Writteninsight
Kathy: What inspired you to write the first time?
WIS: I don't remember a time when I wasn't making up stories, but I think it was probably a class assignment that first spurred me to write some of them down. I have vivid memories of a story written in elementary school that was Saddle Club redux, set in my very suburban neighborhood and starring myself, my best friend, our horses (which we kept in the back yard) and the weird woman across the street who took a role not dissimilar from the Wicked Witch of the West. My first non-school story was a novel I wrote during middle school. It filled up two composition notebooks and I set a goal to write five pages a day. I probably started it as something to fill the hours at school, but it became something of a shield. It didn't take long for my classmates to find out what I was doing and they actually thought it was cool, so instead of teasing me about my height, weight and peculiar sense of style, some of them started coming up to ask how the novel was going and what I had planned for the story. At the end of eighth grade I was voted most likely to win a Nobel Prize for literature. Still working on that one....
Kathy: Do you have a particular genre that you prefer to read and write? What's the latest book you read?
WIS: I have genres I choose not to read. I'm not a big fan of horror or anything with a lot of gore, because it sticks in my mind for days afterward and I see threats behind every shadow. I also tend not to read the more experimental literary books, because I like to have a plot and characters I can identify with. Not that all experimental literary work lacks plot and character, mind, just that those aspects tend to be sacrificed when the author is playing with form. Other than that, I'll read all over the map. I'm currently reading Making Money by Terry Pratchett. Before that it was Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen, The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic by Steven Johnson and Boneshaker by Cherie Priest.
Kathy: Any major projects going on? What plans do have for upcoming projects?
WIS: I always have major projects going on! I just finished editing a manuscript for a new adult novel that I'm submitting to agents (wish me luck!). I'm doing research for another novel idea and working with a web designer on my author's platform website, which will be on my own writteninsight.com domain name. On the non-writing side of things, I'm launching a consulting business aimed at helping people with multiple passions learn to allocate their time without leaving their interests behind. My Etsy shop is currently undergoing a renovation as I refine my listings and prepare to upgrade the jewelry line. I'm moving out of state in less than a month to go back to school, so preparing for that is causing barely controlled panic taking up increasing amounts of my time. My full time job is winding down, and of course there's always writing in the Flame! I probably missed a few things there, but I think that's the bulk of them....
Kathy: Are you more of a weekend warrior, into extreme "leisure" activities, or do you prefer just to relax?
WIS: I have some health issues that keep me from the extreme leisure end of the spectrum, but looking at that list of current projects, I don't think I do leisure in the common sense of the word. When I'm working on something I love and am excited about, it's the most relaxing thing in the world. In that sense, my leisure time is incredibly productive. Ideally I would spend all my time writing, making jewelry, designing new products, networking and consulting, learning, and spending time with my friends and my dog. And hey, as long as we're dreaming, let's toss in a boyfriend too! ;)
Kathy: What brought you to the FLAME?
WIS: One of my friends saw the community featured on LJ spotlight towards the end of 09, and she called me up and told me in no uncertain terms that I needed to join. She was right. :D
Kathy: Who would you say is you greatest literary hero? If they were here right now, what would you ask them?
WIS: What, you want me to pick just one? Fine... Gregory Maguire. If I can ever write anything approaching the genius of Wicked I will die a happy person. I'm sure some people reading this are going to be going WTF? right about now, but give me a minute to elaborate. I believe writing is a form of art. In my mind, art of all sorts fulfills two purposes - it entertains or it introduces questions in the minds of those who view it. Art that introduces questions plays an important role in bringing about change - on a small scale to start out with, but occasionally growing and reaching enough people to influence societal changes as well. It's very difficult to measure the effects of these changes, but I do believe they are real. Most art only fills one purpose, but there are rare pieces that manage to do both.
Wicked was more than an enormously popular book. It introduced questions about morality, political violence, just causes, treatment of outsiders and interpersonal dynamics that most people don't mull over on a daily basis or even at all. And it did all that while entertaining the reader. Maguire spun a brilliant tale that allowed readers to approach these big questions through interesting and sympathetic characters instead of forcing readers into uncomfortable contemplation of the questions in their own lives. If not for the entertainment value, Wicked never would have been read widely. But it was, and because it was thousands of people pondered, if only for a few hours, questions that have huge relevance to our society today. The act of thinking changes a person, maybe just a little bit, but that little bit can grow over time. And as a society, we needed to ponder the questions Wicked introduced; the book came out in late 2000 and we all know what happened the next year. Scary how real life can mimic fiction sometimes, isn't it?
Did the collective pondering of the questions from Wicked make a difference in our response as a nation to the 9/11 attacks? It's impossible to say. But I would argue it's probable that at least some readers brought the questions from the realm of fiction into reality and that it might have changed how they personally acted. I know it did for me. And while the actions of one person might have a ridiculously tiny effect on the collective thinking of society, actions add up.
When I write, I'm always trying to introduce questions in the minds of my readers. Most of the time I fall flat on my face, but every so often I manage to hit the ball. I admire Wicked because Gregory Maguire found that elusive combination of entertainment and introduction that allowed him to reach out and influence the thoughts of thousands, if not millions of people. What can I say, I shoot high. :) That said, the serialization of Wicked? I stopped reading after Son of a Witch. I never said my literary hero was infallible. That's why I have more than one.
Kathy: What piece are you letting me feature?
WIS: This is a piece that people either love or hate, and I actually got eliminated from the month with it if I remember correctly. I'm proud of it though, because the style took my writing in a new direction and because the comments I received indicate that it does push the reader to think in ways they might not have otherwise. It's also the best out of my work that isn't currently out on submission, so it doesn't have to remain under lock and key. :)
Thanks for reading!
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