Ask the Author: Erin A. Craig
Answered Questions (13)
Erin A. Craig
Thank you so much! I'm not sure on exact dates yet. I've got two books coming out in between now and then though! :-)
Erin A. Craig
Oh! Thank you so much! While A LAND SO WIDE and SMALL FAVORS are not set in the same universe, they definitely have similar vibes! Isolated towns, things in the woods, and so many ominous trees! SF takes place in 1880's Colorado and LAND is 1770's Labrador!
Erin A. Craig
I’m an early bird, so I was up around 4am most mornings to draft until it was time to get Tiny Craig ready for school. Then I’d try to get a work out/walk in after dropping her off, shower, then back to drafting till lunch time. If my early sessions went well, I’d spend the afternoon reading or researching for the next book, then school pick-up— I like to go early and draft on my steering wheel desk! Then back home, dinner, bedtime fun and reading till lights out around 9:30!
Erin A. Craig
She's as brave and resourceful as Ellerie Downing. She is a bit sheltered, much like Verity Thaumas, and--like all of my heroines--she will fiercely fight to save who she loves. As far as her differences go... you'll have to read to find out!
I think she'd get along well with any of my main characters... except for Sam Downing, who continues to be the Absolute Worst.
I think she'd get along well with any of my main characters... except for Sam Downing, who continues to be the Absolute Worst.
Erin A. Craig
There's never a dumb question!
There *is* a third "Sisters of the Salt" book coming and it will be Lenore's story! No firm dates for publication yet-- there are a bunch of really exciting things happening behind the scenes right now that I'm so excited to get to shout up-- soon, I hope!
There *is* a third "Sisters of the Salt" book coming and it will be Lenore's story! No firm dates for publication yet-- there are a bunch of really exciting things happening behind the scenes right now that I'm so excited to get to shout up-- soon, I hope!
Erin A. Craig
Oh!!! Thank you so much!
Yes! LAND is a loose retelling of "Tam Lin."
Before I start drafting, I try to outline as much of the book as I've plotted, so that I always feel like I know where I'm working toward. If the words aren't coming, I find a change of scene works marvelously for me. Stepping away from the page for a bit--going for a walk or taking a shower--seems to unlock what the plotting problem is. And sometimes if the scene isn't working, trying reframing. Maybe it began in the wrong time or wrong location. Try mixing it up! Sending all the happy drafting vibes!
Yes! LAND is a loose retelling of "Tam Lin."
Before I start drafting, I try to outline as much of the book as I've plotted, so that I always feel like I know where I'm working toward. If the words aren't coming, I find a change of scene works marvelously for me. Stepping away from the page for a bit--going for a walk or taking a shower--seems to unlock what the plotting problem is. And sometimes if the scene isn't working, trying reframing. Maybe it began in the wrong time or wrong location. Try mixing it up! Sending all the happy drafting vibes!
Erin A. Craig
Ooo! My all-time favorite question!
HMM!
It's a toss up between "Wonderland" and "Out of the Woods." But if you ask Finn, it's totally "You Belong With Me." All of them, obviously, are (Taylor's Version)!
HMM!
It's a toss up between "Wonderland" and "Out of the Woods." But if you ask Finn, it's totally "You Belong With Me." All of them, obviously, are (Taylor's Version)!
Erin A. Craig
Oh! Thank you so much! It's really exciting to switch age brackets!
One of the things I love best about YA is how immediate characters' emotions are, how they feel everything with every ounce of their being and while I definitely took a lot of those moods with me into the adult sector, it was nice to balance that with more mature past life experiences for the characters to draw upon.
Also... it was nice to give a love interest some facial hair and a super deep voice!
One of the things I love best about YA is how immediate characters' emotions are, how they feel everything with every ounce of their being and while I definitely took a lot of those moods with me into the adult sector, it was nice to balance that with more mature past life experiences for the characters to draw upon.
Also... it was nice to give a love interest some facial hair and a super deep voice!
Erin A. Craig
There is! LAND is my love letter to Tam Lin--without fairies! I've always loved how strong Janet is and how fiercely she fights to rescue Tam Lin, but I've never really hopped on to the fae fandom so I decided to write my version of it and add in a little more... fangs!
Erin A. Craig
I have... and I hate to inform you... this one is adult. You can't use your "I don't read YA" card here. #themsthebreakskid
Erin A. Craig
I'm a traditionally published author, so once I had a manuscript that was ready, I queried agents until I was offered representation. After that, it was my agent who took the book to publishing houses (after several rounds of edits and polishing!). If you're looking to be published by the bigger houses, you need an agent to submit but there are many smaller presses that can be subbed to directly! It just depends on what sort of path you want to go down!
Erin A. Craig
That's an awesome goal! I love looking at paintings and photographs that capture the atmosphere I'm shooting for with each book. I try to find something that looks like the house or town where I'm setting everything and start to layer in the details. Who lives in that house? What do they do for fun? Are there festivals or special holidays that mean something important to the residents? Start with small details and suddenly a whole world can open up!
Erin A. Craig
Aww! Thank you so much! I began writing House of Salt and Sorrows shortly after my daughter was born. I was a new stay-at-home mama and in those bleary-eyed early days, a fragment of a story kept haunting me … an island estate, shrouded in fog, shadows and dark, dark secrets. The idea wouldn’t leave me alone, but I wasn’t fully convinced there was an entire plot within it. Sorting through some boxes of old keepsakes one day, I came across a picture of 10-year-old me playing the role of the soldier in my sister’s Girl Scout troop’s production of The Twelve Dancing Princesses and the story clicked into place from there.
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