Mary J. Forbes' fifth novel, The Man From
Montana, was released in December 2006 by
Silhouette Special Edition. Here Mary answers
15 questions about writing, books, and more, all
in 15 minutes.
1. Which comes first when you're starting
to write a new book: character, setting, plot,
or theme?
It depends on the book. Any one of the above
can be motivation for a story. For example, I
wanted to write about life on a ranch. From that
came The Man From Montana.
2. Do you plot or write by the seat of
your pants?
I call myself a fog-walker. I grab an idea and
walk straight into a dense fog and search for
a way to the other side. Which is the same, I
suppose, as writing by the SOYP.
3. How do you write the first draft (longhand,
typewriter, Alphasmart, computer)?
Mostly on the computer. I use my Dana whenever
I have to leave the house and know I'll be putting
in some idle time.
4. How long does it take you to write
a first draft?
Depends on the story. Some evolve more readily
than others.
5. How many drafts do you usually end
up writing?
Again, it depends on the story. Some books are
more arduous to write and consequently need huge
amounts of cutting and/or fleshing out. Other
books seem to flow onto the keyboard like rainwater
and require less "purifying."
6. Out of all the books you've written,
which one is your favourite?
The one I'm currently working on. I'm infatuated
with the characters, adore the setting and can't
wait to discover the mystery of the story.
7. What's the best book you've ever read?
Ride The Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson.
It's a fictionalized "true" story about
9-year-old Cynthia Parker who was captured by
the Comanche in 1841.
8. What's the most useful book on writing
you've ever read?
Stephen King's On Writing. He tells
it without frills.
9. What's the most useful writing advice
you've heard?
Nora Roberts: "Write, even if it's crap.
You can always fix crap, but you can't fix a blank
page."
10. Which character do you wish you had
created?
Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. Such
a tormented hero!
11. What prize or award would you most
like to win?
Actually, I've never thought about awards. However,
what I do think about is whether I'm creating
characters readers will love. If I can accomplish
that, I've been given the ultimate reward.
12. If you hadn't become a writer, what
might you have become instead?
Years ago I enjoyed painting with oils and watercolors,
so who knows where that road might have led?
13. What's the nicest compliment someone
could give you about one of your books?
That the characters stayed with them for days
beyond the last page.
14. What's the worst thing about being
a writer?
Revising drafts. I'm incredibly picky with my
own work, and consequently take a long time to
"fix the crap."
15. What's the best thing about being
a writer?
Writing fresh and discovering a full-fledged
story is hidden inside a mere idea.
Sheri Radford is the author of Penelope and
the Monsters, Penelope and the Humongous
Burp, and other upcoming books in the Penelope
series. Visit Sheri on the web at www.sheriradford.com.
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