
Pen, pencil,
computer, or typewriter?
Definitely
computer. As a starving artist (specifically, a laid off college teacher just
returning to teaching as we speak) I am out of my favorite perfume, makeup and
skin products. I haven’t even bought a new outfit for as long as I can remember
because every spare penny goes into promoting Benjamin but yes, I just bought a
brand new state of the art MacBook Pro to replace my four year old one (not old
in Apple years). I gave it to my husband and he is thrilled.
I have been writing my whole life. I wrote short stories in
elementary school that won me some recognition in kid contests. I wrote for the
high school newspaper under an alias so I could be free to voice my opinion
about controversial subjects at the time. In college I had quite a bit of
poetry published in the University of Oregon English Department Literary
Journals. Once my children were half grown, I returned to school for a graduate
degree in education, to begin a career as an educator. That’s also when I began
writing novels.
How have you prepared
to be the best writer possible?
I took a lot of English and literature courses in college. Throughout
the decade where I began to write seriously I continually attended writing
retreats, workshops and conferences. I studied under a different New York Times
best selling author each of the five years I attended the Maui Writer’s Retreat.
It is a satisfying experience on many levels for a fledgling writer to be
mentored by a successful author. I also read a lot of books on writing,
recommended by authors I studied under at these and other retreats, or
mentioned at conferences I attended.
Tell me about any awards
and recognition you’ve received for your writing.
My debut novel, Benjamin, was a New Century Quarterly
Finalist and four of my short stories have won awards for excellence by various
publishers. My whole short story collection won an award from Carpe Diem Press,
and they were going to publish it but then went bankrupt at the last minute.
That was somewhat heartbreaking. The good news is that Winter Goose (my
publisher) is releasing the collection this January under a new name and with
some additional stories in it.
Who has influenced you as a writer and what authors do you enjoy reading?
Who has influenced you as a writer and what authors do you enjoy reading?
I have been influenced by many different authors and read a
large variety of books and genres. I have always been a prolific reader. I
would say that lately I am leaning toward literary fiction novels that give me
deeply complex characters trying to maneuver their way through a landmine of complications
that have suddenly destroyed their everyday world as they once knew it. These
are the situations in life that cause us to examine who we really are and to
either grow or shrink as individuals. This by the way, is also the type of book
I write. Some examples would be Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay, The
Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark, Little Bee by Chris Cleave and The Silent Wife
by ASA Harrison.
What is your
writing process like? Do you write everyday or when the muse strikes?
I
feel the need to write every day whether it is fiction, a blog post, an article
about someone or a long personal email to an old friend - whatever is on my
mind. I do far more editing however than original writing on any given day. I
just finished editing my short story collection and now I will continue to
polish my next novel.
What is the best
advice you have ever gotten about writing? The best advise is
a quote that was given to me by my first writing mentor, Elizabeth Engstrom
(who wrote Lizzie Borden). I have kept it in my mind and heart ever since- Persistence is the key. It is, by the
way, the most important thing a writer needs- to be persistent.
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