Crystal Collier, author of MOONLESS, is a former composer/writer for Black Diamond Productions. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.
Buy MOONLESS HERE or add it on Goodreads.
The inability to be objective with my own work. I'm such a perfectionist. Ridiculous perfectionist. I hate sharing anything until it's been smoothed over a million times. If I could just put on "outsider" lenses, that would uncomplicate my writing process by about fifty times over.
(Q) I think it’s pretty safe to say that most writers love
reading. What are some of the books that influenced you the most? Anything
you’d like to recommend?
When I was in elementary school I used to build up a stack of 8 to 12 novels for the summer, and by one month in, when I'd burned through all of those, I'd head to the library. Pick your genre and I can name you a few winners, but the FICTION books that most influenced me... Anything Dickens, My Friend the Monster,
Dealing with Dragons, Odd Thomas, The Silicone Mage Trilogy, Jane Eyre, Another Fine Myth,
A Swiftly Tilting Planet, The Mortal Instruments, Twilight, Harry Potter, The
Tiger’s Curse series, Indian in the Cupboard, Maniac Magee, The Magician’s
Nephew, Unenchanted, Another Fine Myth, Castle in the Attic…and innumerable
others. (And yes, I highly recommend any of these.)
(Q) What is your favorite part of the writing process? What about
it makes you love it?
Imagining. I know that's probably not the response you're expecting, but I love giving myself permission to daydream. I got serious about writing during a very difficult time of my life and created this other mental place where I watched characters suffer and realized my life wasn't so bad.
(Q) What’s your biggest pet-peeve when it comes to the writing
world? Does anything get under your skin and itch?
(Q) If you could meet any writer, living or dead, and pick their
brain over hot-chocolate, who would it be? What would be your first
question?
Again, this is probably not what you were thinking and it's going to show my history-love geekiness, but it would be William Tyndale who first translated the bible into English and ended up being burned to death in 1536 for his writing. I would ask one question, only one: "Tell me your story?"
Terrific answers, Crystal!
ReplyDeleteI wonder what Tyndale would make of hot chocolate....
lol, I'm going to say he'd like it a lot! :)
DeleteHe'd love it. Of course. ;)
DeleteLove the Tyndale answer!
ReplyDeleteMe, too! I'd love to just get to eavesdrop!
DeleteHe had to have been rock awesome, right?
DeleteI'm with Crystal - imagining is what it's all about!
ReplyDeleteYou like to daydream too? ;)
DeleteI think most writers have to be dreamers on some level, right? :)
DeleteOoh, I love this part of the writing process, letting my mind loose, imagining. Yep, I love to daydream--which is quite dangerous for my profession..lol
ReplyDeletelol! I totally know what you mean, but I certainly enjoy it!
DeleteUnless you're dreaming up innovations! Dream away.
DeleteGreat interview:) Love the cover:)
ReplyDeleteYay! Thank you.
DeleteIt's great, isn't it? :)
DeleteImagining is half the fun, with my Nano project I'm having so much fun imagining not just the characters but the culture. Who knew bullfrog royalty would have so many rules and prejudges? Yup, non one was supposed to understand that. Imagination rules! But no matter the ups and downs a.k.a. peeves we writers still go forward because we want that book done and also read.
ReplyDeleteSo true. There is so much joy in the creation of something fun.
DeleteBullfrog royalty? So fun!! That would definitely be tons of fun to imagine :)
DeleteImagining is definitely my favorite part of writing. The first work of classic lit that I fell in love with was Tale of Two Cities. Dickens is awesome. Also loved Jane Eyre.
ReplyDeleteTotally awesome picks!! :)
DeleteAs far as classics, Great Expectations was my first, but Jane Eyre is probably the classic I love the most. As far as Dickens is concerned, David Copperfield--hands down.
DeleteGreat answers Crystal. I loved reading it all!
ReplyDeleteNas
Thanks for stopping by, Nas!! :)
DeleteYay, Nas! *waves*
DeleteImagining is the best(I just favorited a block w/the word 'imagine' on it on Etsy!). I just wish how awesome it is in my imagination transferred as 'awesomely' to the page... ;)
ReplyDeletelol, that's the trick of it all, right? :)
DeleteYou want a brain printer too? Yeah, I've got the scientists locked in my basement cued up on that one. It may be a few years. ;)
DeleteI have been loving getting to know more about Crystal. I can't wait to get Moonless. :) I love many of the same authors and I love imagining too.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview!
*happy clap* Hey Meradeth, *nudge with an elbow* she liked our interview!
DeleteYay! So glad you did, Stephanie!! :)
DeleteGreat interview! I absolutely love daydreaming, too. And, oh gosh, I now wish I owned "outsider lenses." I'm so cynical about my own work that it'd be great to see what others actually experience for a change...
ReplyDeleteOutsider lenses...check. Putting that one on the list of future inventions for my scientists to crack.
DeletePut me down for an order, too!
DeleteIt's great reading about Crystal. I want to check out some of those books she mentioned.
ReplyDeleteMe, too! :)
DeleteLike I said, they're all great. =)
Delete