Ask the Author: Shannon Mullen
Answered Questions (8)
Shannon Mullen
If I could travel to a fictional book world, I would go to Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. It is the setting of the classic Canadian novel, Anne of Green Gables and the character, Anne Shirley, had a huge influence on my childhood. When I was in middle school, my friend Katie and I even imagined that our schoolyard were various settings in the book. She would be Diana and I would be Anne. We were quite geeky but completely obsessed with the book and its characters. Green Gables, the house belonging to the Cuthberts, Anne's adopted parents, actually is quite a popular tourist attraction. But I've never been to PEI. Even though I could visit it now as a tourist, it would certainly be amazing to travel to the fictional world created by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Shannon Mullen
I'm going to finally read "Mexican Hooker #1" by Carmen Aguirre. It's a memoir about her childhood trauma growing up in North America as a Chilean refugee. My brother got it for me for Christmas and I still haven't read it, as I've been busy prepping for new courses at the high school where I teach and editing my new novel. Also, I want to read "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara (another Christmas gift!), which looks like a very powerful read about 4 friends in New York City who have graduated from college.
Since I'm teaching High School French, I am trying to make an effort to read more in French to improve my vocabulary. One of my friends lent me "Cinquante Nuances de Grey" (50 Shades of Grey in French) last summer and I still haven't read it...not like it will help me with vocab I could use in the classroom--LOL! So if anyone has any suggestions of great francophone literature, please let me know!
If I get really ambitious, I will also try to read something in Spanish...but YA or Graphic Novels are likely the best option for me due to my fluency level (intermediate)
Since I'm teaching High School French, I am trying to make an effort to read more in French to improve my vocabulary. One of my friends lent me "Cinquante Nuances de Grey" (50 Shades of Grey in French) last summer and I still haven't read it...not like it will help me with vocab I could use in the classroom--LOL! So if anyone has any suggestions of great francophone literature, please let me know!
If I get really ambitious, I will also try to read something in Spanish...but YA or Graphic Novels are likely the best option for me due to my fluency level (intermediate)
Shannon Mullen
I exercise. I go for walks or runs. My best ideas always come when I'm doing something active.
Shannon Mullen
The best thing about being a writer is being able to create a new reality. I have a photo of graffiti printed on canvas that I bought in Johannesburg, South Africa from an innovative studio called "i was shot in Joburg" which provides a platform for street youth to gain photography skills and earn a living. The photo says "Write the Future" and hangs prominently in my living room.
This message is very important to me as a writer. I often get criticized for being too much of a dreamer and idealist. But through writing I'm able to create a world that I imagine. I hope that this might expand the limits of possibility for my readers.
This message is very important to me as a writer. I often get criticized for being too much of a dreamer and idealist. But through writing I'm able to create a world that I imagine. I hope that this might expand the limits of possibility for my readers.
Shannon Mullen
Don't wait for someone else to tell you that your work is good. Don't wait until you are a 'writer' to write. Don't wait until the moment in your life when you have time to write. If you want to write, write. Just do it. It is very very hard but also incredibly satisfying.
I spent a long time not writing because I was afraid that my work was not good enough or that I would never get published. Through the process of writing See What Flowers, I came to realize that I don't need the approval of others to validate my work. Writing adds a lot of joy to my life and that is reason enough to do it. It was very very very difficult to overcome the feelings of self-doubt associated with the creative process. But now I write because it makes me feel happier than anything else. And if it is able to reach an audience, that would be fantastic, but that is no longer the driving force in my writing. I write for myself.
I spent a long time not writing because I was afraid that my work was not good enough or that I would never get published. Through the process of writing See What Flowers, I came to realize that I don't need the approval of others to validate my work. Writing adds a lot of joy to my life and that is reason enough to do it. It was very very very difficult to overcome the feelings of self-doubt associated with the creative process. But now I write because it makes me feel happier than anything else. And if it is able to reach an audience, that would be fantastic, but that is no longer the driving force in my writing. I write for myself.
Shannon Mullen
I am currently working on promoting my début novel, See What Flowers. So I'm in the midst of working on a few short pieces about what I learned through writing and the creative process. I'm also going to begin work on my PhD thesis this summer.
Shannon Mullen
I write by reading great writing. I also get inspired when I walk into book stores and am amazed by all of the books on the shelves. I step back and remind myself that all of these books were written by people. This motivates me: If they can do it, then maybe I can do it too.
Shannon Mullen
I wrote See What Flowers after having worked as a teacher in the Canadian Arctic where suicide rates are ten times the national average, so I was hyper-conscious of the impact that mental illness can have on individuals and communities. When I came home from the north, a few friends happened to be in relationships that were being impacted by mental illness. See What Flowers was inspired by several personal experiences, rather than just one.
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