INTERVIEW WITH MICHELLE SUTTON
What is your routine when working on a book?
June 2008 Interview
I don't really have a routine. In my spare time (which I rarely have)
I just go with the muse, which means I write new material or edit
existing material based on how I'm feeling and what I want to work
on. That way it stays fun for me and is not like real work. I have
enough of that to deal with at my full-time day job.
Do you ever show people your WIP?
Absolutely. Sometimes that is the one thing that keeps a writer going.
You need positive feedback and encouragement to keep a project going.
I've had people read my books that are still not in print and they
have told me it was healing or helped them see the Lord in a fresh,
new way.
Do you listen to music when you work?
Not usually. I find it distracting.
Who has influenced your writing the most?
I like to write in a deep point of view with a lot of emotional
intimacy and honest internal thoughts. I love to show spiritual
and emotional conflict and temptation and how we deal with it as
flawed human beings. Cynthia Rutledge has inspired me in regards
to writing romantic tension and Francine Rivers influenced me in
regard to presenting and addressing difficult subject matter.
A newer author who has inspired me is Julie Lessman. Right now I'm
reading Jamie Carie and she is pretty sensual, too, as is
Deeanne Gist. I like the way they portray romantic dynamic
in stories and I try to emulate them, but I do it in my own
unique voice and style.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
Not at all. I have already read constantly, and usually fiction.
But write it? Never thought about it until August of 2003.
How do you write, free-thought, or from an outline?
Both. I have an outline, but it's in my head. It's not a formally
written one. I usually mull the details of a story in my mind
and imagination long before I write it down. Then I let the creative
juices flow.
Where can we find your work and what are you working on now?
My novel, It's Not About Me is available for pre-order on
Barnes and Noble and on Amazon and will be soon available other
places as well. It will not be available in stores or in print
until September 2008. My novel will be available in Kindle form
as well. I am currently working on the sequel, It's Not About Him.
I also have a proposal out there for a social worker chick lit
series and another book (women's fiction) that is at several
publishing houses. Oh, and I have a non-fiction proposal out there
as well that I am co-writing with a friend. It's a book intended
to encourage and support people who have loved ones who suffer
with mental illness.
Do you work on more than one book at a time?
Yep. I do whatever I feel like doing. I just happen to have a lot
of motivation and drive so I don't procrastinate much. I grab
the proverbial bull by the horns and get the job done. Sometimes
working on several projects at the same time helps me to be the
most creative and then I'm less likely to burn out. But when I
am revising a book I stick to one at a time so I don't break
the flow of thought and the details I am trying to keep straight
and consistent don't get confused with other stuff I'm working on.
What do you read when you are writing?
I read all kinds of novels and occasionally some non-fiction. I
am usually in the middle of five books at the same time and
usually they are in different genres.
What would you say to an aspiring writer?
If it's your dream and what you really want to do, stick with it.
Don't let rejection or people's opinions get you down. And
even if what you wrote is only read by a few friends, if it
touches someone's life, it was worth writing. Most of all,
keep it enjoyable for you. If it seems like it's getting
too hard or you are hating it, take a break for awhile.
Then go back to it when you are ready. Just don't ever
give up or lose hope. If you have a gift, you have it for
a reason. Nurture that gift and surround yourself with like-minded
people who will support you in your writing endeavor, like people
in a writer's group such as ACFW (American Christian Fiction
Writers.)
finis~
