Ask the Author: Claire Fullerton
Answered Questions (11)
Claire Fullerton
I can tell you a true horror story by recounting the fires that swept through Malibu, California last November. When we evacuated our house, for what turned out to be a three-week period of dislocation, there were airborne ashes falling everywhere and literally, a wall of raging fire coming down the mountain in our back yard headed for our house!
Claire Fullerton
I'd travel to the world that Diana Gabaldon wrote about in her Outlander series. In fact, I plan on going to the Scottish highlands in 2020. What I plan to do there is walk the land because I believe the best way to get a feel for a place is to travel through it on foot.
Claire Fullerton
Have very recently gone through two summer must reads: The Dead House by Billy O'Callaghan, and The Bookshop at Water's End by Patti Callaghan Henry. Both absolutely lovely. On my list from here is The River of Kings, by Taylor Brown; South and West: From a Notebook, by Joan Didion; and Eveningland: Stories, by Michael Knight.
Claire Fullerton
Hi Susan: I'm glad you see the perfection in a St. Patrick's Day release! And the next thing I'm going to do, after I answer this question is look into your books, since you mentioned Ireland! Oh, how I love that soulful, pastoral country, replete with the nicest, most immediately accessible tribe on God's green earth! Yes, I write full-time. I am at my desk first thing in the morning and am pretty much tethered all day, broken up with breaks involving our two German shepherds, and other obvious things that would take anyone away. But it seems I always have one project or another to address, all of which are a labor of love. I can definitely report I am spending my days according to who I am, and I see it all as a process of growth with no "there" to get to! The thing about writing is once you get in the arena, it gets bigger! I'm writing my 4th novel these days and always submit somewhere, and what with promotion and all, it is definitely a way of life. And as for note taking, yes, I do that as thoughts pertaining to my books come to me, yet primarily, I just type, because I'm growing a story, if you know what I mean. But I go into novels knowing the point of what I'm trying to say and know the beginning and end. Thank you for writing; I'm now on my way to look into you!
Claire Fullerton
I lay my ownership on the page! I simply tell the truth, and the reason is that it occurs to me therein lies the art of story telling. I never distance myself because it is my job to find the best words and the best way of communicating the story, with its attendant emotions, that illustrate the nuances of the human experience as I perceive it. And your using the words "emotionally hot" is perfect. I believe it is the writer's job to call things by name, to comment on the world, relationships, dreams, hopes, fears, predicaments we unwittingly find ourselves in, and even the nature of cause and effect. For this, one has to be honest in their pursuit of making the untenable tenable, so to speak. One has to be fearless and focused on the intention of a story. It starts with a writer being in touch with their truth, and ends with a willingness to share it.
Claire Fullerton
The opportunity to grow in your chosen field. I think writing is a never-ending growth phase that enriches one over a lifetime. Its rewards are legion.
Claire Fullerton
Just write what you want to write and don't worry too much about the outcome. Do your best, do it passionately and fully, and resist the temptation to compare yourself to others. Writing is a never ending learning curve that one nurtures over a lifetime. Enjoy the process and keep the spark alive. There's every reason to believe you're following a path designed specifically for you or you wouldn't feel compelled to write in the first place! Follow the call!
Claire Fullerton
It is always the story I'd like to tell that inspires me to write! Typically, the stories come from real life or some variation. I stay inspired because I treat a project as a full-time job. In a sense, I live with the inspiration to finish what I've started because I'd like the entire story to be told.
Claire Fullerton
I think writer's block is a commonly accepted myth! Even when a writer is not writing, there is still a gestation period of something waiting to be born. Acceptance of the process is imperative; for me, there is an ebb and flow while a novel is coming to fruition, and there's a lot to be said for patience. When a writer embarks upon a novel, it's because they know deep within there is a story waiting to be told. I think perseverance and keeping the faith are all that's needed. If one feels "blocked," it's best to consider it part of the process, as something momentary. Stepping away for a breather is not a bad thing.
Claire Fullerton
I am writing a Southern family saga set in Memphis. Update: The Southern Family Saga will be published by Firefly Southern Fiction, in the beginning of 2018. It's title is Mourning Dove.
Claire Fullerton
My husband and I stayed at an historic hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, which is a little village on the hauntingly beautiful Monterey Peninsula. As I looked around the opulent lobby with its sand-stone floors and hand carved fireplace, I noticed a graceful Mediterranean tile staircase and began to imagine myself in period clothing (early 1900's) climbing up to the top, as if I lived in a house such as this. Later that night, I woke my husband up at 2:00 in the morning to report I couldn't sleep because the hotel was so haunted. "A Portal in Time" is the story, written in two time periods, that brought me to the top of those stairs!
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more