Q&A With Author E. Graziani
Want to know what other writers think? Check out our I Am A Writer Series where we ask writers to share tips, experiences, and thoughts about what matters to them.
Do you have a writing routine or do you write when inspiration strikes?
I think with most writers there is a little of both involved in the process. The inspiration is what drives me to write in the first place, and that can come from anywhere. Alternatively, when the story is unfolding, I sometimes get stuck and that is when routine comes in. I try to set goals for myself to complete a certain number of words whenever I sit down at my laptop. But if I’m not inspired, it can be a real slog at times.
How do you plan your stories? Do you use story boards?
I usually know where the story will go right at the beginning. I do plan around an inspirational vision, which is usually the catalyst for whatever I’m writing. Sometimes, I start at the middle and work my way out from there – it really depends on what I’m writing and how much research is involved. For my novel, Alice of the Rocks, I needed to research in both science and history, so I used copious notes. For my novella, Jess Under Pressure, I wrote purely from my heart and I was able to finish that in a little over two weeks.
Do you write in more than one genre? Which do you find the most challenging?
So far, I have written three works, all different genres and all published. My first book, Alice of the Rocks, is a young adult novel, Jess Under Pressure is a women’s fiction novella, and War In My Town is a memoir of my mother’s WWII experiences, written for young readers (grades 7 and up). I didn’t plan it that way, it just happened. Next up is Alice of the Rocks II, which is also for young adults – and I admit the young adult genre is the most challenging for me. Perhaps I find it difficult to step into that mindset.
Do you have any quirky writing habits?
Ha! I do – don’t all writers. I find that I write more creatively and with more heart and soul at night. It wouldn’t be surprising for my husband to wake up at two in the morning to find me at my laptop, setting down a particularly fantastic idea I had while I was brushing my teeth. Depending on what I’m working on, I will listen to music to inspire me, suitable to that work. For example, if it’s a historical piece, I listen to classical, if it’s a women’s fiction piece, Sarah McLachlan.
Do you imagine the world you’re going to write about before you write it? Or does it come to you through the story?
That question is so appropriate because many people who have read my books have told me that they can “clearly see the entire novel playing in my head” – that is a wonderful compliment. Writing for me is like painting a picture with words – it should draw in the reader and make him/her a part of the story. I imagine the story playing out in my mind and I put it on paper – plain and simple. And admittedly, sometimes not so simple.
Author Bio
E. Graziani is an elementary teacher living in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and four daughters. She graduated in 1988 from McMaster University with a History B.A., specializing in Renaissance and Reformation History. Graziani is a self-proclaimed life-long learner who believes in constantly setting new goals for herself and working hard to achieve them. Her love of history, word artistry, and storytelling helped to fuel these goals, which to her delight, crystallized in the realization of her debut novel, ALICE OF THE ROCKS. Watch for more from Graziani coming in the Spring of 2015, including WAR IN MY TOWN, a memoir about her mother’s experiences in her WWII Nazi occupied village, and JESS UNDER PRESSURE, a women’s fiction novella.
Share With Us
Do you have any quirky writing habits?
