Today I'll be sharing an interview with my friend and fellow writer S. Underwood -- this is the friend that suggested we collaborate on a re-imagining of a classic story. (We're still in talks, but she's visiting in a few weeks so I'll give you an update then) S. Underwood has written a one-act play that she's submitting to the theatre company she's a part of (H and I got to see her in a production of Music Man -- it was thrilling!) and I hope you join me in wishing her the best of luck!
Kate
Ok -- first: introduce yourself
(what you do, what you've been writing, etc.)
S Underwood
Well, I'm a stay at home mom so I'm able to set my own schedule. I like to act, read, and watch movies.
I have ideas about lots of different things to write, I keep getting these bursts, so there's a lot on the to-do list.
Kate
Nice. When did you start writing?
S Underwood
When
I was about 11 my sister, Jessica, asked me to tell her a story. I made
up one on the spot and she liked it so much she wanted me to tell it
over and over. Eventually I wrote it down and started writing more in
the series. That was when I seriously started writing. Mostly it was
short stories and poems. I didn't start trying novels until after I
graduated college.
Kate
That's awesome!
Who were your influences back then?
S Underwood
From
a very early age my mom would read to us stuff like The Hobbit, the
Chronicles of Narnia, Anne of Green Gables. When I started seriously
reading for myself I really got into Louis L'Amour.
Kate
Oh wow -- Chronicles of Narnia! Those are the first books I remember reading.
Would you say your influences have changed over the years?
S Underwood
Well,
I can still go back and read the Chronicles and enjoy them just as
much. Lately I've been influenced by Jane Austin, Jasper Fforde, J. K.
Rowling, even Stephenie Meyer (she's my example of how not to write,
haha).
Kate
Ha! Fair enough. So, I haven't read many Westerns -- what drew you to Louis L'Amour's books?
S Underwood
My
dad was a fan and had a whole bunch of them, so I started reading,
loved the first one I tried, and kept going. Now I have a pretty
substantial collection of my own. I really loved his heroes, and I liked
that he always got a little bit of romance in there. I'm such a
romantic.
Kate
Aw, yay!
So you've read lots of Westerns...does that mean you've written your own?
S Underwood
I
have written a few short story westerns and that's one of the novels
I'm currently working on. Actually I have an idea for a whole series of
Biblical westerns, stories of the Bible set in the old west.
Kate
Oh, I love it! I simply adore re-imaginings.
What are your favorite things to write?
S Underwood
Probably plays. I'm actually pretty good at dialogue. That was the one thing I did well in my novel writing class in college.
Kate
Oh,
yes -- reading your writing, you definitely have strong dialogue
skills. Not my strong point! Is one format easier than the other for
you/do you prefer one format over the other?
S Underwood
I
used to not even consider novels because my weakness is finishing
things. I'd get an idea and write a little bit, but when the inspiration
died, it was really hard for me to keep going. Writing a poem or short
story was much more feasible. Since I have actually finished a novel
now, I have more confidence, but it's still hard.
Kate
So
true -- NaNoWriMo got me to finally finish a story -- now that I've
completed a few, I'm hooked. Do you have a daily writing routine, or do
you wait for inspiration to strike?
S Underwood
Well,
the funny thing is, when I'm at play practice, I'll tend to write while
I'm back stage waiting for my scene. My daily schedule is so random
that I haven't really been able to set a specific time to write. That's
another weakness of mine. Even during NaNoWriMo, I couldn't stay
disciplined. I hope to do better this year.
Kate
I've
found it difficult to keep up a steady writing schedule as well -- I
either scramble to get words in late at night before bed or yank myself
onto the computer in the morning...I'm just not a morning person. But
good for you for spending backstage time doing something productive!
Kate
Have you ever spent time backstage making up stories with another person?
S Underwood
Oh
yes, that's how I came up with a lot of the mystery play I sent you.
This one friend and I were going back and forth, and later I had her
read it for feedback. We have this whole list of other plays we want to
eventually write.
Kate
That is so cool! I love creating stories communally -- there's something thrilling about a shared idea.
It helps me be a better writer, as well -- have you found that to be true?
S Underwood
Definitely. Margaret and I create some really funny stuff when we get together.
Kate
Your sister, right?
S Underwood
Yes.
Kate
What do you think it is about a shared story that sparks more creativity than trying to think through a story on your own?
S Underwood
I
believe it's that you have the opportunity of sounding off about your
ideas. The other person is right there to say, yes that's good, or no,
that really doesn't work. Margaret really helped me in that respect when
I was writing my fantasy novel. I'd send her a chapter and she'd just
tell me if I was on the right track. She was my accountability.
Kate
That's fantastic -- sort of like having an editor during the entire process instead of afterwards.
S Underwood
Exactly!
Kate
I might need to find one of those for myself!
So, to wrap this up -- do you have any advice for writers?
S Underwood
The
thing that really helped me when I did my novel was to just keep going.
I didn't go back and do any editing until I'd completely finished the
book. For years I'd been stuck writing a little, and then re-writing
that little bit to death and never finishing. I wish I'd known this
years ago.
Kate
Great advice -- I've struggled with this as well.
One last question: What keeps you writing?
S Underwood
I
just love thinking of new stories, putting new twists on things. I
pretty much get a new idea every other day. It's not that I even need to
entertain people. Right now, it's just for me. That's probably one
reason it's so hard to keep going, too. Haha.
Kate
Oh yes -- we can create for ourselves but in the end we do want to share these stories with someone!
Well, thank you so much for letting me interview you -- I can't wait to read more of your work!
S Underwood
Thank you. This was a lot of fun.
Thank you, S.!
What did you think of this format, readers? I'm thinking of doing podcasts somewhere down the road but I like this format as well.
And now -- My writing update:
I completed my 5,000 word short story last week and wrote a 2,500 (give or take a hundred words) story after that. My project today is to finish a 3,000 word short story and do some reading over at Lightspeed (I read THIS yesterday about a living pirate spaceship -- !!) and some reading on writing from WriteOnCon (this post on plotting with 3X5 cards and the post on making characters into real people look promising!)
Hope you all have a pleasant Wednesday -- see you on Friday for another First Lines!
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