Marian Allen
Marian Allen, author of FORCE OF HABIT, has given me the license to stick my nose in her business today. Without wasting time, I’m going to jump right in! Marian, what genre do you generally write?My blog tag is "Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes", which only covers part of it. I write whatever the story turns out to be. Sometimes I mean to write a romance, and it turns out to be a fantasy with a touch of horror. Sometimes I mean to write a science fiction comedy, and it turns out to be a sweet romance. As I'm writing, I'll feel a pull toward a tone and an end, and the story just feels satisfactory to me if I shape it a certain way.
That’s an interesting process, organic in a sense. Tell me, what have you had published to-date?
Many, many short stories and three novels. The novels were first published in the mid-nineties, when electronic publishing was in its infancy. Two of them were reissued in 2010 and 2011, and I'm reissuing one of them myself soon. I just need to do a tiny bit of rewriting in response to excellent points a reader made in a review.
I hope the reissue does well. Have you self-published before?
Yes, I've self-published four collections of my short stories.
What made you decide to do so?
At first, I just wanted to see if I could do it. I like self-publishing because I like the total control over the product and, since writers are expected to do so much of their own publicity anyway, it seemed logical. Not that I'm knocking publishers--there's nothing quite like the rush of having a professional in the business validate your work by wanting to invest time and money in it.
I’m with you – don’t knock the publishers! That being said, the amount of promoting an author must do for their book is almost staggering. Let me ask you another question before I go on a rant about the mindboggling task of spreading the word about a first-time author’s debut novel…
Do you read eBooks or do you prefer “regular” books?
Both. I honestly LOVE both. I read in bed, and my eReader is lighter and easier to hold than a paper book. And with the eReader I can "stack" a limitless number next to my bed. But paper books are easier to flip through to find a particular passage, and years of habit make reading a paper book a very relaxing and enjoyable set of sensations.
How important do you think book titles and covers are? And did you have a say in yours?
Titles and covers are VERY important, especially for eBooks. Unfortunately, I did have a say in mine. My first book, I wanted to title EEL'S REVERENCE. My first publisher, and the one who picked it up after that first publisher stopped business, changed it to EEL'S REVENGE. My current publisher let me restore it to EEL'S REVERENCE. Then I polled readers, and they said, "I would NEVER ever read the blurb for a book with EEL in the title!" So I'm looking for a new title. Any suggestions?
Hmm… I’ll have to think on it. Meanwhile, tell me what you’re working on at the moment?
I'm writing a set of short stories for the Summer Reading Trail, participating in the Race To The Hugo Awards challenge, rewriting a bit of The Novel Formerly Known As Eel's Reverence, marketing my science fiction cop comedy novel, FORCE OF HABIT, and preparing to do a class for the Blog Book Tour Cafe on publishing on Smashwords.
Wow! You’re a busy woman. So do you have time to write every day?
Yes. I blog every day, which keeps me energized. Of course, having TIME and DOING it are two different things....
Oh yes, I definitely know what you mean. Parallel to that subject; do you have any tips on beating writer’s block?
Any time I've been blocked, it was because I was trying to push a character or situation in the wrong direction. When I rethought what I was doing and where I was going, sometimes deleting big chunks of story to get back to the good part, the story took off again.
Hitting the delete button is a brave move. I applaud your courage, Marian. In addition to befriending the delete button, what advice would you give aspiring writers?
I always give the same advice, and it's my favorite quote to use for writing or publishing: "Never give up! Never surrender!"
Those are words to live by! Okay, I know you’re a busy woman so here is my final question - what do you do when you’re not writing?
I'm never not writing. I read, cook, do housework, visit friends, watch TV with my mother, talk with my husband, hug my kids, go to meetings.... But I'm always writing. A writer is ALWAYS writing, because everything you do or see or hear goes into the pot and comes out in fiction. So be nice to writers, yes?
Ha! I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Force of Habit by Marian Allen is available at Amazon, on Smashwords and OmniLit, and for NOOK. And you can watch the Force of Habit Trailer on YouTube.
