You write in multiple genres, including fiction, cookbooks, and magazine articles and essays, how does writing in so many different styles impact your writing routine? Do you approach each project differently?
My daily writing routine isn’t affected a great deal by what genre I am going to tackle. It’s like taking off one hat and putting on another. I consider what I’d do next and then proceed. I might, for example, read a section of what I’d written the last time. The main consideration here is your level of interest. If you’re sufficiently excited by the project, you’ll make it work.
Does any one of the genres you write in feel the most “at home” – do you plan to continue to write in a variety of genres? Or do you want to focus in one area for the near future?
I find magazine writing a little easier, which might have to do with the fact that I started my writing career working on short pieces. On the other hand, it thrills me when a longer length work, such as a novel, is going well. I can really get lost crafting the details of a scene, constructing plot events, or painting a description. I am in the flow. Time passes without my notice.
I hope to continue to write in multiple genres. That seems to come naturally to me. Also the publishing industry is undergoing changes. Some genres are likely to be de-emphasized. Others will rise. New ones will emerge. I like to keep my mind and options open.
You are a prolific writer, what keeps you motivated from project to project?
I find that external motivation doesn’t last long. It doesn’t sustain you over long periods of time. There has to be a spark within you to keep you moving forward, especially when it’s a book-length project and you’ve run into a wall. You have to keep pushing, despite what your inner critic is saying.
Check Back Jan 15 for Part II
