Interview with an Author, pt 1

Interviewer: So Shana, I hear you're writing a novel this month.

Shana: That is correct. I'm doing it as part of NaNoWriMo.

I: Is it hard?

S: Surprisingly, not so much. I generally just sit down and start writing and that's it for the day. There are lulls, or points where I'm not exactly happy with how it's going. Though, one of the NaNo points is to write -- even when you know it's bad.

I: Gotcha. I hear this novel is based on the year you "retired."

S: That is correct. Though, I'm lying about a lot of things, so only someone who knows me really, really well could spot the variance between what really happened, and what I'm fictionalizing. I'm having a spectacular time making people that peeved me into nasty characters, and then, well...I can't tell you what happens to them.

I: You tease!

S: Well, I won't be rich if I tell the story here! [smiles coyly]

I: Very true, very true. What kind of music do you listen to while writing?

S: It varies. Sometimes it's just NPR. Recently, I've been listening to Moby's Hotel (Disc 2), and the Hotel Costes series, and my own personal Downtempo mix (649 songs). At one point, I will listen to a lot of Keane. Honestly, I've not found one disc, or group of discs, that has dominated my writing playlist.

I: Are you writing from an outline? Notes?

S: Um, no. I'd forgotten that NaNo was near, when a friend reminded me about it. Three days was certainly not enough time to create any kind of an outline. I just sit down and write. Though, I am basing it on a personal experience with a very specific timeline, so that does help. Usually.

I: Only usually?

S: Well, the problem with lying is this: when you start lying A Lot, events change, characters change, etc. Then, I have to get my character from one point to the next in an entirely different way.

I: Do you ever worry that your novel will sound too much like a memoir?

S: I do, in fact. It can be hard to balance writing exposition, against having it sound like just some windbag telling you a story about what they did in suchandsuch a place. It's something I'm very aware of and will be revisiting during the editing process.

I: Are you nervous for friends of yours to read the novel?

S: As it is now, a bit. As it will be when I've finished NaNo and had some time to edit it, not so much. Characters who are friends of the main character in the novel are composite characters. So, some people may recognize bits of themselves, but there is no character (ok, maybe there is one) who isn't really fictionalized.

I: Hm, well hopefully you won't include any pesky interviewers!

S: Ah, no. There are no fictional media tours planned.

I: Finally, how far along are you?

S: A little more than halfway -- just over 25,000 words.

I: Very nice. Good luck to you!

S: Thank you.