I'm stealing this from ... myself. I did this interview with one of my all-time favorite authors, Lisa Unger, about three years ago. Lisa's latest book, CRAZY LOVE YOU, came out in February.
1. Describe your writing routine and/or schedule?
My most creative hours are from about 5 AM to noon. However, I have a six year old daughter, who comes before everything else … and she also likes to get up between 5 and 6 AM. Luckily, my husband is on board to help, but I like to be with her first thing, make her breakfast and see her off to kindergarten … so the early hours are hit or miss. I write when she’s in school. If I haven’t met my goals by the time she comes home, I work again after she goes to bed. The writer/mother thing can be a difficult balance, and sometimes I need support in the afternoons. But mainly it works. And I feel lucky to do what I love and still be present every day for my little girl.
2. What do you do if you get writer’s block?
I don’t believe in writers’ block. I think that’s just fear, or perfectionism. In The Lie that Tells a Truth, author John Dufresne says that writers’ block is you wanting to write well right now. But sometimes all you have to do is write. Perfection – or hopefully something close — comes in revision.
My singular struggle – in work and in life — is that there are not enough hours in the day. Writing is the thing that has always come most naturally to me. And it’s harder for me not to write, then it is for me to sit down and put my fingers to the keyboard. I live for the blank page.
3. Who do you read, or recommend other writer’s read, in regards to craft?
Stephen King’s On Writing, The Lie that Tells a Truth by John Dufresne, as well as Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott all books that offer tremendous insight on the craft of writing.
4. Who do you read for fun?
I have always been a literary omnivore and have been influenced as heavily by popular fiction as by classic literature. I don’t discriminate! I have loved Truman Capote, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jane Austen, Patricia Highsmith, The Bronte sisters. But I have also loved Stephen King, Sidney Sheldon, Joy Fielding. My fiction love affair right now is George R.R. Martin’s Game of Throne series. I am knee deep in book four, A Feast for Crows. The series is simply a feat of brilliant storytelling and character development.
I have read widely across genre. I love a great story and I think that can be found in every area of fiction. One of my first and favorite thrillers was Rebecca by Daphne DuMurier. I really loved that idea of the ordinary girl caught in extraordinary circumstances. And it is a theme that has run through my work.
Some of my favorite contemporary writers: Laura Lippman, John Connelly, Karin Slaughter, Michael Connelly, Kate Atkinson, Dennis Lehane … I could go on and on. I am currently also reading Lisa Gardeners Catch Me. (I always have multiple books going!) It’s truly fantastic.
5. When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? Tell us about it.
I don’t remember a time before I defined myself as a writer. Making a living as a writer is really the only thing I ever wanted to do with my life. It was a twisty road to that place, and there were times when I never thought I’d manage it. So I’m very grateful. It’s a dream come true.
6. What advice would you give an aspiring writer?
The best advice I can give aspiring writers is to write every day. Dig deeper every day. Be true to yourself. Think of publishing as an incidental element to the act of striving to be the best writer you can be, secondary to getting better every day for your experiences and dedication to the craft.
And read. Read everything you can get your hands on. Study the people who are doing it best and learn from them.
7. What do you think is the most important skill to have to succeed as a writer?
Tenacity makes up for almost any shortfall. Of course, you need talent. You might also benefit from a little bit of good luck. But without the drive and sheer never-say-die determination you won’t have what it takes to finish a novel, or to succeed once you do.
8. What is your favorite food and/or drink?
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee.
9. Do you have a favorite book or movie?
Rebecca was my first gothic thriller. I love every word Truman Capote has ever writer – from Music for Chameleons to Breakfast at Tiffany’s. But it was In Cold Blood that had the biggest impact on me as a writer.
10. Is there anything I didn’t ask you that you’d like to share?
I am sure every author feels this way, but I think I have the very best fans and readers. I am connected with them every day at www.facebook.com/authorlisaunger. They are funny, smart, and so supportive. So, I suppose what I’d like to say more than anything is: Thank you so much for reading and being a part of my life.
Lisa Unger is the bestselling author of 13 novels and several short stories. CRAZY LOVE YOU is her latest release. IN THE BLOOD, now in paperback, was a 2014 Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee for Best Book, Amazon Best Book of the Month, Suspense Magazine Best Books of 2014, Sun Sentinel Best Mystery Novels of 2014 and Indie Next Pick.
Additional accolades include selections as a finalist for International Thriller Writers Best Novel Award, a winner of the Florida Book Awards, a finalist for Prix Polar International Award, Bookspan’s International Book of the Month, and a Target “Emerging Author.” Her books are published in 26 languages worldwide and have been named top picks by Todayshow, Good Morning America, Walmart Book Club, Harper’s Bazaar, Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, Washington Life, Publishers Weekly, New York Daily News, Indie Next and Amazon (Top Ten Thriller of the Year.) She currently lives in Florida.
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