My Interview

1. How did you come to be a writer? I think I've always been a writer, but I didn't decide to pursue it as a career until college, when a professor (who would become my academic advisor) read a short story I sent him and enjoyed it. (On a side note, he's always been incredibly supportive of my writing, and it's his encouragement that keeps me believing I'll be able to publish a book someday.)
2. Tell me a little about what you're working on right now. How did you come to start working on it? In addition to working on various freelance projects, I'm working on a book (working title: Prasad(a)) that is about an indie coffee house in a college town. Right now it's somewhere between a collection of short stories and character sketches and a novel.
   
3. What are you reading right now? I'm finishing up The Poet and the Murderer by Simon Worrall, and beginning a rereading of The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde.
   
4. What's your favorite piece (that you've written)? Why? I think "Casual Conversation." I wrote it for my short fiction class in college. It's a story that is all dialogue with no tags. It was a lot of fun to write.
   
5. Who's your favorite character? Why? My favorite character is Deirdre Mason (the protagonist in a novel I've set aside for the time being). She and I have many similarities, but in many ways, she's much braver than me.
   
6. Where do you see yourself as a writer in ten years? Five? One? In ten years I see myself able to focus on my fiction, perhaps with a Master's degree in Creative Writing, perhaps teaching college writing courses. In five years I see myself balancing my fiction and freelance writing, and able to rely on my freelancing as a viable income. This time next year, I want to be able to consider myself a successful freelance writer, and be ready to submit Prasad(a) to a literary agent.
   
7. Who's your favorite author? Why? I used to say my favorite author was, unquestioningly, Jasper Fforde. However, due to recent readings, I've also fallen in love with A. S. Byatt and Diane Setterfield.
   
8. What's your favorite published work? Why? I have two favorite published works, both novels. One is Possession by A. S. Byatt, and the other is The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Both are excellent.
   
9. What's the most difficult lesson you've learned as a writer? The road to publication is not like in the movies.
   
10. Is there anything you regret? If so, what? I don't regret anything--I did what I thought was best at the time.
    
11. What's the most annoying question you've been asked by a writer? "Can you look at this?" (Although there are a few writers for whom I would read/proofread all day.)
    
12. What's the most annoying question you've been asked by a non-writer? "Can you look at this?"
    
13. What do you want new writers to know about the craft that they may not learn in academia? One of my favorite authors received 76 rejections before finding a home for his first novel. Each rejection is one agent/publishing house closer to finding your story a home.
    
14. What is one short-term writing goal you've set for yourself? To finish a draft of Prasad(a) by Thanksgiving.
    
15. Write your autobiography in six words. "Writes often, loves fiercely, drinks coffee."