Interview with Ann Simpson / Author
-Where did you grow up and did that have any influence on your style.
I grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. I was quiet and I always had daydreams going on in my head, though I admit most of that was about boys. I did have my mischief years, and a tough teen emerged. I remember seeing the Exorcist at age thirteen, scared me silly. My favorite television show was the Waltons. I remember John Boy wrote in his journal every night. There was something great about that and maybe I had some deep desire to do the same. But the idea of writing fiction myself didn’t happen until years later. I first wanted to write crime novels, I am a jailer by day, but paranormal stories are my passion. I hadn't really thought about my style. I just sit and write the scenes that emerge in my thoughts.
-When did you start writing?
It was around the year 2000 when I gave some thought to writing a novel. I had taken some college courses a few years after that and a professor had mentioned that I should take up writing. I started a blog about my family ancestry and a cousin said I tell our history like a story. I don’t think it sunk in until 2011 when I completed the NaNoWriMo's 50,000 word challenge. After finishing that first draft I knew writing wasn't only something I wanted to do, it's what I have to do. I haven't stopped writing since.
-Who was/is your inspiration for writing?
Every time I closed a book, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, later John Hart, Joshua Ferris and others I wanted to be like them. I'd close the book and just stare at the cover and I felt like I was missing out on something special.
-What is the greatest joy of writing?
I get to drift into a different world, albeit one I make up, and the adrenaline rush I get when creating those bizarre scenes. Of course finishing a novel feels great too.
-Where do your ideas come from?
I start with a few ideas, like with my last novel, a woman paints her family tree, that becomes a portal to the afterlife, I throw in some spooky, after that the ideas just pop up as I write. It becomes a movie in my mind and I try and write what I see.
-What do you want to say to fans
I have some followers, not so many fans just yet, but I really would like feedback on the stories I write, what they like about it, what doesn't work for them. I like sharing my stories and its rewarding to hear a fan talk about the book.
-Walk us through your creation process.
I do have a habit of reading back what I've written before returning to write more. It may be the last paragraph or sometimes I go back to the beginning. I think this is necessary because I don’t write outlines.Outlines distract the flow of my creativity and I really don’t know where I'm going with the story when I begin, ideas do get tossed, but much of what I dream up is written. Maybe it's not the best process, I've had too many things going on in one chapter, and that could be a lot for readers to take in, in a short time. But the way I see it, the mistakes, when I'm aware of them, help me hone in on those skills.
-When not writing, how do you spend your time?
Depends on the season. Right now its shopping and wrapping. In the spring its soccer practice and games, reading, catching a good movie, and driving to different states, love to travel when I can get away from my day job.
-What is your favorite line from one of your books?
I really don’t have a favorite line or quote. Maybe, "That's when his cries were no longer silent."
-What is your favorite quote or line from another person/author?
I can't recall a favorite quote or line. I love first pages, the first impressions of a book, as in my blog at http://theresatimeout.wordpress.com/f... As for the entire book I tend to latch on to the underlying messages. It could be a struggle between good and evil, the quest for love or acceptance, the personal triumph of a character, the race to save humans, animals, trees, anything the characters are passionate about.
-Describe your work desk/area.
I have a desk the whole family now uses for homework, iTunes, YouTube, the Power Rangers, and sometimes I get to sit there and fix or update the computer. My writing place is in my room where I have stacks of notebooks, papers and whatever else I've accumulated, well ok hoarded. It's a mess, but I have room for my coffee cup. I put everything away or stack it neatly at night and pull it all back out at 4 AM.
I grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. I was quiet and I always had daydreams going on in my head, though I admit most of that was about boys. I did have my mischief years, and a tough teen emerged. I remember seeing the Exorcist at age thirteen, scared me silly. My favorite television show was the Waltons. I remember John Boy wrote in his journal every night. There was something great about that and maybe I had some deep desire to do the same. But the idea of writing fiction myself didn’t happen until years later. I first wanted to write crime novels, I am a jailer by day, but paranormal stories are my passion. I hadn't really thought about my style. I just sit and write the scenes that emerge in my thoughts.
-When did you start writing?
It was around the year 2000 when I gave some thought to writing a novel. I had taken some college courses a few years after that and a professor had mentioned that I should take up writing. I started a blog about my family ancestry and a cousin said I tell our history like a story. I don’t think it sunk in until 2011 when I completed the NaNoWriMo's 50,000 word challenge. After finishing that first draft I knew writing wasn't only something I wanted to do, it's what I have to do. I haven't stopped writing since.
-Who was/is your inspiration for writing?
Every time I closed a book, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, later John Hart, Joshua Ferris and others I wanted to be like them. I'd close the book and just stare at the cover and I felt like I was missing out on something special.
-What is the greatest joy of writing?
I get to drift into a different world, albeit one I make up, and the adrenaline rush I get when creating those bizarre scenes. Of course finishing a novel feels great too.
-Where do your ideas come from?
I start with a few ideas, like with my last novel, a woman paints her family tree, that becomes a portal to the afterlife, I throw in some spooky, after that the ideas just pop up as I write. It becomes a movie in my mind and I try and write what I see.
-What do you want to say to fans
I have some followers, not so many fans just yet, but I really would like feedback on the stories I write, what they like about it, what doesn't work for them. I like sharing my stories and its rewarding to hear a fan talk about the book.
-Walk us through your creation process.
I do have a habit of reading back what I've written before returning to write more. It may be the last paragraph or sometimes I go back to the beginning. I think this is necessary because I don’t write outlines.Outlines distract the flow of my creativity and I really don’t know where I'm going with the story when I begin, ideas do get tossed, but much of what I dream up is written. Maybe it's not the best process, I've had too many things going on in one chapter, and that could be a lot for readers to take in, in a short time. But the way I see it, the mistakes, when I'm aware of them, help me hone in on those skills.
-When not writing, how do you spend your time?
Depends on the season. Right now its shopping and wrapping. In the spring its soccer practice and games, reading, catching a good movie, and driving to different states, love to travel when I can get away from my day job.
-What is your favorite line from one of your books?
I really don’t have a favorite line or quote. Maybe, "That's when his cries were no longer silent."
-What is your favorite quote or line from another person/author?
I can't recall a favorite quote or line. I love first pages, the first impressions of a book, as in my blog at http://theresatimeout.wordpress.com/f... As for the entire book I tend to latch on to the underlying messages. It could be a struggle between good and evil, the quest for love or acceptance, the personal triumph of a character, the race to save humans, animals, trees, anything the characters are passionate about.
-Describe your work desk/area.
I have a desk the whole family now uses for homework, iTunes, YouTube, the Power Rangers, and sometimes I get to sit there and fix or update the computer. My writing place is in my room where I have stacks of notebooks, papers and whatever else I've accumulated, well ok hoarded. It's a mess, but I have room for my coffee cup. I put everything away or stack it neatly at night and pull it all back out at 4 AM.
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