Ask the Author: Loretta Marion
Answered Questions (6)
Loretta Marion
I don't necessarily change my reading habits for the summer. And I always have stacks of books waiting to be read. In fact, if the number of waiting books begins to dwindle to say, less than a dozen, I begin to panic.
Here are the books that are currently piled up on my bedside table:
I'm currently reading Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad for my book club group
The Dry, Jane Harper
The Lowells of Massachussetts, Nina Sankovich
Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly
The Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles
The Silkworm, Robert Galbraith
We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson
The Girl in the Spider's Web (I'm ready to return to this series created by Stieg Larsson)
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, Fredrik Backman
In the Woods, Tana French
Vinegar Girl, Anne Tyler
A Rule Against Murder, Louise Penny
Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
I'd also like to read an Elizabeth George but I'll have to check which one is next on my list. I've also been intrigued by The Clay Girl by Heather Tucker and Sara Baum's Spill Simmer Falter Wither. And I think it may be time to read again one of my favorite classics, Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage. But then I'll also want to reread The Razor's Edge and The Moon and Sixpence. And I've not yet read The Painted Veil. So many books...
Here are the books that are currently piled up on my bedside table:
I'm currently reading Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad for my book club group
The Dry, Jane Harper
The Lowells of Massachussetts, Nina Sankovich
Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly
The Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles
The Silkworm, Robert Galbraith
We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson
The Girl in the Spider's Web (I'm ready to return to this series created by Stieg Larsson)
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, Fredrik Backman
In the Woods, Tana French
Vinegar Girl, Anne Tyler
A Rule Against Murder, Louise Penny
Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
I'd also like to read an Elizabeth George but I'll have to check which one is next on my list. I've also been intrigued by The Clay Girl by Heather Tucker and Sara Baum's Spill Simmer Falter Wither. And I think it may be time to read again one of my favorite classics, Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage. But then I'll also want to reread The Razor's Edge and The Moon and Sixpence. And I've not yet read The Painted Veil. So many books...
Loretta Marion
This is always a great question. But not so easy to answer in the case of The Fool's Truth. The opening scene, in which a young mother comforts her crying daughter while calmly stepping around a dead body, was written years before the idea for the book began to germinate in my head. I had this image of a woman escaping into her mind, blocking out the tragic scene before her and acting as if nothing had happened. I knew it held the kernel of a good tale, but I had to wait patiently for the rest of the story to take root and for the characters to come together.
Rebekah, the peculiar witch-like hermit was the first to take shape, but when Cordelia began to develop as a desperate woman on the run, I knew it had to be the thread of her story that would connect the other characters.
As The Fool's Truth evolved into a tale of dark and dangerous secrets, the disparate male leads, Sheriff Homer Pruitt, nosy reporter Russell Payne and the inscrutable Ramon Alvarez, each added depth and a unique perspective to the progression of the story.
Rebekah, the peculiar witch-like hermit was the first to take shape, but when Cordelia began to develop as a desperate woman on the run, I knew it had to be the thread of her story that would connect the other characters.
As The Fool's Truth evolved into a tale of dark and dangerous secrets, the disparate male leads, Sheriff Homer Pruitt, nosy reporter Russell Payne and the inscrutable Ramon Alvarez, each added depth and a unique perspective to the progression of the story.
Loretta Marion
Great question, Lynnette. A little of both actually. Because the story itself is a fluid entity, as it evolves, so must the characters to fit in. But I have to have a starting point, an image in my head of each character. So after I create a general outline of the story, I develop a brief bio for each character. And I MUST name them. Then begins the process of getting to know them. In the beginning they are mere acquaintances. At the end, they've become a part of me.
Thank you for your interest!
Thank you for your interest!
Loretta Marion
The only time I feel blocked as a writer is when there's too much clutter in my life - both mental and physical clutter. So for me, the only way to solve this is to set aside the writing for a bit and address the disorder of my thoughts and surroundings. When that's accomplished my mind is free to create again.
Loretta Marion
Writing is such a passion I can write just about anywhere and anytime, but it does help to have a large chunk of quiet time set aside with no distractions or interruptions. I'm especially inspired by natural settings and my favorite places to write offer views of the sea or access to the woods where I can walk and reflect.
Loretta Marion
One of the most enjoyable aspects of being a writer is spending time with my characters ~ even the unpleasant ones ~ as we travel together on the journey that unfolds before us.
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