Original Sin by Allison Brennan
Recently, I sat down with bestselling author Allison Brennan, whose newest novel, Original Sin, releases this month.
Allison, before you became a bestselling writer, you began over 100 books that you never finished, and completed four that never saw the light of day. Would you say that persistence is one of your stronger strong character traits, or does something else drive you?
I heard somewhere that to be published, you need three things: talent, perseverance, and luck. I had control over two--I could learn to be the best writer I could be, and I could never give up. If you never give up, it's easier for luck to find you. Some people are shocked that I have four books collecting dust. I consider each of those a creative writing class. I would much rather write something from scratch than try to save a book that should remain buried.
Three books a year and five kids - how does that work?
There are no typical days in the Brennan household. I have no life--everything I do centers around family or writing. My kids--particularly my two teenagers--know that writing completes me, so they are more tolerate of my weird hours and idiosyncrasies than the three little ones (my oldest is 16, my youngest 5.) I write faster outside of my house. I think this is because until last summer, I didn't have my own office, so I always wrote outside my house. In fact, I wrote my first 10 books primarily at Starbucks and in a pub!
The supernatural thriller series that debuts with Original Sin comes from an idea you hatched several years back: what made you return to the idea?
When I first conceived of the idea for the Seven Deadly Sins series, I hadn't even sold yet. I loved the idea--I have always loved stories of the supernatural, or what I call "real-world" supernatural, paranormal stories that are believable. I started working on it, but I also had a manuscript I'd just finished that I wanted to send out to agents. I ended up with an agent for that book and sold it, and because it was a romantic suspense, I put the Seven Deadly Sins idea aside. But every once in awhile, I'd pull it out and work on it. We sold it to my publisher, Ballantine, but I was still contracted for three more romantic thrillers before I could start the series.
What would you describe as the main influences on your writing?
I think that writers start by reading a lot--and usually write in the genre they love reading the most. When I was in college, I discovered romantic suspense (Nora Roberts and others) and that definitely changed what I wanted to write. I tended to read darker stories, and while I appreciate humor in fiction, I can't write it. I think the major influences came from what I read in high school--King and Bradbury for example. Because I'm an extremely visual person--I see my scenes as they unfold--movies and television definitely influence me, not so much for story content as for scene choreography and pacing.
What advice would you give to writers starting out?
Write what you want to write, not to the market. The market changes, your passions don't. Passion in writing--loving what you're writing--makes your story much stronger. Don't compare yourself to other writers, or your career path to another's career path. Both lead to dissatisfaction and frustration. I'm a big proponent of daily writing, even if it's one page or one hour and it's total crap. You need to create a good habit, and when you don't write daily, it's easier to procrastinate and not write at all.
Liz Jensen is the author of six previous novels, including the acclaimed THE NINTH LIFE OF LOUIS DRAX, and ARK BABY, a New York Times Notable Book. Her work has been nominated three times for The Orange Prize and has been translated into more than 20 languages. THE RAPTURE is currently in development as a major motion picture.
ThrillerFest
ITW's annual celebration of the thriller world is the largest event of its kind, a meeting place for authors, readers, budding writers, and publishing industry professionals.
For 2011, we’ll be back in the heart of New York in July with the ThrillerFest conference including CraftFest and AgentFest.
ThrillerFest VI will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.
The dates will be July 6-9, 2011.
More information to follow.
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