365 Interviews

Interview 79: CorrieGarrett

1. Can you tell me about yourself?

I'm 30 years old (which I quite like, by the way, it's so much easier than being in my teens or twenties) and I grew up in Texas. I was a band geek in highschool (clarinet) which is saying something, because Texas takes both football and marching band very seriously! :-)

2. What inspired you to write?

I never even though of it until a few years ago when my older sister and I tried to do NaNoWriMo together. I wanted to write something kinda Twilight-y but with more action.

3. How did you find wattpad?

I wanted to put that first NaNo book somewhere that my friends and family could read it. I didn't really engage at first, just sent my friends the link, but eventually a few people from wattpad read my books and that got me hooked.

4.  Where do the your ideas come from?

I'm not too good at plot so I tend to use other books or stories as templates, and just make the characters mine! My latest book is based on the template of Esther (queen who saves everybody) and that really simplifies things because I have a story to go with when I get stuck for the next plot point.

5. Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I'm definitely a 'pantser.' I try to plot ahead and it just kills the creativity. Though like I said, I usually have a plot outline (from somewhere else) that's inspiring me.

6. How do you think you've evolved creatively?

I used to utterly stink at description. My characters had fascinating conversations, but no one knew what they looked like, where they were, or what they were doing! I think I've improved in putting in enough description that my characters don't live in a vacuum!

7.What is the hardest thing about writing?

Sitting down and writing when you feel like everything in life is pointless. Seriously, I think depression is the biggest obstacle to every writer. Maybe not clinical depression for everyone (hopefully not!), but it can and does hit everyone and it's very hard to write. When I do manage to write though, it helps me feel less lost.

8. Would you call yourself a wattpad celebrity? Why so or why not?

No, not really. I feel like I have a relatively small group of very committed readers who've really resonated with my stories and with whom I've (tried) to respond... but it still feels fairly intimate to me, so I wouldn't use the word celebrity.

9. Are you working on any new story you can tell me about?

The last book in my Alien Cadets trilogy - I'm having so much fun with the romance... and because I have so many characters going (as it's the third book), I get to have like three romances in different stages. Fun!

10. What is your favorite quote?

I don't know if it's my favorite, but I came across this one on Goodreads:

“I am weird, you are weird. Everyone in this world is weird. One day two people come together in mutual weirdness and fall in love.”

― Dr. Seuss

11. How was the publishing process?

I've self-published two of my novels, hopefully going to do two more this year. My sales have been small there, five or six  a month, but I'm okay with that. Indie publishing is all about having a big backlist so that when someone likes your book they go buy all the others. I'm hoping to pick it up a bit this year. :-) My goal is to pay a few bills with my writing.

12. Where can you see yourself in 5 years time?

Hopefully with another five or six novels to show for myself! And taller. (I can dream, right?)

13. What is your favorite movie and why?

It changes so much, but I think Music & Lyrics is up there. The Avengers is pretty incredible, too.

14. What advice would you give to your younger self?

People are actually kinder and much less judgmental than you think. You don't need to be as morbidly self-conscious as you are! That applies to writing and everything else. :-)

15. Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

C.S. Lewis. Except he was a professor and all my professors intimidated me so I'd probably be too scared to talk.

16. If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

Jane Eyre! Jane Eyre! She's such a great character - passionate, faithful, brave...

17. What was the hardest part of writing?

I get about 3/5ths of the way through and feel like the whole story is stupid. Really, really stupid. Getting past that is hard! (Cherry pecan ice cream helps with that.)

18. Have you learned anything from writing your book? If so, what was it?

Oh, I've researched all kinds of things for my books. For instance, your eyes won't explode in a slow decompression (like a spaceship with a leak), but explosive decompression will.

19.Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

You guys are awesome! And super-intelligent, obviously, if you've chosen to read my books! :-)

20. Do you have any advice for other writers?

That first draft of your first novel is all about getting through a long-length document with your sanity intact. You can steal scenes, characters, and plot - whatever you need, but it will still be yours at the end, because you will put your personality into it with every word. Also, when you get stuck, google some random facet of your story and learn something new. Then go back and write some more. :-)