INTERVIEW WITH LAURA BOGGESS
What is your routine when working on a book?
I have a day job, and two children, so I have to budget my time
wisely. I've tried different things, and they all seem to work
only if I am committed to writing! I've found that the best time
for me to write is first thing in the morning. Lately, I've been
getting up very early in the morning so I can have some quiet
time and ease into writing before the busyness of the day begins.
I work best when there are no distractions (like children who want
to be fed. . .what's that all about?)
Do you ever show people your WIP?
I have a very small writers' group that I've participated in for a
couple of years. I value the opinion of my writing buddies, and
always run my stuff by them before submitting.
Do you listen to music when you work?
I wish I could!! Music is a powerful inspiration for me, so I've
found that I tend to focus on it instead of writing when I try to
do both at the same time. I often will become inspired to write
after listening to music that moves me, especially a live performance. But I usually write best when there is no noise!
Who has influenced your writing the most?
I read a lot as a young girl, and those books sort of shaped my
imagination. C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, and Louisa May Alcott
are some names that jump out in my mind. But in all honesty, the
biggest influence on my writing is God. I do very little writing
that is not influenced by my faith.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
I don't know if I have consciously always wanted to be an author,
but I have certainly always wanted to write. I've kept a journal
from a very young age and went through that terrible angst-ridden
poetry phase as a teen. There is something very powerful about
capturing emotions and thoughts in words. I have always enjoyed
playing with words.
How do you write, free-thought, or from an outline?
I am a very visual person. My stories tend to start out as scenes
in my mind. I don't really have an outline, but I do have a complete
overview of the main story line. Minor characters and subplots seem
to evolve as I do the work. One of my goals as a new writer is to
be a bit more organized with my creative process.
Where can we find your work and what are you working on now?
My book, The Wings of Klaio: Brody's Story, is available from my
publisher, Capstone Fiction (http://www.capstonefiction.com/
Laura_Boggess.html), from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Brodys-Story-
Laura-J-Boggess/dp/1602900582/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200
189144&sr=1-1), other online bookstores, and at some local bookstores
here in Charleston, WV.
Brody's Story is a Christian book for tweens (ages 10-14 year olds)
about a young girl whose parents are going through a divorce.
I am currently working on the second book in the Wings of Klaio
series. The main character is a young boy in the next book.
I'm also blogging a lot! Check me out at
http://www.lauraboggess.blogspot.com
Do you work on more than one book at a time?
I always have several projects going. Right now, in addition to my
Klaio series, I have two Contemporary Christian adult novels that
I am playing with. One is finished, but needs refining; the other
is still in the beginning stages. I also try to submit some essays
to our local paper and keep submitting to different magazines.
It keeps my writing sharper to do several things at once.
What do you read when you are writing?
I am always doing a Bible study; this helps keep my priorities
where they should be! Right not it's Stepping Up by Beth Moore,
on the Psalms of Ascension. It’s awesome! I am also reading a book
about the emotional lives of children of divorce. I read different
things. Fiction sometimes is distracting, so I tend to binge read
a good novel!
What would you say to an aspiring writer?
Hmmm. There's a lot to say. I guess I would say, don't give up.
Keep getting your stuff out there and use every opportunity to
make your name known. Also, keep taking classes. You can never
learn too much about writing. Join a writer's group, and share
your work! I'm still working on these things myself! Writing
is one of those things that you just have to do over and over
again to improve. So, the best advice I can give is, just do it!
finis
January 2008 Interview
