Under what names do you publish?
I wrote my first series, the Art Lovers mysteries, with my sister, under the name Hailey Lind. All my other books have been written as Juliet Blackwell.
What is a day in the life of an author like? Do you write a certain number of words, do you write in the morning or evening?
Every author follows a unique schedule, a timeline that works for her (and her lifestyle!) When I first started writing I was a single mother with my own business, so I would get up at four and work until six in the morning – it was the only time I could find for myself. But now that I write full time and have no kids in the house, I’m a lot lazier.
Still, I write best first thing in the morning – before any social media, or human interactions of any kind. Later in the day I’ll work on editing or research or other writing-related items (blog posts, interview questions, etc) but the truly creative work is done upon first waking, before the worries of the day get into my head. When I’m under deadline I’ll often get another burst of creative energy in the evening, after dinner, and sometimes write into the wee hours – but only when under deadline.
Since I work as a full-time writer, I usually adhere to two thousand words a day, up to five thousand when under imminent deadline. After five thousand I get a little brain dead. But I find that without a goal it’s too easy to fall behind, and since this is my full-time work I don’t have many excuses for not meeting the two thousand word goal.
Do you plot the entire book first, then write or plot as you go?
I’m more of a “pantser” than a plotter—in other words, I write primarily by the seat of my pants. My editor asks me for a synopsis before I start writing a book, but often the synopsis is a simple paragraph describing the setting, main characters, and basic plot overview. If I’m working on an entirely new series or a standalone novel, I usually work up a more involved plot outline – but truth to tell, once I start writing I veer off my outline within the first few chapters. To me, part of the magic of writing is allowing the characters to “speak” to me as we go along, to dictate the story and influence the direction of the plot. Things happen on the page that I had never planned for – and that’s the fun of writing!
Do you use real people and places as models for your books?
In the broader sense, always. I was trained as an anthropologist, and I can’t help myself: whether I’m at a party or on public transportation, walking around the lake or having dinner at a restaurant, I observe the people around me. How they interact, what they look like, special mannerisms. I take notes, and go back to them when I’m creating characters. I find my imagination doesn’t hold a candle to the variety of humans (and their idiosyncratic behavior) in the world!
Who is your favorite author?
You ask deceptively simple questions, without easy answers! I have several favorites, depending on my mood. I love a few of the classics –Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, J.R.R.Tolkien. I discovered Elizabeth Peters as a teenager and fell in love with her mysteries, including the paranormal ones written under the pen name of Barbara Michaels. As an adult, I enjoy Barbara Kingsolver and Sherman Alexie and Richard Russo, as well as Janet Evanovich and Stephen King. I also adore the essays of Anne Lamott and David Sedaris. So I’m really all over the map when it comes to reading materials.
Do you write with pen and paper or a computer?
Ah, finally, an easy one! I write the bulk of my work on the computer, though I’m a compulsive note taker so I never leave the house without pen and paper. I also work out any plot issues or character problems with pen to paper – the physicality of it seems to help the process. But I’m no longer used to writing entire scenes longhand; the word processor is a great help.
Check out reviews of Juliet Blackwell's books Letters from Paris and A Ghostly Light
For other books by Juliet Blackwell, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment