Writing

Why I love to read author interviews

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Author Interviews

There are two writing magazines that I enjoy reading, The Writer and Writer’s Digest, and my favorite segments are the author interviews.

There is so much you can learn about an author from an interview that’s not on the back cover of a book or an author’s website. In particular, I think it’s fascinating to read about an author’s writing process and what influences his or her writing. And if I enjoyed the interview and have not read any of the author’s books, that’s an added bonus; I like discovering new authors to read.

If you are like me and enjoy reading author interviews (where secrets are often revealed), please enjoy these two interviews:

  • Kathy Reinhart, Ink Drop Interviews & Reviews, interviews author Linda Westphal: Define a great book; Tell us about the picture on the cover of your book THE MEDIUM; Tell us about the theme running through your book THE HERMIT BOOKSTORE; and, more – View the interview
  • Lisa Montanino, Accidental Bohemian, asks author Linda Westphal about writing, reading, life – View the interview

Observation is today’s writing muse . . .

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Writing MuseThe basic skill of observation is today’s writing muse . . .

-The surprise of three men jogging toward me with 100 pound military camouflage packs on their backs; the middle man with sandy blonde hair and a kind face making eye contact with me and offering a “Good Morning” greeting

-The tall black man in an all-white suit and hat, carrying a brief case as he walks with his head held high toward the church I just passed

-The Park District employee working on a Sunday, picking up trash after the neighborhood festival the day before

-The noticeable absence of rooster calls the morning after the crowded neighborhood festival

-The sweet whiff of lilac from the six foot lilac bush

-The bright orange Lantana that doesn’t seem to know that California is experiencing its worse drought in 500 years

-The shockingly shallow river flowing under the bridge

-The six pigeons perched on top of the steel-frame bridge; me crossing my fingers as I walk under them, hoping they do not have to relieve themselves

-The remnant smell of skunk from the night before

-The invisible force behind me, pushing my butt up the steep hill

-The acorn, dropping at a high rate of speed from the oak tree next to me, just missing my head

-The wall of heavy humidity as I pass an enclosed grove of vegetation

-The deserted neighborhood village at 8:15 in the morning

-The stillness of the trees from a lack of breeze

-The cry of a baby

-The odor of doggie doo that someone didn’t pick up

-The thrill of seeing a newly posted ‘For Sale’ sign on the lawn of a house I’ve admired

My recent interview with Lisa Montanino

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I had a great time answering Lisa’s questions about writing, reading, life, and playing what-if. If you have a question, let me know by replying to this post. Thanks for visiting!

Lisa Montanino interviews Linda Westphal — 

Lisa: Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?
Linda: I write on my Apple MacBook Pro laptop. I don’t write story paragraphs or scenes longhand, because I can type faster than I can write. My ideas for the story, however, are captured on paper in longhand and as voice memos on my iPhone.

Lisa: What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Linda: You’re a writer. Keep at it. Don’t worry about what other people think.

Lisa: What book do you think everyone should read?
Linda: The book’s title is TRAVELS, written by the late Michael Crichton. It’s a collection of memories from his travel adventures early in his life – both outer travel to places such as Bangkok, Kilimanjaro, Malaysia, and Jamaica (when people rarely traveled to these places) and inner travel (his personal spiritual exploration). His experiences are not only fascinating, but you’ll learn a little about yourself when you read this book. He was such a great writer. He starts the book with this sentence: “It is not easy to cut through a human head with a hacksaw.” (referring to his days as a medical student).

See more questions and answers here – Accidental Bohemian