Ask the Author: Casey Griffin
Answered Questions (11)
Casey Griffin
Okay, the world is easy for me. It would definitely be Harry Potter's world. But what would I do? I can't narrow it down. I would want to explore Hogwarts, for sure. Maybe even do the whole first day of school thing with the train ride and everything! But I think shopping at Diagon Alley would be fun too. But no matter what, a whirl on a Nimbus 2000 would be a must!
Casey Griffin
You are very welcome! Thanks again for contacting me. I hope you enjoy :)
Casey Griffin
Good question. Now that I've wrapped up the third book in the Rescue Dog Romance series, I'm looking forward to reading stories other than my own. I'd like to start with Internet Famous by Danika Stone, Reach for You by Pat Esden, and A New Leash on Love by Debbie Burns (a fellow dog lover). I also have a few ready to go on my Kindle app, including Jane Austen Stole My Boyfriend by Cora Harrison (because I loved the first book). The Diviners by Libba Bray, Voyager by Diana Gabaldon, and Seven Habits of Highly Effective People so I can figure out how to fit all those books in while writing my next YA novel.
Casey Griffin
I've recently started a collection of antique personal photos...of complete strangers. No. I'm not a stalker. I love poking around in antique stores, and sometimes I come across photos of people that I find intriguing. Maybe it's their clothes, or their look, or maybe it's because they're smiling--which I'm pretty sure was illegal back in the day, because not many people ever did it. I just bought one of a really young sailor who has the biggest smile I've ever seen. It makes me happy just looking at the photo.
Each time I buy one, I secretly think, what if I'm drawn to this person for a reason? What if the sailor is my long-lost great, great something who was separated from the love of his life by an evil lie made up by her father to keep them apart or because he was thought to be killed at sea? Oh, and look. She conveniently lives in the nursing home down the road and is willing to tell me all about their affair as though it were just yesterday. Then I embark on some crazy mission to reunite the old lovers.
Each one I buy has a new story.
Each time I buy one, I secretly think, what if I'm drawn to this person for a reason? What if the sailor is my long-lost great, great something who was separated from the love of his life by an evil lie made up by her father to keep them apart or because he was thought to be killed at sea? Oh, and look. She conveniently lives in the nursing home down the road and is willing to tell me all about their affair as though it were just yesterday. Then I embark on some crazy mission to reunite the old lovers.
Each one I buy has a new story.
Casey Griffin
Jamie and Claire Fraser from Outlander. Now there's a dynamic couple. They aren't made in heaven for each other, and they're not the perfect fit. I mean, hello, they come from two different times! They're so human, and they make mistakes and have disagreements--and love each other all the more for it. It challenges their relationship, helps it grow, evolve, and become richer and deeper for it. Their passion for each other keeps them going, keeps them fighting for one another. Their love feels very real and yet inspiring.
Casey Griffin
I'll answer for the work in progress I'm playing with right now, because that's the one that's on my mind the most. It's a romance about two teens that love getting sucked into the online gaming world. Being a fan of RPGs myself, it's obvious where I got the inspiration. Write what you love, right? And a lot of my inspiration comes from my geekiness.
I specifically remember a time back in university when I got sucked into an online game that was still in the beta phase. It became like a home away from home. You may not know who the other players are in real life, but you come to know them as you "hang out" in the game. They become your friends, and you care about what happens to them. I thought it would be really cool if part of my book was written as many RPG players sometimes see games--as though it's their reality (hopefully temporarily). I'm hoping to come back to reality any day now.
I specifically remember a time back in university when I got sucked into an online game that was still in the beta phase. It became like a home away from home. You may not know who the other players are in real life, but you come to know them as you "hang out" in the game. They become your friends, and you care about what happens to them. I thought it would be really cool if part of my book was written as many RPG players sometimes see games--as though it's their reality (hopefully temporarily). I'm hoping to come back to reality any day now.
Casey Griffin
I always have ideas for new books circulating through my head. I suppose they randomly pop in there when I'm not paying attention. Then I mull it over for a while, building characters and weaving plot lines while I'm doing the dishes or something. I also find bouncing ideas off people close to me helps too. Even if they have no input, sometimes the act of expressing it out loud gets the ideas flowing.
By the time I put pen to paper, I know exactly how my book is supposed to go. And by that point, I'm so desperate to write it that I don't need much inspiration to get me going. I might get into the swing of things by revisiting my outline notes, listening to a particular song that reminds me of the story, or I might search for photos of what I think the characters or settings might look like. After a while, it becomes so vivid to me that it's like a movie playing in my head.
By the time I put pen to paper, I know exactly how my book is supposed to go. And by that point, I'm so desperate to write it that I don't need much inspiration to get me going. I might get into the swing of things by revisiting my outline notes, listening to a particular song that reminds me of the story, or I might search for photos of what I think the characters or settings might look like. After a while, it becomes so vivid to me that it's like a movie playing in my head.
Casey Griffin
For me, writer's block doesn't happen because I don't want to write. I ALWAYS want to write. I think writer's block is a way for my story to tell me there's something wrong with it. It's my job to figure out what that is. Sometimes, though, I just wish it would come right out and tell me how.
I might not recognize it for writer's block, at first. It might start out as an excuse. "Oh, I just need to get this laundry done," or "This paperwork really needs sorting." But after I've alphabetized my spice rack and deleted e-mails from five years ago, I realize that I'm avoiding my book for one reason: it's just not working.
The only thing that ever helps me overcome this is by going back to the drawing board: the outline. If I can't move past a point in my novel, it could be for any number of reasons, but the outline never lies. Cut it up, shift it around, combine scenes, do whatever you need to do to get that AHA! feeling so the words start flowing again.
I might not recognize it for writer's block, at first. It might start out as an excuse. "Oh, I just need to get this laundry done," or "This paperwork really needs sorting." But after I've alphabetized my spice rack and deleted e-mails from five years ago, I realize that I'm avoiding my book for one reason: it's just not working.
The only thing that ever helps me overcome this is by going back to the drawing board: the outline. If I can't move past a point in my novel, it could be for any number of reasons, but the outline never lies. Cut it up, shift it around, combine scenes, do whatever you need to do to get that AHA! feeling so the words start flowing again.
Casey Griffin
The best part about being a writer is getting these voices out of my head and onto paper--my characters' voices, that is. I can't imagine anything better than using my imagination and creativity to build new worlds for others to explore. Being blessed enough to have my stories published is like I'm having a conversation with the rest of the world. Hello, world.
Casey Griffin
What don't I want to be working on right now? There’s just not enough time to work on all the projects I’m excited about exploring--both YA and adult. Now that I’ve just finished the third novel in my Rescue Dog Romance series, I’m writing a proposal for another contemporary teen romance novel (geek couture related, of course). And if I ever learn how to manipulate time, I’d eventually like to self-publish my book Dreamcatchers (plus the rest of the series), which got me to the finals in the ABNA contest.
Casey Griffin
“You never fail until you stop trying.” – Albert Einstein
Don’t feel disheartened if your current book doesn’t sell. Writing is a process. We learn, we grow, we constantly improve our craft. Rejection is just part of the process. It doesn't mean failure.
There is no failure in the path to publication unless you give up trying. No matter how many books it takes, if you truly love writing, you’re still doing something you enjoy regardless of the outcome.
Don’t feel disheartened if your current book doesn’t sell. Writing is a process. We learn, we grow, we constantly improve our craft. Rejection is just part of the process. It doesn't mean failure.
There is no failure in the path to publication unless you give up trying. No matter how many books it takes, if you truly love writing, you’re still doing something you enjoy regardless of the outcome.
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