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Noodler
of the Month: Colleen Gleason
Wet Noodle Posse |
Colleen Gleason
Q. Tell us a little about your writing journey so far.
A. I've been writing stories ever since I can remember. I started by
writing my version of Gilligan's Island meets The Blue Lagoon when I
was in sixth grade (starring me and members of my class, of
course)...and I've only paused in my writing to finish two college
degrees and to have a few kids! Since I got serious about wanting to
get published, I've completed eight manuscripts, one of which was
published by a small press in 2001. The company is no longer in
business, but the book is still available on Amazon. I'm currently
represented by a well-known agent in New York, and she's marketing
three different manuscripts, so I'm hoping to have at least one
other book sold in the near future!
I write a variety of types of books, and at this point in my career,
I can afford to do that: to write whatever appeals to me. I've
written two paranormal romantic suspense novels with ghostly
elements. I've written two medieval romances (one of which was
published as
A Whisper of Rosemary). I recently finished a
female-James-Bond-with-Buffy-the-Vampire-Slayer's-attitude novel,
and that's currently being considered by at least one editor. My
most recent novel was an action-adventure thriller in the vein of
Clive Cussler, but with a female protagonist. Interested parties can
find more information (including excerpts) on
my Web site.
Q. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received from another
author?
A. Never, never, never give up. (I've heard so many authors say
that, but I think Winston Churchill said it originally!) I have to
live by that right now, since I've yet to be published by a large
house.
Q. If you could spend an hour picking the brain of anyone, who would
it be?
A. Sting or Bono. (Oh, you said picking their brains?) Um.
Then it would have to be...someone who's alive, right? That leaves
out Eleanor of Aquitaine.
To be honest...I can't think of any one person. I could sit and pick
the brain of anyone who would give me the time--because I always
find something fascinating about that person, something they know or
have experienced that is interesting or compelling to me. Someone
from Bill Clinton to Pope John Paul to a man I met on an airplane
once who told me about diving for treasure off the Keys of Florida,
to a woman I know who works with the school systems on improving
their nutrition...to a man I know who is the snake expert at the
Detroit Zoo.
Everyone has something interesting to share...part the fun of being
a writer is that I find that even the simplest conversation can turn
into fodder for a book idea. That's why I'm always the person at
cocktail parties (who really goes to cocktail parties?)--any
party--who's in rapt conversation with a good-looking guy, and it's
not because I'm trying to pick him up!
Q. What do you feel is your best strength as a writer?
A. My versatility (although I'm not sure my agent would agree!). I
like to, and seem to be able to, pull off writing very different
things. I can't settle on writing just one kind of book. As I
mentioned, at this point in my career, I can afford to do that!
For example, my medieval novels are written in a very lyrical style
that steep the reader in the period by use of historical detail,
phrasing, and the cadence of the language. On the other hand, my
female James Bond with a Buffy attitude books are written in first
person and are short, sassy, snappy, and funny.
Q. Is there a type of book you'd love to write that you haven't?
A. Hmm...not really. When I feel like writing something, even though
it might be different from something that I've just finished, I go
ahead and do it. Right now, I'm working on a paranormal Regency-era
novel that's quite different from anything I've written.
However, despite the fact that I can and do write different types of
books, I'm always, always aware that for every "different" book I
write, I have to be able to write another, and another, and another
as follow-ups should it be published. So even as I'm writing a first
unique kind of story, I'm already planning in my head how to
continue that "franchise" if necessary.
And I sure hope all that planning will pay off some day!
Q. What, in your opinion, are the three writing books that no writer
should be without?
STORY by Robert McKee
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
The Romance Phrase Book (just kidding...)
Strunk & White's The Elements of Style
Q. What is your writing process like?
A. I'm a complete pantser, meaning that I have no idea what's going
to happen until I actually write it, for the most part.
The writing process for me is like the reading process for most
people--I write for entertainment and enjoyment, writing the pages
to discover the story just as I turn the pages to discover the story
of a published work.
At least, that's how I write my first draft.
In the last year or so, however, I've grown a little more in my
process and when I have finished that first "exploratory" draft, I
go back and do major surgery to it as necessary.
Q. Other than writing and reading, what other activities do you
enjoy?
A. Cooking, gardening, entertaining, hanging out with my family,
public speaking (honest!)
Q. What is your dream vacation?
A. Renting an Italian villa (that has Internet access) with my
husband and children for two months. Must also include a built-in
nanny for the children and unlimited funds for food and drink, plus
a vehicle so we can travel to Florence, Rome, and Venice as we like.
Homepage:
ColleenGleason.com
Click here to see
Colleen's page on Wet Noodle Posse.com
To read last
month's Noodler of the Month article, click
here
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