I am delighted to be welcoming Anne and Liz to the blog for an interview. Here's a little bit about them:
Anne and Liz are two Ace authors living vastly different day-to-day lives on opposite ends of the US. Brought together by a love of writing and a few handful of fandoms, they've been writing together for two years, and recently published their first novel, with their second due out in September.
And onto the interview!
How long have you been writing?
A: Since eighth grade, if not before. That was the first time I had a true focus and intention in writing. I was given a short story assignment and whoops, it ended up… not so short. Collaboratively, we’ve been writing together for almost two years.
L: My first attempt at writing was something like 4th grade, I think, maybe 5th. It was a terrible, terrible fanfiction of an almost worse kids cartoon that I watched on the weekends. Or it was griffons. I can’t remember which came first.
Do you write in the genre you love to read?
A: Honestly, historical fiction is my jam. In saying that, though, I have to admit there are very few genres I don’t really enjoy reading (and usually even then I can be easily sold by a good premise/etc) so anything we write will be my favorite thing.
L: My favorite books are usually fantasy, so we haven’t crossed into that territory quite yet. At least, not in terms of our serious projects.
Do you have any favourite authors to read?
A: Sharon Kay Penman, Amy Tan. Margaret George, Francine Rivers, Angela Hunt. Also Tamora Pierce and McCaffrey’s Pern books are some of my most loved.
L: Brandon Sanderson, Kelly Sue DeConnick, and Kieron Gillen come to mind for modern reads. Edgar Allan Poe for the classics.
Are you an organised writer or not?
A: I want to be much more than I am. Courtesy of Liz, I’m way better than I used to be. Even so, I don’t like a script, so a lot of our “organization” is based on free-flowing scenes and whatnot.
L: Ohh boy, prior to working on serious projects with Anne, I was not. She’s definitely the driving force for our outlines, but I got The Paris Invasion’s outline up on Trello, so maybe I’m growing as an author. Probably not.
What's your idea of a perfect writing day?
A: I write in my pajamas curled up on my bed so any day is perfect. If I don’t have to leave my house at all that’s even better.
L: Quiet and cool enough for me to have the window open, sunny enough that I don’t need all my lights on. I have a candle and coffee and my cat isn’t trying to steal anything.
Do you like editing or is it something you loathe?
A: Once upon a time my dream job would have been copy editing for a publishing company, so yes, I love editing. I’m a huge, perfectionistic nerd.
L: I like editing because I like the idea that I have room to make things better, but I hate it because sometimes I forget how to read, and also how could I use the same word three times in a single sentence?
What's your favourite social media? And why?
A: Liz stole my answer because seriously rip vine.
L: It’s dead now, but definitely Vine. Why? Because of the limitations, the comedy has to be really weighty to have an effect. You can’t waste any time. After vine, for social media that’s still around--probably Instagram because I can watch an endless playlist of puppy videos. 8D
Do you do character profiles? If so, why/why not?
A: Not in the strict sense, no. I like collecting headcanons and little details, though. Usually this just amounts to a sloppy Google doc stuffed full of a character’s secrets.
L: I should probably, just for the sake of getting things written down. I had to make Julien’s birthday a national holiday so I wouldn’t forget when it was. I do have a “cheat sheet” for him, but that’s as close as I get, really.
How would you describe your writing process?
A: A lot of smashing the keyboard and then wailing to Liz because why did I sign up for this do I ever know what I’m doing (No).
L: Playing hot potato and staring at the Google doc while Anne writes her sections. In a more serious explanation, we typically have a basic outline, determine whose POV would be most impactful for the scene, and then write the scenes in order, each waiting with bated breath for the other to finish.
Do you prefer ebooks or paperbacks? Why?
A: I do like holding a book in my hand, but about two years back my hubs and I sold everything we had because we were planning on moving overseas. I really had a newfound appreciation for ebooks then; I could take an entire library with me in the palm of my hand, so to speak. Now, I like either.
L: I like the concept of ebooks, but I’ve never actually invested in that many. If I’m reading something for research purposes, then I prefer paperback because I can get crazy with the coloring and write all over it and make those sorts of notations.
How often do you write? Do you have a schedule?
A: I basically write whenever I have the time and energy to do it. I start to feel creatively stagnant and listless if I’m not writing. As a general rule for ourselves, we block off certain time periods to work “seriously” on things, versus time we just write for fun.
L: We typically write every day, or very close to it. It’s not always serious work for the novels. Sometimes it’s “What if Daphne was a mermaid” or something else ridiculous that lets us still write and be creative without the weight of a full novel or trilogy on our shoulders. Sometimes I write other bits of flash fiction too, if I’m waiting for something or we’re working on the novel but not necessarily writing the pages themselves.
You can follow them both on their website, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.
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