INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTINE NORRIS:
Today LitPick is joined by Christine Norris for Six Minutes with an Author! Christine is author of The Sword of Danu which is part of the The Library of Athena series. The Zandria Duology and the Wizard Academies books are two additional book series Christine has written. Christine is also the author of the forthcoming A Curse of Ash and Iron which will be published by Curiosity Quills in 2015.
How did you get started writing?
I was sitting at home one day, and the magical writing fairy came down and…oh, wait, that's not it. Honestly, way back in 2001 I was reading Harry Potter. I forget which one. But I loved it so much and I thought, well, maybe I could do that. I read JK Rowling's story about how she was an unemployed mum writing in a coffee shop. If she could, why not? I wrote my first book, TALISMAN OF ZANDRIA (which is out in a rewritten, reprinted edition now) just to see if I could finish a whole book. Once I did, though, I was hooked. I had more ideas that just needed to be told. Now it's a habit, and I just can't stop.
But some days I wish there was a magic writing fairy.
Who influenced you?
Definitely JK Rowling and Tamora Pierce. I read a lot of their books while I was writing my first one. But I grew up with Roald Dahl, and Madeline L'Engle, JRR Tolkein and CS Lewis. So I guess they influenced me too since fantasy is my favorite. Since I was little I've loved Fairy Tales, and it's still a favorite.
Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting?
I think it changes based on what I'm in the mood for. I'm still mad for Harry Potter, especially now that my son is at the age where he's reading them all and loving them. I can always read those. And, of course I love the Rick Riordan books, anything that mashes up mythology or fairy tales. Lately I've been writing Steampunk, so I'm hooked on Victorian settings and characters. And I'm a sucker for a good re-told fairy tale. Alethea Kontis' Woodcutter Sisters series is awesome, and I love Jackson Pearce too.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?
Keep writing! And when you're done, put it away for a little while before revising. Let it cook for awhile. And READ!! Being a writer without reading anything is like being a marine biologist who's never been near the water. Read everything -- read for pleasure and read to figure out what works and what doesn't. Read to get an idea of different voices so you can develop your own.
Where is your favorite place to write?
I usually am in a chair in my living room, but I have a writing space. It's in my attic, so sometimes it's too hot to be up there. Once in awhile I'll sit on my bed, or at a table. Sometimes I find that moving to a new place actually helps me to move a story along.
What else would you like to tell us?
*looks around* Well, the treasure is buried...oh, wait, not that? Never mind... :) Just kidding!
I love my readers, and I love to hear from them. You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook page. I have a website too, and from there you can find all the blogs I post on, and links to all my books, and news and that stuff that you usually find on author's websites.
Thanks for having me on LitPick!
Christine, thank you for spending six minutes with us! Are you sure there’s no magic writing fairy?
Trailer for A Curse of Ash and Iron: