GJR: Where do you write?
CD: I have a room of my own, and that’s where I write. Three walls have shelves stuffed with books. My computer is here. My thesaurus and dictionary are within reach. I call it my cave, but it’s really my idea of heaven. Sometimes my husband comes in here, but he always tiptoes and whispers. It’s so cute. Ideas come anywhere any time, so I always have paper and pencils with me. I once wrote the bones of a short story while stuck at a train crossing.
GJR: How do you develop your characters, plot and writing style?
CD: I love a twisty-turny plot, so I try to surprise readers. That takes a lot of time, but is worth it. I start with the ending and write it first. Then write to it. My taste in books is very character driven, and I work hard on my protagonists. I want them to be as close to real people as possible. I see them in my mind, and at times it almost seems I’m watching them and listening to them speak. Please don’t think I’m goofy. I really do think a lot of writers do the same.
GJR: How do you write?
CD: Other than needing long uninterrupted sessions, there is no system to my writing. I do it when I feel like it and never try to force words to come. If a scene pops into my head, I write it and worry about where to fit it in later. My first draft is my outline. When I start the only things I know for sure are whodunit and the main characters. It seems my best ideas come just as I’m about to go to sleep. I get out of bed and sit on the bathroom floor making notes. Then jot down where I want the idea to occur and put it in a file the next day. When I write I separate the notes into chapter piles. Sometimes I’ll have the same note written several times. It’s hard to remember if I wrote something down, so I’ll do it again and again. I guess that means I really like the idea!
Someday I hope to write in short spurts. But I tend to concentrate so hard that I can’t just get into and out of a scene willy-nilly. When I write I even shut off the phones. I have no idea what I’ll do when my husband retires and lurks around the house all day. Maybe he’ll take up canasta or bowling or something. I can only hope.
Thanks again to Tracee at Pump Up Your Book Promotion for hooking me up with Oblivious
and Cyndia Depre.To keep up with Cyndia check out her website Cyndia Depre's website
What a great author interview. I love the part where she gets out of bed when she has an idea and sits on the bathroom floor to write it down in her notes.
ReplyDeleteI had to get up early one Sunday morning when my characters were screaming at me to write down their latest jaunts.