World of Writing - Author Interview
Audrey Wilson connected with us earlier this year and since then we learned that she absolutely excels at working in screenplay, television and fiction genres, and takes on speaking appearances regularly.
After attaining a BA in Television Writing and Producing, Audrey produced for PBS, National Geographic, and WLS Chicago. Her 1st novel, Wrong Girl Gone, and more recent one - Only Human, are now available on Amazon.
She has several other books and screenplays in the works as well - we are certain that her readers are anxiously waiting to see those release announcements :)
I'm looking forward to learning from her amazing experiences along with our readers, today.
Audrey invites our readers to connect through her Website, and drop by her Amazon Central Page to find her books. Find her on FaceBook Twitter or LinkedIn
Q: Audrey you have a lot of experiences working in a few arenas involving the world of writing. I'm curious what motivates you to write prolifically in so many arenas...?
A: Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved to tell stories. I’ve always been fascinated not only with the creative aspect of writing but also the science of it. You can’t have a good story without strong character motivations, which is where I try to begin.
When I start a new book or screenplay, I ask: "What do the characters want?"
This question will help drive the story, but it’s also great to discover the characters through telling the story.
That moment when you’re writing a story or an outline and things just click together - that is what I strive for.
So let's look, now, at the book industry itself - I know our readers will want to know: How much time do you devote to marketing each book?
A: The amount of time I devote to marketing my book depends on the publication status. In the months leading up to, and after, the release of one of my books, I make marketing my priority. Whether it’s social media, interviews, book reviews, or my monthly newsletter, I try my best to keep my book relevant to audiences.
There are also times that I find balancing marketing and writing activities to be a challenge. When I was younger and not yet published, it was much easier for me to devote my time to just writing.
Currently, I find myself shifting between steady promotion for Wrong Girl Gone, and promoting my next book Only Human, querying my next novel, and writing another.
It can be difficult to balance, but definitely necessary if you want to be a successful writer.
Q: I feel that this career certainly involves a tender balancing act, but because it is an art we also have to nurture that side of it too. The reality is, however, no matter what - we have to run the career as a business and be out there with a multifaceted marketing plan. And then... there is the next step: where we hope to take our career next and figuring out how we will get there. With that in mind - Where do you hope to take your writing in the future?
A: In an ideal world, I would love to write full-time - whether it’s novels or screenplays (but hopefully both!). It would be great to be able to make writing my primary focus.
In terms of the near future, I’m looking forward to the publication of Only Human, and seeing where my books-in-progress end up. My first two books have been traditionally published, but I have yet to work with a literary agent, which I hope to do in the future. I also hope to see some of my screenplays sold and produced - to see my work on the big screen would be thrilling!
Q: Oh yes, that would be exciting ! In all your experiences so far, what is your favorite genre of writing?
A: Honestly, this is an area I struggle in, mostly because I love writing in so many different genres. In a way, I envy authors who are able to crank out book after book in one particular genre, but that’s just not me.
Typically, my writing leans either towards the thriller and suspense genre, or contemporary romance. I try not to limit myself to certain genres, and instead let my ideas and inspiration motivate me with what project to work on next.
In my opinion, you’re better off writing whatever you’re inspired to write, rather than limiting yourself to one genre if you enjoy various genres across the board.
Q: Do you write only fiction or have you written in other fields (ie freelance) or genres?
A: My two favorite writing mediums are fiction and screenplays, and I would say I write in both forms fairly equally. With fiction writing, I love being able to delve into the minds of the characters and really build the world that they live in. However, as a somewhat impatient person, I love the immediacy of screenplays. The story moves along much faster.
Screenwriting also comes with its own set of challenges. With fiction, you can take your time to build out a scene and use an inner monologue to show who the characters are. Since film is a visual medium, every line of dialogue or action needs to translate into something people can see and hear.
Another interesting project I’m currently working on is adapting my book Wrong Girl Gone into a screenplay, and in March, I’ll be doing a presentation at the Let’s Just Write! Chicago Writers Conference on how to adapt your novel into a screenplay.
Q: Wow that is fantastic! We all wish you the best with that project ;) What keeps you writing during the dark moments or while getting rejection letters, a lack of reviews or reader feedback?
A: Rejection is hard. I’d like to say it gets easier with age, and in a way it does because you develop a thicker skin, but receiving a rejection letter is never fun (and believe me, I’ve received quite a few!). Most (if not all) writers will be rejected, often many times, before they find an agent or a publisher.
I also think, as writers, there’s a certain shame in getting rejected, but I hope to see rejection normalized and talked about more in the writing community. What keeps me going is knowing that it only takes a single “yes” out of a hundred “no's” to get your book published.
Q: Have you had, and how did you handle, writer's block?
A: I have definitely experienced writer’s block on more than one occasion. To me, writer’s block is often a form of perfectionism. It happens when a writer is stuck in their head, too focused on making sure their work is good, rather than just writing.
The best advice I could give when you’re struggling with writer’s block, is to just write. Put one word in front of another, then one sentence in front of another, until you’re passed the hump.
Don’t worry about it being good - that’s what editing is for! Remember that the first version of a story is the one you tell yourself. The second version is the one you tell your readers.
A: In terms of fiction, I have one novel in the querying process, one where I’m about a third of the way through a first draft, and three that are primarily in the outlining stage.
With screenplays, I have about a dozen that are currently being pitched to production companies and producers by my managers at Aligned Talent Group in Los Angeles, and about three to four either in progress or in outlining.
With both fiction and screenplays, I have a document containing over fifty ideas, some good and some probably not so good.
That’s the thing with us writers - we always have more ideas than we have time to write!
Thank you Audrey for sharing some of your experiences with us :)
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