Ask the Author: Connie Chappell
Answered Questions (8)
Connie Chappell
I waited way, way too long to find a ladies’ room, especially after all the water I drank this morning. Now, in the stall—oh no—my worst nightmare: The drawstring in my pants is in a knot!
Connie Chappell
My favorite fictional couple has got to be Scarlet O'Hara and Rhett Butler, from Gone With The Wind. I have that novel on my library's bookshelf. The characters come to life right off the page. They have an individuality with no equal. And the era the book is written in adds romance. A war-torn and changing South is a great backdrop.
Connie Chappell
The premise behind Wild Raspberries comes from a writer’s very basic requirement to tell a story that has never been told before. I decided to tell a love story from the “other woman’s” point of view, a love story that begins after her lover dies. In Wild Raspberries, the longsuffering wife is the one who possesses questionable character traits.
Of utmost importance when I sit down to tell a story is the desire to tell all sides. That said, Wild Raspberries explores an ample supply of good and bad deeds on behalf of both women.
Of utmost importance when I sit down to tell a story is the desire to tell all sides. That said, Wild Raspberries explores an ample supply of good and bad deeds on behalf of both women.
Connie Chappell
Waking up in the morning is all the inspiration I need to get me out of bed and in to my laptop. In the eight years I’ve been writing, inspiration has never been in short supply. At some point, I began to think like a writer and read like a writer. That transformation is a permanent one. I firmly believe I can never go back.
Connie Chappell
The book I hope to see released early in 2017 is an independent sequel to Wild Raspberries. I say 'independent' because readers don't need to read Wild Raspberries first. The title is Proper Goodbye. It's Beebe Walker's story.
Beebe Walker’s life changed when she learned about a secret buried in her father’s cemetery. The perpetrator of the secret was Beebe’s mother. You'll meet many memorable characters in Proper Goodbye and a dog named Barleycorn.
Beebe Walker’s life changed when she learned about a secret buried in her father’s cemetery. The perpetrator of the secret was Beebe’s mother. You'll meet many memorable characters in Proper Goodbye and a dog named Barleycorn.
Connie Chappell
First, I would say, Beware: Aspiring writers get bad advice. I know I heard bad advice. I heard conflicting advice. Trust your instincts, especially when the advice you’re given isn’t sitting well with you. Ask your questions of more than one person.
Follow basic rules. Learn the building blocks of writing: What are the parts of a scene? The parts of a sequel? When and where should backstory be included? Understanding the foundation makes the story flow.
Follow basic rules. Learn the building blocks of writing: What are the parts of a scene? The parts of a sequel? When and where should backstory be included? Understanding the foundation makes the story flow.
Connie Chappell
I like so many things about being a writer that it’s hard to label one as the best. I like the fact that I can’t not write. I must write. I like the routine I’ve put in place. I’m up early at 4 a.m. Most days, I give two hours. But, oh, those mornings when I get to write until my brain literally shuts down and I can write no more, those are precious ones.
Connie Chappell
I can honestly say I’ve never had writer’s block. Sometimes, I have an idea for a scene and struggle over how to get it started. That struggle usually results in a free-write, where I put down whatever I’m thinking about the scene: descriptions, purpose, characters’ movements through it, their emotions, conflicts. I type fast with my eyes closed so I’m not distracted by typos. Eventually, I will type a sentence or phrase that clicks. My fingers stop, and I know I have that all-important first line that will spur my imagination into high gear.
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