Cathbad’s Corner Interview
Interview With: Lissa Dobbs
Conducted On: February 22, 2017
What genres do you write in, and which one is your favorite? My
primary genre is fantasy, and it is my favorite. I will, occasionally, write
urban fantasy or horror, but I prefer to create my own worlds.
At what age did you start writing? Where were you? I had to do a
project in the fourth grade, when I was nine, that was creating a book. We had
to write and edit the story, do the illustrations, and construct the book. I
was hooked from that moment onward.
Do you self-publish, use an Indie Publisher, or a Mainstream Publisher?
I use Amazon and Createspace.
Do you recall your first story (describe)? My first ones, the book
I mentioned, had three short stories in it. I remember that one of them had to
do with an apple-headed boy; I think his name was John Brown. He died and came
back to life. I don’t remember the other two stories, and I can’t find the book
anywhere. I spent most of my teens years creating and populating worlds, but I
don’t remember the stories for those.
Who are your favorite authors/authors that inspired you? My all-time
favorite is Raymond E. Feist. I think I’ve spent as much of my life in Midkemia
as I have in the real world. I also like J. R. R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Kay
Hooper, Jim Butcher, and Sherilynn Kenyon.
What sort of things inspire your work? Just about anything really.
I’ve written stories based on dreams, life events, animals I saw in
documentaries, you name it.
Can you describe your writing process? It usually starts with an
idea for a world. Once I have at least some clue about the make-up of the
world, people to inhabit it come to mind. Almost always, one character will
shout louder than the others, and that’s the one who gets his story written
first. It isn’t uncommon for one story to spark another, and I go from there.
I’ll have an idea of where the story needs to end up, and, sometimes, I’ll
create a general outline. That’s when the character shakes his head at me and
says, “Nope. This is what really
happened.”
Where have you found the best advice concerning your writing? There
are several books on writing that I’ve read, but I also get advice from my
writers’ group and from others who have been willing to read my stories.
What was your most recent work (synopsis)? My most recent work, one
that I’m almost ready to release, is the story of Gwennyth Grimsbane. Her
mother Ravyn was leader of the witches and wizards of Crowrest in E’ma Thalas.
When Ravyn died, she left a letter for Gwennyth, but Gwennyth dismisses it as
nothing more than her mother’s usual melodrama until their magic starts to
fade. At that point, Gwennyth has no choice but to leave Crowrest and seek out
the goddess Aradia, who is the only one who can tell Gwennyth a secret about
their magic. Gwennyth has no idea where to look, and she’s so much of a
bookworm that she’s really not suited for the trip. She and her best friend
Vonner head out and travel across E’ma Thalas to the city of Ragekeep. From
there, they travel to the Xaggarene Empire and then on to Corleon. All the
while, Gwennyth is searching for the secret and trying to understand the only
clue her mother left.
If different, what is your favorite work of your own and why
(synopsis)? I think my favorite work of my own are the books of The Chronicles of Ethan Grimley III.
These three books (A Walker is Born,
Cronus Attacks, and Revenge of Cronus) tell the story of Ethan, a boy who
tries to help a stranger and winds up drawn into something he’d rather leave
alone. In the first book, Ethan becomes a Shadow Walker. In the second, he
winds up facing a god with no idea what he’s doing, and, in the third one, he must
end the situation with the god.
What is your current WIP? I actually have several. I have ‘the
story that never ends’, which was going to be one book but is actually a
trilogy. For some reason, I’m having issues with that one. I’m also working on
a screenplay that takes place a year or so before Wolf in the Shadow, and I’m sketching out another Ethan Grimley
book. I also have a YA book that I’m about halfway through about three girls
who are not who they think they are.
What advice would you give other writers? First of all, keep at it.
Secondly, don’t wait until you have something published to start building your
platform. Start early so there are readers waiting for your work.
What advice would you like from other writers? I’d like to know how
those who’ve given up their day jobs to write full time ever had the courage to
do so. The very thought scares me to death.
List your books/published stories here.
The
Chronicles of Ethan Grimley III Books 1-3 – A Walker is Born, Cronus Attacks,
Revenge of Cronus
Wolf
in the Shadow
Rise
of the Mad Gods: Broken Treasure/For Love of Her (short story)
Rise
of the Mad Gods: The Slave’s Caress (short story)
Yuletide
Sparkle (short story)
For the title and cover reveal on
the Gwennyth story, visit my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/shadowwalkersofgrevared)
on Wednesdays for the next few weeks.
My books are available on Amazon,
and links can be found on my website at http://www.lissadobbs.com.
Is there anything else about your writing career you would like to
share? I write because I love it, and I don’t think the people in my head
would let me quit, though there have been numerous times I’ve tried to.
NOW LET’S GET PERSONAL
What/Who do you read for pleasure? I read all kinds of things.
There are the authors I mentioned above, but I also like mythology and
folklore, metaphysics, and philosophy. I love reading Carl Jung’s works.
What other things do you do for fun? I like to make things. I
crochet, and I’ve made dolls and dollhouses. I’d like to get back into doing
some of that.
Do you wish to share your non-writing employment? Not a chance.
Where do you live? I live in southern Tennessee.
How about your family? We enjoy spending time together watching
movies, eating pizza, and playing video games.
Is there anything else you would like to share with your adoring fans?
Just this: don’t ever let anyone tell you that you have to settle. Decide what
you really want from life and go for it.
Thank you, Lissa! A very interesting interview, Good luck!
-
Cathbad
No comments:
Post a Comment