Today we are pleased to welcome Sabrina Furminger to the blog to give us her perspective on writing and self-publishing her first novel, The Healer. For more on Sabrina (who is also an AMAZING Indie Ninja, by the way), visit her website or give her a shout on Twitter!

On Writing

• What is your earliest writing memory?
  • When I was six-years-old, my grandmother gave me her old typewriter—one of those lumbering contraptions from the 1940s. I spent hours in front of that iron maiden, tapping out poems, plays and parables with a lofty sense of purpose. It was the most prolific period of my life.
• What does your writing space look like?
  • My writing table—an antique secretary desk I salvaged from a desolate thrift shop—is located next to a big window. I spend a lot of time staring out the window, wondering when the words will come.
• Describe your writing process. Is it structured (scheduled time devoted to writing and word count goals) or more free-form (when inspiration strikes)?
  • I admire those disciplined writers who rise at dawn each day and write 1,000 words before their first cup of coffee. I just can’t do that. I can’t force myself to be creative. I need to be gripped by the muse, and when that happens, I can’t sleep until every word of the story has vacated my brain. When I’m in the zone, I write in coffee shops, on the bus, and between meetings. Once I have a first draft in my hands, I let it simmer for two or three weeks, and then I read, re-read, drink coffee, curse and edit until my eyes bleed. I read each sentence out loud to test the melody, rhythm and flow of my story. I have a team of professional beta-readers who give me their brutally honest opinions; I want to hear what works and where I’ve failed, and then I make adjustments accordingly. I choose to be precious about story and not necessarily the words I use to tell it, and so I play with the words until I’m satisfied that they’re communicating my story with razor-sharp accuracy.

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In this week’s edition of our Self-Publishing Interview Series, we took a few moments to chat with Paige Love-Rose, author of Beauty. Paige’s debut novel follows the path of young Cleo Dorothy Turttle as she struggles through a journey of self-discovery while also attempting to help her father solve a series of gruesome murders. After making a dangerous deal with an unexpected guest, Cleo wonders if she–even with the help of her faithful guardian angel–will be able to face her fears, save herself and help her father before the killer gets to her.

Paige has been writing poetry since the age of nine and is currently attending college in the Boston area. She is also working on a follow up to Beauty entitled Lavender Sky, following the continued adventures of Cleo Turttle. Enjoy our chat with Paige about her writing process and how she developed her first self-published title.

On writing

• When did you decide that you wanted to become a writer?
  • To be completely honest, I never thought about it. I never said, “I want to be a writer” it just happened. I was a really shy little girl, to the point where I didn’t talk at all. So, I just started writing poetry because it was one of the most exciting ways to express myself.
• Describe your writing process. Is it structured (scheduled time devoted to writing and word count goals) or more free-form (when inspiration strikes)?
  • I’m a free-form person. If I were to try to put time aside to write, it wouldn’t go so well. If I don’t have my poetry journal with me, I would find a piece of paper and write all of my ideas down. It’s whenever it hits me. No matter where I am, I still write it down.

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Today, we’d like to welcome Marcie Lovett to our Self-Publishing Interview Series. Marcie is a professional organizer who is self-publishing The Clutter Book: When You Can’t Let Go. We asked Marcie about her writing process, her book and self-publishing experience. Thanks for a great interview, Marcie!

On Writing

• What is your earliest writing memory?
  • I have evidence of my writing going back to first grade, but I don’t know if I actually remember it or if I “remember” what’s in my scrapbook.  I wrote very detailed, newsy letters to family members; short stories and poems.  I have always loved words and I am delighted to have a record of my work, even though most of it is nonsensical or just plain bad.  Recently I threw out some of my high school writing because it was so full of anguish.  I think I reveled in being the tormented artist at one point.
• What does your writing space look like?
  • I wish I could say I wrote in a romantic little nook, but the reality is that I do all my work at my computer, which is in my office in the basement of my house.  I have attempted to cozy it up, but it’s really an efficient space more than a lovely or inspiring one.   My most important tools are a dictionary, a thesaurus, the Internet and a cup of coffee.
• How has your day job as a Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant influenced your writing & marketing efforts?
  • I attempt to practice what I encourage my clients to do.  For several months I told people I was writing a book, but I really wasn’t.  I thought about the concept, I wrote a few words when I thought of something I wanted to include and I did a lot of reading about the writing process.  When I got serious about the book, I created a writing routine.  I scheduled time every day to write and I stuck with it, even when I had nothing to say.  Some days the writing came effortlessly and two hours flew by, while other days were torturous and all I did was move words around on the page.  Whether I was having a productive time or not, I stayed in my chair and made some progress. (more…)