This was an interesting, thought provoking interview.
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
Very early in life I learned there really was a magic word, please. Using this one special word led to treats, outings with friends, and toys. Later in life this word continued to open doors, car doors, the doors to opportunities and more.
What is your favorite childhood book?
I don’t remember having a favorite. We read a lot as kids. My mother loved to read and passed that love onto us girls. There was no library in our town so every week we went to the Book mobile that visited for a few hours and got our reading materials.
Which book has influenced your life most?
Almost every book I read influences me in some way. Some make me want to write that artistically, while others prod me to proofread my work an extra time before submitting. Yet others introduce me to a different take on life or another way of seeing things.
Who is your favorite author?
I don’t tend to follow any particular author. I am constantly discovering new authors and new genres. I read books by authors I have met at book signing events or conferences. They have introduced me to Science fiction, Westerns, new recipes, medical conditions, history and more.
When did you decide to become a writer?
In High School when I fudged my way through an exam by acing the essay portions. The teacher not only gave me a passing grade he encouraged me to look into writing as a career.
Which literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
I consider every writers conference I attend to be a literary pilgrimage. No cell phone, no distractions. I network with other authors, attend workshops and immerse myself in the event.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
When the words are flowing it is very energizing. When I just can’t seem to find the words it is frustrating. That is when I tend to walk away from the computer and give my mind a break. That break helps the words emerge, and then I am energized again.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Rewrites, I agonize over deleting words I carefully crafted, that no longer speak to me.
What is the easiest part of your artistic process?
Sharing, sharing my thoughts, my knowledge, my words and images.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
I use my initials instead of my first name. I began using my initials when submitting wildlife images to publishers. Most publishers believe a woman wouldn’t get the images they are looking for and assume I am a man and I let them think that. I simply carried on this practice in my writing.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
SG Reading, M Lynn Squires , Tracy Ball, Cheryl Grogg, Marion R Kee, Kirk Judd, Sally Walker Brinkman, Robert Yoho, V J Banis, Mike Stanton, the list goes on and on.
Everyone one of these authors lends and ear and encouragement to other authors and makes me proud to consider them my friends.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
While each of my books can stand alone they each have a connection in some way to my other works. My children’s books each feature wildlife images along with the story. When the child reads the second book they will find a familiar image from the first book.
The memoir my sister and I wrote together “ Sisters” will be followed by other books that will pick up where “Sisters” ends. Ultimately “The Little Middle Sister” will lead the reader to “Close Ups & Close Encounters” the book I wrote about photographing wildlife. However each book is crafted as a separate piece that the reader can enjoy on its own.
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
I would have connected with the writing community in my area at the time and not let life get in the way.
How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
I had never considered formatting before. It turns out that things like which way a critter faces in an image or if a chapter ends on an even numbered page or odd are important.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
To date “Sisters” is finished, but unpublished; The Little Middle Sister is about half finished. Wild American Backyards is complete but also unpublished. Faces of Nature is another work that features primarily images that is still a work in progress.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
As a wildlife photographer I have done extensive research on wildlife. Although that research was done to aid me in the field it also came in handy when I was working on “Close Ups & Close Encounters.”
For a wildlife photographer research is critical. Knowledge about animal behavior, food and habitat preferences are is as important as camera equipment. A wildlife photographer needs to not only find their subject but also be able to recognize their subject’s mood in order to get images.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Each work seems to take about a year and a half. This time frame stays the same even when I am working on more than one manuscript.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
My ultimate day begins before sunrise out in the field photographing wildlife. I tend to hang out with critters until about mid afternoon. Then it is home for a shower and everyday life. After dinner I settle into my office and work on my writing. Of course this changes when I am on the road or when it is thundering and lightning.
Do you aim for a set number of words/pages per day?
I don’t think authors should fixate on word count. It is the quality of the work that counts. So I don’t set a word limit for each day. Some days I write pages and pages, others only a paragraph or two.
Where do, your ideas/inspiration come from?
My life. I write about what I know, what I have experienced and the life I have lived so far.
How do you think you have evolved creatively?
When I first began writing I had a story to tell. Now I have an experience to share and I strive to place the reader in the moment to feel part of the story.
What is your writing style?
I am a pantser. I don’t plot out my works or plan where the book is going. I let the story evolve.
Do you write alone or in public?
I jot down notes everywhere I go. But when I put them into a piece I am working on I need quiet. So I write alone in my office in the evenings when the house is quiet’
Music, or silence when you write?
I find music distracting when I write. I do my best work when it is quiet.
What tactics do you have when writing? (For example: outline or just write)
I write first then outline later after the first draft is complete.
Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
Both, I proofread with the aid of a few computer programs. I have one that reads the work to me, I love that one. Then I pass it on. A fellow author once told me that the more eyes on a piece the better and I believe that is true.
Any website or resources that have been helpful to you as a writer?
I find other writers are my best resource. We tend to have long discussions about setting the scene, pivotal moments, marketing, punctuation, and other subjects that would bore the average person, but there is nothing average about writers.
What have you put most of your effort into regarding writing?
For me there is no one answer to this question. I constantly strive to improve my punctuation, my storytelling ability, and my marketing skills.
If you were running the 100-yard dash with a new writer. What writing, publishing wisdom would you bestow upon him/her before you reached the 100 yards?
Keep writing and rewrite until every piece touches your soul in some way.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
After reading my work to a writer’s group one member told me I needed to trash half of what I had written. At the time I was crushed, but after considering what he was telling me and I tweaked the manuscript a bit and it became two separate works.
What has been the best compliment?
A reviewer decided to share my book “ Close Ups & Close Encounters” with her daughter. It quickly became her favorite book to have read to her before bed.
What is something memorable you have heard from your readers/fans?
I was at a book signing and a young man walked up to me and asked if I remembered him, I have to admit I didn’t. He was one of dozens of students I had talked to the previous school year.
He was so inspired by my images he went home and located an old camera that a family member hadn’t used in years. After purchasing some film and spending a few minutes getting familiar with the camera, he headed out to photograph wildlife.
He quickly discovered he was scare to death of most animals, but he liked the feel of the camera in his hand and the idea of capturing an image. He is now a nature photographer capturing images of scenic landscapes, plants, and flowers.
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I didn’t start life as a wildlife photographer and author. We all evolve into who we are meant to be, sometimes you just need to take a chance, take a leap of faith, follow our hearts to become that person.
What book/s are you reading at present?
Hippie Homesteaders by Carter Ann Seaton and I am loving it.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
This is something that we did for Sisters. There are little details that only a few of the proof readers picked up on.
What’s the best way to market your books?
For my books in person sales seem to be the best for “Close Ups & Close Encounters.” The number of images in the books seems to deter readers from the e book version. People want to talk about their critter encounters and ask about mine.
Do you Google yourself?
I didn’t until you asked the question, but I will now.
So, what have you written?
(*Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, awards or anything of interest.)
To date I have published 2 childrens books, All the birds I see and Clancys Catnap.
I have 2 coloring books based on my images, one for children, one for adults. Adults Gone Wild and Wild Animals.
My largest published work is Close Ups & Close Encounters.
I write a blog each month with a blogging group, Writers, Wranglers and Warriors.
What are you working on right now?
The Middle Little Sister. It is a follow up to the memoir Sisters, my sister and I recently completed, but have not published yet.
Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.
The cover for Close Ups & Close Encounters was designed to be attention getting. But there is a story behind the image. That innocent looking squirrel was up in a tree. He and I played peek-a-boo for a few minutes. Then I decided I wanted to capture him on film (Yes, I still use film). In order to get the angle I wanted I had to climb a nearby tree and wait.
There were 5 images in the running for the cover. I emailed all five images to a half a dozen or so people and asked them to pick their favorite. Then the cover designer gave me several font options and we discussed each one. Then he humored me when I wanted to incorporate tree bark on the back cover. We changed things, tweaked a bit here and there until we were both happy with it.
Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
Yes, Everyone knows the old saying Don’t judge a book by its cover, but people do, I know I do. The cover should give you a hint about the contents; it should be eye catching and prompt the reader to pick up the book.
What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing against being published or the other way around?
When self publishing an author is really on their own. While some small publisher’s aide authors with self publishing, the marketing is really up to the author. On the plus side you control the content, where your work is sold, and all the profits are yours.
Finding a traditional publisher takes time and a lot of research. However they can open doors and coach you on marketing strategies.
In the end both methods have their pluses and minuses and each author has do decide what is best for each work.
For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
Traditional paperbacks, I like the feel of the pages in my hands.
How can readers discover more about you and your work?
I have a Website that features a number of my images. They can purchase my books from the site or just read a little about me. www.sjbrown.50megs.com
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