Ask and Author Anything: Deciding Names of Characters

Susan On Writing

Jackie W asked: How do you decide on what names to give your characters? And has any of your characters names turned out to cause problems for you afterwards?

A: I love naming my characters! It’s like having a child again, except I get to see what they’re like fully grown.

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Ask a Writer Anything: The Children Contribute

Susan On Writing

Crystal asked: Do your children ever give you ideas for story lines?

A: Oh, all the time! We are watching something together and they might ask a question – mom, what would happen if….and there I go with a story idea from the scenario they’ve asked. Not only that,

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Ask a Writer Anything: The Writer Inside

Susan On Writing

Susanna W asked: What made you become a writer?

A: I think a true writer can’t stop writing. They love words, and stories, and the way they sing together. I have been a story teller since my early days (just as my mother!) and have always loved a great tale.

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Ask a Writer Anything: Getting Started in Publishing

Susan On Writing

Claudia R asked: Was it real difficult getting your foot into publishing?

A: The publishing world can be extremely difficult break in to – it can seem as times as if there might be an invisible wall…however, it’s not as difficult as one might think.

It’s all about perspective.

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Ask a Writer Anything: Creating Characters

Susan On Writing

Erika W asked: How do you come up with such a wide range of characters? Journalists, Cowboys, party-ers and missionaries are just a few and they are all so different. What makes you think of them?

A: Oh, my favorite thing is to learn about people and their occupations. I love to discover their challenges and defeats,

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Ask a Writer Anything: My Writing Spaces

Susan On Writing

Niki asked: When do you write and where? Do you get up a few hours early? Late at night? In the middle of the day? All of the above? Do you have an office? Sit at the kitchen table? Out on the porch?

I admit that I have to have different writing spaces depending on the mood that I’m in.

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How did I get started?

Susan On Writing

Megan H asked: I`ve been thinking about becoming a writer when I finish school, and I was wondering how you got started.

I think a writer has to be two things from the get-go – a lover of stories, and someone who is committed to working hard. I was the kind of girl when I was young who would pedal her bike to the library and spend the entire day reading…I loved stories and getting lost inside another world.

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Ask a writer anything: Where do the stories come from?

Susan On Writing

This question came from Jenn S: I would love to know how you come up with different plots — I mean, how do you make it so that your stories don’t all sound like they’re cut & paste from the same “formula”?

Thanks for your question, Jenn! I think the important part in coming up with new stories is asking myself the question – would I care?

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