Ask the Author: Lisa Haddock
Answered Questions (9)
Lisa Haddock
Thanks for the question. My novel most resembles my life. I grew in Tulsa, attended the Southern Baptist Church, and attended one terrifying Pentecostal service. My ethnicity is the same as Carmen's. But I grew up with two parents and a sister. I spent 17 years working as a copy editor and layout editor. I never solved a crime.
Lisa Haddock
My writing starts from true events or long-held ideas. In the late 1970s, three Girl Scouts were murdered at a sleepover camp. The first news reports stated that a lesbian Scout leader might be the killer. The investigation quickly focused on a male suspect. So I thought, what if a woman were framed for a sex crime and murder? My character Carmen was an imaginative exercise. I'm half Puerto Rican, but my name doesn't tip anyone off. I wondered, what would it be like to be a half-Puerto Rican with a Spanish name? I was off to the races.
Lisa Haddock
As a longtime journalist, I don't need inspiration to write. If I have a good idea, I just bang it out.
Lisa Haddock
I'm readying a mystery novel for publication.
Lisa Haddock
I would go to the magical world of Harry Potter. I'd wield a wand and hang out with fellow witches and wizards.
Lisa Haddock
I'm currently reading "The Institute" by Stephen King.
Lisa Haddock
When you write fiction, pick a genre you like. Come up with a marketable idea. Read as much as you can about that topic. Then, re-read books you like for tips about structure, plot, and pace. Then, write, write, and write without censoring yourself. You can always cut out what doesn't work. Believe in your project. Never give up.
Lisa Haddock
I love the discipline of journalistic objectivity. When I write fiction, I am free of restrictions.
Lisa Haddock
My newspaper training doesn't allow for writer's block. I just write, write, and keep writing. Even if the work is sub-standard, I can always toss it out.
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