Susan Lyons has a novella, "Hot Down Under,"
coming out this month, in an anthology titled
The Firefighter. Here Susan 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?
That depends on the book. With my Awesome Foursome
series, once I had the first book then I knew
that the three following books would feature another
one of the Foursome, so those started with character
(and by the end of book 1, I had a pretty good
idea of the other three girls' personalities).
But if it's a stand-alone book and not a series,
often it starts with a situation, incident, idea
-- e.g., two people who meet in a particular circumstance,
two types of people who meet, a person who is
facing a particular issue in her/his life.
2. Do you plot or write by the seat of
your pants?
Once I have that initial idea or scene, the book
pretty much unfolds on its own. As I get to know
the characters and they get to know each other,
they create the story. No, I don't plot, at least
not in the sense of starting out with an idea
of all the scenes in the book, or how the story's
going to go. Often I have a sense of one scene
ahead, or maybe something that's going to happen
later, but it's pretty vague. I do revise as I
go, as I learn more about the characters. And
I stop and do a scene chart periodically, using
different coloured post-it notes for different
types of scenes (e.g., heroine and hero scenes,
girlfriend scenes, family or work "issue"
scenes, heroine or hero alone scenes), jotting
a brief note about the scene and using a different
colour ink depending on whether it's his or her
POV. This way, as I'm writing the book, a scene
chart is developing alongside it. This gives me
a visual image of the structure of what I've written,
which helps me make sure I've got a good balance
of the different kinds of scenes, etc.It's a great
tool for when I'm feeling stuck. I bring the scene
chart up to date, then typically realize I've
had a bunch of X type of scenes and now I really
need a Y type.
3. How do you write the first draft (longhand,
typewriter, Alphasmart, computer)?
Always computer, unless there's no computer available.
I find the ideas flow more freely when I type,
because I can type much faster, and more easily
and comfortably, than I hand-write. My hand cramps
up when I hand-write and it feels like I'm cramping
the ideas as well. I don't own an Alphie. I tried
one out and find the tiny screen frustrating.
I often go back to check things, edit, etc., and
I want the easy ability to do that.
4. How long does it take you to write
a first draft?
Depends on how much time I have and how well
the story is flowing. Also, I don't really write
a first draft. I write a scene or a few scenes,
maybe a chapter, then read back over it and edit.
I send that second draft to my critique group
and move ahead with the next bit. When I meet
with my critique group and get their comments,
I usually edit that part again (so it's now in
3rd draft) while I'm still writing and editing
the next parts. By the time I've reached the end
of what is a mix of 2nd and 3rd draft and send
the last section to my critique group, it's usually
2 to 3 months.
5. How many drafts do you usually end
up writing?
After the edits based on critique group input
(my 3rd draft), I do another edit, based on all
the ideas that have come up as I worked on the
book and reached the end of it. That takes a week
or two. Then I print the whole thing out in book
format (single-spaced etc., so it looks more like
a book than a manuscript) and read it out loud
to myself. I mark additional changes, input them,
and then it's done. If things go well, a book
takes 3-4 months.
6. Out of all the books you've written,
which one is your favourite?
Tough question. I love Champagne Rules
because it was the first that sold, and I really
like that it's an interracial couple who don't
see major problems with having that kind of relationship.
I love Hot in Here because my heroine,
Jenny, is so feisty and confused and such a mix
of "out there" versus inhibited. Her
dilemma of trying to honour her old-world family
while still living a new-world life is so typical
of many young women in Vancouver today. And then
there's an unsold manuscript that's a Mary Stewart
style of romantic suspense set in Crete that I
totally love. Sure hope it sells one day!
7. What's the best book you've ever read?
To Kill a Mockingbird. I love Scout's
voice, the characters, the issues, the strength
of character exhibited by Atticus, and the lessons
he teaches his kids. Atticus Finch isn't a perfect
human being but he's a wonderful one. I think
maybe I studied law because I wanted to be Atticus
Finch <g>.
8. What's the most useful book on writing
you've ever read?
The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes &
Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami
D. Cowden, Caro LaFeber and Sue Viders. Once I
have a general idea of my characters' personality,
it helps me get to know them better. And no, it's
not about stereotyping, it's about finding patterns
and thinking about where personality traits come
from and how they're expressed -- and how two
people with different personalities will interrelate.
9. What's the most useful writing advice
anyone has ever given you?
There are two. First, that the people who succeed
in this business are the ones who persist. Second,
Dani Collins' "spaghetti against the wall"
advice -- which basically means, don't spend too
much time trying to figure out which editor, line,
contest etc. is going to be right for which manuscript
of yours; just keep sending the stuff out, more
or less scattershot, and eventually one piece
of spaghetti will stick.
10. Which character do you wish you had
created?
Atticus Finch <g>. Also, Dick Francis's
heroes. Mostly, I love them (well, they're Atticus
Finch all over again <g>). To me these guys
are the true alpha males -- i.e., leaders; the
kind of men whose genes you want to be replicated.
They're not arrogant, not blustery, would never
bully a woman. They're understated and modest
-- and yet when it's crunch time, they're always
the ones who come through and save the day.
11. What prize or award would you most
like to win?
Hmm. That's the first question that's really
stopped me. Obviously the RITA would be very cool.
Or any prize that paid big money! But the thing
that really counts for me is getting positive
feedback from readers.
12. If you hadn't become a writer, what
might you have become instead?
Well, I tried being an anthropologist, a sociologist,
a government administrator, a lawyer, a researcher,
a legal publisher, a perennial student, a counselor
and lots of other things. They didn't take. It
took me a long time to find writing, and realize
it was what I was meant to do. So it's hard to
conceive of any other career that would feel right
to me.
13. What's the nicest compliment someone
could give you about one of your books?
Three immediately spring to mind, thinking of
the emails and reviews I've received. First, I
love it when a reader talks about my characters
as if they really exist and she cares about them.
Second, when someone tells me I got it right --
e.g., when a woman in an interracial relationship
tells me I nailed it. Third, when I touch someone's
heart and their mind -- i.e., when I make them
both care, and think (e.g., maybe become a bit
more tolerant and understanding of people who
are different from her).
14. What's the worst thing about being
a writer?
Constant insecurity and stress.
15. What's the best thing about being
a writer?
Being able to bring people and worlds to life,
explore issues that interest me, and touch readers'
hearts and minds.
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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