Ask the Author: Addison Russell
Answered Questions (5)
Addison Russell
Once started, inspiration to write my debut novel was never in short supply. Characters yelled at me in my head, and the story emerged through my fingertips with little encouragement. Now, half way through completing my second novel, the words seems slower and harder to grasp. They bubble when I am in the zone, but sometimes when time is elusive and in short supply, inspiration fades into nothingness.
What does the zone look, feel and smell like?
It is a quiet space, where aromatherapy oils are chosen to suit my mood of the day. Not a morning person, my best writing usually occurs after lunch until late afternoon. Sometimes music (classical, as words distract me), will be a backdrop but only when the words are being stubborn. Seeing outdoors with an abundance of light and greenery is important. Cups of tea are essential, sometimes with sugar, especially at particular times of the month. The chosen tea cup, an unique one, given to me by a much-loved girlfriend. A desk that has meaningful trinkets scattered around, reminding me of special times, people and places. Finally; solitude with uninterrupted time.
Routines and rituals work for me. However, when procrastination is winning, it can be as simple as my husband handing me a cup to tea, pushing me gently toward my “Hen Den”, smiling and saying, “It’s time to write”.
As he shuts the door firmly behind me, I am reminded of the old Nike saying, “Just Do It.”
What does the zone look, feel and smell like?
It is a quiet space, where aromatherapy oils are chosen to suit my mood of the day. Not a morning person, my best writing usually occurs after lunch until late afternoon. Sometimes music (classical, as words distract me), will be a backdrop but only when the words are being stubborn. Seeing outdoors with an abundance of light and greenery is important. Cups of tea are essential, sometimes with sugar, especially at particular times of the month. The chosen tea cup, an unique one, given to me by a much-loved girlfriend. A desk that has meaningful trinkets scattered around, reminding me of special times, people and places. Finally; solitude with uninterrupted time.
Routines and rituals work for me. However, when procrastination is winning, it can be as simple as my husband handing me a cup to tea, pushing me gently toward my “Hen Den”, smiling and saying, “It’s time to write”.
As he shuts the door firmly behind me, I am reminded of the old Nike saying, “Just Do It.”
Addison Russell
Certainly not the income generated. Writing completed and dollars earned have no correlation whatsoever. A large input of one, does not mean a large output of the other. To survive, a writer must be intrinsically motivated by the act itself.
Writing means I can:
Fall down the rabbit hole like Alice in Wonderland. Letting my imagination run wild is a deliriously fun thing to do. Permission to be like a child; open and questioning with no boundaries, allowing your synapses to fire and charge like an electrical current. “What if….” is such a magical question. It allows a writer to weave, change direction, face obstacles and problem solve with freedom. There is never a wrong answer, just a story to tell.
Develop characters that readers can relate to and with. Creating a story that elicits care and concern about outcomes of fictional people is incredibly rewarding. There is nothing more encouraging for a writer, than a reader that knows more about your characters than you do.
Entertain. Bringing pleasure to others is life affirming and addictive. Imagining that I have played a small part in providing a space and a place for a reader to forget the ‘real’ world for a while and indulge themselves in story land, makes my heart sing.
The real question is: Why wouldn’t I write?
Writing means I can:
Fall down the rabbit hole like Alice in Wonderland. Letting my imagination run wild is a deliriously fun thing to do. Permission to be like a child; open and questioning with no boundaries, allowing your synapses to fire and charge like an electrical current. “What if….” is such a magical question. It allows a writer to weave, change direction, face obstacles and problem solve with freedom. There is never a wrong answer, just a story to tell.
Develop characters that readers can relate to and with. Creating a story that elicits care and concern about outcomes of fictional people is incredibly rewarding. There is nothing more encouraging for a writer, than a reader that knows more about your characters than you do.
Entertain. Bringing pleasure to others is life affirming and addictive. Imagining that I have played a small part in providing a space and a place for a reader to forget the ‘real’ world for a while and indulge themselves in story land, makes my heart sing.
The real question is: Why wouldn’t I write?
Addison Russell
What is it telling me?’ I ask myself. Ignoring conventional writing wisdom, I tend to listen to it. Rather than seeing the vacant place as a threat to my ongoing creativity, I become mindful in the empty space and sit with it. I continue with my daily life and provide opportunities for all of my senses to be ignited. A hot bubble bath, a walk along the beach on a windy brisk day, filling the house with loud pumping rock music, sitting in the botanical gardens and eating a liquorice ice-cream, or a jog around a football oval. I accept responsibility for the emptiness, and instigate one of the long list of strategies, I have developed especially for this occasion. It never fails to surprise me, that my most creative ideas for plot and characters are often born in one of these moments, like water springing from a dry well. I try not to panic if a stubborn interval presents itself but remain in the present, and refuse to accept the victim mentality that beckons. Writing is such an individual journey, that an author must create a war plan that caters to the idiosyncratic patterns of their own mind, to fight the ‘blank’ warrior. On the rare occasions when I face the demon, sometimes I just have to ‘call it out’ and not let the silence win.
Addison Russell
I am currently working on a sequel to The Invisible Journey. Erin’s journey continues. Old and new characters add further complexity and drama to her ongoing journey. The path to rediscovering her identity and authenticity remains a challenge, as she navigates the next stage of her life path.
Addison Russell
What was the inspiration for your novel?
The Invisible Journey has been hiding in my imagination for a very long time, slowly fitting together like a mental jigsaw. Life has a way of filling all the gaps in a day, so it wasn’t until an unintentional space was created that words began to connect together. A fragile relationship began that gave permission for a narrative to be born.
No, I didn’t have previous writing experience. Hadn’t studied literature at University, and can’t tell a joke to save myself (just ask my husband). I had been an avid reader since Prep (am I highlighting my age by saying, I loved the ‘John and Betty’ readers?’), and grew up in a single-child family with older parents. I spent most of my time in my bedroom with a book, running away to places that protected me from the ravages of my parent’s volatile and dysfunctional marriage.
My visceral response to finding discarded ‘Mills and Boons’ at my grandparents house in rural New South Wales, as an early teenager, cemented my love of romance reading. I could swirl away caught up in the notion of adoration, seemingly unconditional love and the concept of ‘being saved’. My education was extended by accidentally discovering, “The Little Black Book” in the bottom of my cousin’s underwear drawer. This little gem introduced me to masturbation, orgasms and sexual penetration. The connection made and my curiosity spiked, my life-long interest in sexuality began.
Never having the desire to be ‘a writer’ but passionately enjoying the written word, I kept reading but turned outward and directed my ‘word smithing’ to educational pursuits. So time fled. Marriage, parenthood, divorce, single parenthood, a second marriage, blended families and tragedy, all providing a fertile breeding ground for a story to be told.
My inspiration came from the encouragement from those around me. The repeated words, ‘You should write a book and tell that story,’ played volleyball in my head. My husband’s vision to see what I could not, combined with a dash of wisdom and uninterrupted periods of time, all scrambled together, and Erin’s journey began.
The Invisible Journey has been hiding in my imagination for a very long time, slowly fitting together like a mental jigsaw. Life has a way of filling all the gaps in a day, so it wasn’t until an unintentional space was created that words began to connect together. A fragile relationship began that gave permission for a narrative to be born.
No, I didn’t have previous writing experience. Hadn’t studied literature at University, and can’t tell a joke to save myself (just ask my husband). I had been an avid reader since Prep (am I highlighting my age by saying, I loved the ‘John and Betty’ readers?’), and grew up in a single-child family with older parents. I spent most of my time in my bedroom with a book, running away to places that protected me from the ravages of my parent’s volatile and dysfunctional marriage.
My visceral response to finding discarded ‘Mills and Boons’ at my grandparents house in rural New South Wales, as an early teenager, cemented my love of romance reading. I could swirl away caught up in the notion of adoration, seemingly unconditional love and the concept of ‘being saved’. My education was extended by accidentally discovering, “The Little Black Book” in the bottom of my cousin’s underwear drawer. This little gem introduced me to masturbation, orgasms and sexual penetration. The connection made and my curiosity spiked, my life-long interest in sexuality began.
Never having the desire to be ‘a writer’ but passionately enjoying the written word, I kept reading but turned outward and directed my ‘word smithing’ to educational pursuits. So time fled. Marriage, parenthood, divorce, single parenthood, a second marriage, blended families and tragedy, all providing a fertile breeding ground for a story to be told.
My inspiration came from the encouragement from those around me. The repeated words, ‘You should write a book and tell that story,’ played volleyball in my head. My husband’s vision to see what I could not, combined with a dash of wisdom and uninterrupted periods of time, all scrambled together, and Erin’s journey began.
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