Ask the Author: Susan DeFreitas
Answered Questions (8)
Susan DeFreitas
Great questions! Honestly, it was probably the sense that I had lived through such amazing stories that I had to share them, but I really only tell "tall tales"--which is to say, much of what I wrote about in Hot Season is true.
Susan DeFreitas
That might have to be Jonathan and Arabella Strange, from Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. After all, Jonathan only became a magician in order to satisfy his wife's desire that he apply himself to a vocation; if not for Arabella, it's unlikely anyone would have noticed that Lady Pole, rather than going mad, had been enchanted. At every turn, when other male characters in the book are thinking of their lives, livelihood, or status, Jonathan thinks only of Arabella. They remain stubbornly in love throughout the story, despite its many challenges.
Susan DeFreitas
Hot Season was inspired by some of the extraordinary people I knew and events that occurred during the 14 years I lived in the high country of Prescott, Arizona.
Susan DeFreitas
By reading! All writers start off as voracious readers. The smart ones stay that way. ;-)
Susan DeFreitas
Kublai, a post-apocalyptic sci fi novel about a woman who's the pet of her robot--and the thirty short stories I'm releasing through my Patreon campaign. https://www.patreon.com/susandefreitas
Susan DeFreitas
Find a way to share your work with people who care about the sorts of things you write about. This art form comes with a ridiculously long apprenticeship period; you need to connect with a community of readers for the long haul.
Susan DeFreitas
The fact that you have a license to learn, really learn, about ANYTHING. In the course of writing my first novel, Hot Season, I learned about desert ecology, wildfire, the history of environmental activism, and the habits of javelinas (desert critters who resemble pigs). For the sci fi novel I'm working on, I've learned about artificial intelligence and the history of sex machines. Never a dull moment.
Susan DeFreitas
I'll admit, it's not really an issue for me, as I've found ways to turn off my inner editor. (You know, that voice inside your head that says, "This is crap! What are you doing? Where is this going? Who cares?")
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