Janet Gilsdorf, author of Ten Days, recently answered a few questions for our Novelicious readers. Here's Jennifer Joyce's review from last week's Alternative Thursday.
Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?
I don’t have a writing routine, as I must wedge it into my otherwise busy life. Evenings, when I’m low on creative energy, I usually focus on revisions. My best new writing comes on the weekends and on vacation from work, when I have longer stretches of time to, first, settle myself into my “writing head” and, then, actually get something accomplished. Surprisingly, I can sometimes do a lot of new writing, with a pencil and a legal pad, while on long haul airplane trips or waiting in airports. There’s something about the hum of the engines, the absence of easy distractions, and the anonymity of the people around me that stirs my creative juices.
That said I’m actually subconsciously writing all the time, such as while driving. I keep a notebook in my car to jot down, while stopped at red lights, ideas that come at the wheel, because I’m likely to forget them by the time I get home or to my office. Likewise, I jot down notes (sometimes on those “fly away” advertisement cards inserted into magazines) while knitting or reading in my favorite easy chair. There is something about the action of knitting that nurtures good ideas for me. Maybe it’s the rhythm of the needles or the merging of the colors of the yarn, stitch by stitch, row by row. I even keep a little note pad on my bedside table, alongside a pen with a built-in light so I don’t bother my husband, to keep track of nighttime thoughts, as they will surely disappear by morning.
When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?
I imagine the characters but, since those imaginings come from my head, they are sometimes built on things I know or have observed about friends or acquaintances or even family members. Thus my characters are often composites of many people, as I mix and match appearances, personalities, quirks, interests, talents, and flaws of those around me.
My writing inspiration comes from reading the works of outstanding authors. Sometimes I open their books to random pages and read several paragraphs, examining how they make transitions, use words to build powerful images, create effective dialogue.
What is your favorite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?
Hard question. There are so many I enjoy. One of my favorite women authors is Lorrie Moore and her story collection, Birds of America, is superb. The story, “Dance in America”, is, in my view, a perfect short story, perfect pace, perfect narration, perfect poignant theme. The beginning is the best I have ever read, soaring, compelling, funny. The ending is a satisfying cap to the complex tale as it seizes the energy of the moment while cast against the backdrop of a bleak future. Lorrie writes in a raw, real-to-the-bone way, with breathtaking, but sometimes subtle, emotional honesty. She digs into the hearts of her characters and exposes everything there, the light matter and the dark.
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