Ask the Author: Susan Oleksiw
Answered Questions (6)
Susan Oleksiw
There are as many answers to this question as there are writers, but most of us agree on one or two points. First, write every day. It doesn't matter what it is, just write. This could be a blog post, a letter or email to friends, or a paragraph in a story. Keep your brain nimble and in practice. Second, read. Read all kinds of books, read outside your comfort zone, read books by people you know and by people you don't like. But read every day.
Susan Oleksiw
A few years ago I began reading Ron Rash and Wendell Berry, who write about rural America. Since my family has lived much of the time in the rural world of the North, I thought of a few experiences that might make good stories. I've written several of these, the first of which was published by Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. More are in the pipeline. I come back to these stories between mystery novels. Right now my agent is sending around a series set in a rural area.
Susan Oleksiw
Now that we're heading into the summer and warmer weather, I like to relax and pick up books I've been ignoring. I've got four books lined up. The first is William Trevor's THE STORY OF LUCY GAULT. After that comes Stephen King's HEARTS IN ATLANTIS. I'm looking forward to a short book after that, Vivian Gornick's piece about Elizabeth Lady Stanton, THE SOLITUDE OF SELF. And then I'm picking one of the many British mysteries I keep lined up, just waiting for me. I have an Elizabeth George, of course, and an M.C. Beaton, plus one or two by Anne Perry. This should be a good summer.
Susan Oleksiw
I enjoy a wide range of mysteries, so picking a favorite in any category is difficult if not impossible. I've always enjoyed Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence. I always ran out to by Carolyn G. Hart's newest book featuring Annie Laurance and Max Darling. Perhaps my favorite for the quiet steadiness of the pair is Patricia Moyes's Inspector Henry Tibbett and his wife, Emmy, who only occasionally enters the world of crime. I could go on because there are so many to choose from, but these are three of my favorites.
Susan Oleksiw
This question came up recently, and I was intrigued by some of the suggestions. I was asked to contribute some ideas and did so, but I don't often (if ever) face writer's block. If I'm having trouble with knowing how to move forward in a particular story, I know I have to back up and see what I either omitted or presented incorrectly. I write every day, and I expect to produce a certain number of words every day. In the morning when i sit down at my desk and open my computer, I read over what I finished the day before and then begin the new day's work. This process seems to keep me going.
Susan Oleksiw
I've been writing since I was a teenager, and often with a deadline. I've learned that I can't wait for inspiration. I get to my desk every morning by nine o'clock, and I sit there until I have written at least 1500 words. On some days I write a lot more, but I'm usually working on my current story or novel for at least four hours every day. I think of inspiration as opening the door to opportunity, and I have to be at my desk with the computer on for the opportunity to arrive. (Or, I use a notebook if I get an idea while traveling or away from a computer.)
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