One Happy Author

Today as part of the Indie Writer's Unite Blog Tour, I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Susan Ricci.  Please read all about her journey, from crayons to novels, right here.



I want to thank author Penelope Crowe (and my virtual cousin) for hosting me this week!

1.   When did you start writing?

I started writing the moment I learned crayons didn't belong to a food group.  Actually, I began my 'career' on an antique typewriter at 10, banging out The Hill Weekly, a gossip rag my neighbors bought for a dime. That's how the National Inquirer came to be.  I was absolutely thrilled a giant publisher like that stole my ideas! (chuckle)

2.  Please tell us a bit about your journey towards publication—any roadblocks or motivations?

I tried marketing a novel I'd written about 12 years ago via traditional channels, and I refused to see the light was too dim regarding that particular project. Attending writer's conferences and researching the how-to's via the Writer's Digest and other avenues, I found it wasn't the premise that killed the book, it was my own POV character.  She didn't have much interest in helping herself, ergo, no one could applaud her journey, because she refused to advance it herself.  I trashed it and concentrated on other journeys that inspired empathy, whether they were via newspaper/magazine articles, essays, or short fiction ditties.  You see, it's those emotional true to life situations that propel me the fastest, although I do love creating characters that bring out my liar's ability via my alter ego.

3. Are you writing a book now, and if so, please tell us a bit about it.

My current project, Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, began as sort of a diary, but snowballed into a humorous, self-help creation.  I'm hoping my journey may inspire others clinging to negative baggage that they should be making their baggage work FOR them, instead of wallowing.  Anyone can be much happier if they use their histories as valuable stepping-stones to get to the next level, don't you agree?  Right now I'm revising D and CS, then sharing it with a great editor after the holidays. Hopefully, it will be ready for publishing by next summer!

3.  What do you find difficult about the writing process?

Distractions, distractions, distractions, especially when they're least expected--they drive me nutty.  I want to write all day long, but it's usually impossible. Guess we all have those days…

4.   What are your writing goals for the future?

I have 3 novels beckoning me, after Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems.  My favorite, Slick Trespass, is a contemporary saga about physical illness versus the mental kind.  If you think about it, there's not much difference between the two, just a matter of perspective.  I also have 2 stories in rough draft for later, that'll be sure to keep me busy!   5.  If you could plan a perfect writing career for the next five years, what would it include? (Could be anything Susan…book tours, type of books you write, movie deals…anything you want…)

The concept of having a lucrative writing career is a humbling one.  Movie deals, the Red Carpet, my hubby looking so fine in his tux standing next to me, all that rocks, but if I were fortunate enough to make some money from my writing, I'd finance a private group home and staff for my handicapped brother.  I'm his guardian and I'd love to see him completely happy.

6.  What type of books do you like to read?

I read everything; espionage, thrillers, sci-fi, romance.  And I'll probably do more of it once Christmas arrives and Santa stashes a Kindle in my sock!  But I'll re-read Gone With the Wind anytime…Margaret Mitchell, Vince Flynn, Harper Lee, Bertrice Small are favorite authors, just to name a few.  And, of course, there's my Indie authors, all who have some very great works out there.

7.  Please tell us about you!

I'm really pretty average, (having finally achieved adulthood not too long ago), and I'm filled with aspirations that keep me grounded, both emotionally and professionally.  I'm also the type of author that will readily deviate from one project, to begin a piece about something else entirely that snags my interest, at any particular time.  Although this aspect of my personality gets in my way at times, I just can't help it.  And breathing life into a topic I'm passionate about and seeing it published; damn, the high an author feels when this happens, it's just indescribable, no?

8.  Any words of advice for people who are just starting to write?

Absolutely!  Pursue your dreams.  Write as often as humanly possible and read just as much. Research your markets and consider your publishing options.  All part of the process...

9 .I know you have written some articles, can you tell me about them and what they were for?

Gosh, Penelope, I've written many articles for the newspaper, the type that could've been misconstrued by government officials and the like.   My mother once begged me to knock it off, because she feared someone would find my car abandoned on some dark alley one night, but without me in it!  Yeah, I'm opinionated, but I've always been the advocate for the underdog first.  I've also written articles for Good Dog Magazine, Aim Intercultural Magazine, and Parenting Teens, and those, too, were inspired by real life situations. 

Thank you SO much for answering my questions!  It has been a pleasure hearing your story and getting to know you.  Good luck with your books!!