• Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Geez, where to start? Really, I’m just a glorified nerd. I love going to Renaissance fairs, canoeing, camping, curling up with good books. I also sing in a local chorus, and love travelling. I’ve actually been to all fifty states, and ten different countries, including Israel, Australia, and New Zealand. I get a lot of inspiration from the places I visit when I travel!
• Do you use a pseudonym and if so, why?
“Misty” is my pseudonym—I’m also a YA author, so I definitely want to keep these two aspects of my writing life separate.
• What genre do you write in? Why did you pick that genre?
I love to read genre fiction—fantasy, historical, soft scifi—so my writing interests tend to go along the same route. The short I have out with Ravenous Romance—The Hitcher and his Ride—is paranormal, and the first novel out with Phaze was a contemporary erotic romance—Dead Men Get No Tail. Also out with Phaze is an Arthurian-era historical, The Consort, and I’m currently working on an Urban Fantasy/Fairy Tale crossover for them.
• What inspires you to write the type of stories that you write?
I get a lot of inspiration from my dreams. I’ve always been a lucid dreamer, and am lucky enough to remember most of my dreams long enough to write down the interesting parts in a journal. Just recently, I woke from a dream and spent the next eight hours plotting the novel and writing the character notes!
• How would you describe your writing style? Plotter or pantser? Why?
I’m actually a recovering pantser! I used to just grab a concept and go, but then an editor wanted to see a series I was working on—the first two novels were completed, but the third only in concept form. The editor asked for a plot treatment for that third novel—basically an extended outline with all the major plot points laid out chapter-by-chapter.
After learning how to write a treatment, I’ve never gone back, as seeing my plot (and plot holes) laid out like that before I even begin Page One saves me tons of time and editing angst in the long run!
• What is your favorite genre to READ?
Probably a good ol’ fashioned high fantasy. Something about dragons and magic and elves and fairies has always tugged at my heart.
• Do you have a specific place where you like to write? When, during the day, is your most creative time?
My writing group meets in various coffeehouses around town, meaning I *have* to have noise now when I write! We meet twice during the week in the evenings, and then a few of us do all-day, twelve-hour marathons on Saturdays. It’s intense, but it’s such a great feeling of accomplishment when you see just how much you can produce when you sit down and get to work.
• What’s your typical writing day?
Not sure anything in my life can be called “typical!” Some days I’ll do some critiquing for my writing partners, some days I assist an agent friend of mine with going through her slush pile. And then there are the days when I’ll feel like tackling new content on my own books, or going back and editing those problem areas I’ve been trying to hide from.
• Do you have critique partners or beta readers? Why?
Yup, I definitely rely on my crit partners. By this point, they know me and my style fairly well, so they’re not afraid to tell me when I’ve made the characters do something stupid, or if I’ve dropped plotlines along the way. Their crits are invaluable to me because they see my world through the perspective of a reader, which is 100% different from that of the writer.
• Who give you the most support along in your writing?
My parents, no question. I’ve been writing since I was a young child (cliché, I know, but completely true), and they’ve always encouraged me to follow that passion, whether it was doing an internship at a local newspaper, trying out Journalism as a college major, and then not even batting an eye when I switched out to the Creative Writing school because it was much more fun to make up facts than be confined by true ones.
• Do you have another job (besides writing)? If so, what do you do?
Sure do! I’m afraid I can’t say much about what I do, but I can say that I work for a major theme park company. I’ve been here for a number of years, and really enjoy what I do and who I work with.
• What’s your take on the future of ebooks and epublishing?
Like all technology, once it’s out there, it’s going to get bigger and more widely accepted. Ebooks, ereaders, and epublishing won’t “destroy” modern publishing as it exists now, in my opinion, but enhance it. And isn’t the whole point of this business to get your work into the hands of readers? Personally, I care less about the media and methods readers use and more about the fact that I just want to tell a good story and entertain people.
• Do you have a favorite quote -- yours or someone famous or even infamous?
Oh, God, there’s so many that have inspired me over the years! But maybe my all time favorite is, “Love like you’ll never be hurt. Dance like there’s no one watching. Live like there’s no tomorrow.”
• What’s your favorite food?
Anything Chinese!
• What’s your favorite movie? Why?
Princess Bride. Why? Because it’s inconceivable not to!
• Do you have a favorite book or author?
There’re four that I just can choose between—Carlos Ruiz Zafon, J.R.R. Tolkien, Piers Anthony, and J.K. Rowling.
• Tell me about your latest or upcoming release?
This past fall, The Consort was released. It’s a triangle of historic proportions where love, lust, and murder sleep in the same bed. Rhys must steal the crown of Wales or face death at his father’s hands. But when Rhys loses his heart to the reluctant Welsh Prince Accolon, blood shall be spilt and a kingdom will fall if The Consort has his way.
• Do you have any releases scheduled for 2011?
Not just yet, but hopefully more to come on this front!
• What’s your next project?
I’m currently working on Spellbound—a street-savvy New Yorker who’s seen one too many bad relationships gets sucked into a fairytale world. But Bryce will have to find his own Happily Ever After when Grimm’s Grimmest try to force him away from the one man who might just be his very own Prince in Disguise.
• Where can readers find you on the web?
Come visit me at http://www.mistymalone.com/!
1 comment:
As one of Misty's crit partners - I'm a bit biased here -but she has a fantastic imagination and her ability to plan out a novel - even if she wasn't used to doing that, has me sitting in awe!!!
Very interesting interview! I'm another author who is inspired by her dreams.
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