Susan: I can only write after
gulping 2 cups of tea in the morning and checking my email. I ALWAYS have a mug
of tea by the keyboard, even if it's 5pm. I need peace and quiet to compose
anything decent, and since I'm very distractible to outside stimuli, I'm
considering buying some earplugs.
Paul: If someone had the power to step into your
creative mind what would they see?
Susan: One would see a
kaleidoscope of vibrant colors and my thoughts swarming about like a hive
filled with worker bees--there's always something buzzing around my brain.
Paul: In all the years you’ve been
publishing your work, what is the biggest mistake you made that you could share
so others can avoid making it?
Susan: I once wrote a rebuttal regarding a piece my
brother submitted to our local newspaper. Essentially I publicly called him a
hypocrite and told him to live and let live. This caused a rift between us
lasting almost a decade, so I wouldn't do that again--ever. Even though I still
believe my opinion was way more fair than his...
Paul: How do you find
the time to write?
Susan: I'm
not working a day job now, so writing time comes easier for me than most
writers who still have 9-5's. When I was downsized from my job, I thought, Wow!
Now I have all the time in the world to write! It doesn't work that way, though.
I have self-imposed goals and deadlines, because, as I said, I'm very
distractible and I have to be very strict with myself. (The vacuum cleaner is
in the hall beckoning me, so I must get up and close the door… There, that's
better!)
Paul: What is one thing
you hope I do not tell the readers?
Susan: Yikes!
(Blush) I have a little OCD going on. I won't use anyone's pen but mine, and if
I have to shake hands with a stranger, I always retrieve a wipe from my purse
and discreetly wash my hands when no one's looking. This won't stop me from
trying to have a book signing at my local book store, though! (Without gloves.)
Paul: If you are self-published, what
led to you going your own way?
Susan: I joined a few online groups of authors who
publish independently, right after attending a writer's conference consisting
of mostly traditionally published authors. I even won an award for a piece I
submitted for a contest at the conference, but I was curious about the hoopla
surrounding self-publishing, so I sat on the fence with how to go, for two
years. I read posts, asked questions, and explored this fantastic avenue of
having total control over one's work, which pushed me over the edge to self
publish. Plus, I didn't want to publish posthumously…
Paul: Do you plot your stories or do you just get an
idea and run with it?
Susan: The story I'm working on
now is a rewrite from a manuscript I began about 8 years ago, so I will be just
running with it, accompanied by my worker bees. Dinosaurs & Cherry Stems
was born after I wrote an article about the woes of Internet dating services. (Hate
outlining.)
Paul: Do you do a lot of editing or
do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?
Susan: I have a bad habit of editing as I go, which
I'm trying to shake free from. I have a great editor now, so I'll be leaving
the editing to him. (You can't see this, but I'm editing this interview as I
go, tsk-tsk!)[Paul - I know, I had to edit a few pieces later, myself :-)]
Susan: Dinosaurs & Cherry Stems is the story of a
jaded woman's quest to put her past mistakes into what she calls, 'her memory
cemetery' and begin life anew on her own terms. She has plenty. Boy, was
she in for some surprises!
Paul: Do you also write any poetry,
non-fiction or short stories?
Susan: I've been published in a number of magazines
over the years, regarding topics I'm passionate about, like disabled people,
raising teens, that sort of thing. I contribute to my local newspaper , but
poetry eludes me...
Paul: Do you enter competitions? Are
there any you could recommend?
Susan: I enter the Writer's Digest contests sponsored
every year. In 2009, one of my essays won third place for Inspirational--that
meant my name was published in the magazine, I received a year's subscription
free, some Writers Market books, and $250!
Paul: How much marketing do you do
for your published works or for your ‘brand’?
Susan: Online, I'm working it via Twitter and
Facebook. Now that my book is available in paperback, I'll be pounding the
pavement and soliciting all over the place.
Paul: What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you
have any hobbies or party tricks?
Susan: I love watching football,
specifically the NY Giants, visiting my grandchildren, kayaking. Playing with
Emma the Lab, and just being with my husband. Emma the Lab knows all the
tricks. The only tricks I know are the trick or treat kind… ;)
Paul: That was great, Susan. Many thanks and all the best for the future.
Susan and her husband, Joseph, live in a little town in New Jersey near the sea. Together they have seven children and nine grandchildren. .
Susan's Website: Susan Jean Ricci
Susan on Twitter: @susanjeanricci
Susan on Facebook: Susan Jean Ricci
Susan's latest book: Dinosaurs & Cherry Stems (Amazon)
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Susan Ricci posting--Thanks a bunch for having me on today, Paul, I enjoyed the other interviews, too! So proud to be included with such great authors! Ms OCD
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