To read part 1, click here.
Cendrine Marrouat: You also wrote a short fiction collection, titled "Core Samples." Tell us a little more about it.
Patti Grayson: "Core Samples" is a rather eclectic mix of 18 stories, published in 2004, also with Turnstone Press. The stories cover a range of subject matter from a widow who believes her late husband's soul inhabits a VLT machine in a local casino, to a young girl with a mole deformity on her face who hopes her grandmother can miraculously "cure" her.
CM: Do you follow a daily routine or do you let inspiration guide you?
PG: I have spurts of time when I am nose-to-the-grindstone for months on end, and then periods when I don't accomplish as much as I'd like. I prefer to write in the mornings and leave re-writes for later in the day. Most of the actual 'creating' rarely happens at the keyboard for me. I'm more productive when I'm walking the dog etc. and can free up my mind to wander through the possibilities.
CM: How have your other occupations (school librarian, advertising copywriter, puppeteer, and actor) helped the creative process?
PG: My other 'occupations' really feed the writing. My theatre studies and work as an actor have definitely helped with creating character. Working as an advertising copywriter taught me discipline and the importance of meeting tight deadlines – a great asset in the editing process. My work as a school librarian also pays creative dividends. Not only do I get to share a multitude of inspiring children's books with my students, their enthusiasm refuels me in return.
CM: Where do you see yourself in five years from now?
PG: I hope to be writing and with a sped-up process by then. It was six years between the publication of my first two books and I'm hoping I can shrink that gap with my next effort.
CM: What are some words/quotes you live by?
PG: With respect to writing, my mantra is …."Keep your derrière in the chair"…..not very poetic, (apart from the rhyme element), but good advice, nonetheless.
And in life…"Exhibit grace in adversity."
CM: What is next for you?
PG: Traces of ideas for my next novel are flickering daily through my brain. I'm hoping to start writing soon. I have the sense that it will be a significant departure from the work I've done so far, but only time will tell.
CM: Where can people find more information about your work?
PG: Please visit Turnstone Press for more info.
CM: Any last words?
PG: Just a very sincere thank you to you, Cendrine, for taking an interest in my work. My gratitude extends to your readers, and I hope some of them may want to spend some time with "Autumn". In the words of her plastic-surgeon boss, Dr. Jewel, she's a "hoot".
End of the interview.
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Cendrine Marrouat is a freelance writer/reviewer, published author and translator living in Canada. Official Website: http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com
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