Tess Quinn

Today we have author Ilona Fridl talking to us about her writing life. Check out what she has to say! Thanks for joining us, Ilona!



What is your brainstorming process for a new book?



I usually start with a “What if” premise . With Silver Screen Heroes, I started with a “ What if gangsters took over a movie studio to make illegal liquor and use the theaters as distribution centers?” I did research about the era then set up the characters. I take notes on where I want the story to go. By then, I have characters who have their own ideas and I have to revise some of my notes.



Can you explain your typical work week day?



After breakfast, I check my email and do general business. Now, that I’m doing promotion for the book, I go on blogs and soon am going to be booking signings. After that, I read my WIP a few pages from where I stopped last then add a scene or two. All in all, I spend around four hours on the computer. The story is always swirling around my head and if I get an idea, I jot it down.



Tell us about when you made the decision to write.



That started early on. When I was a child, I used to make children’s picture books for myself. My English classes in school were a breeze for me, because I loved doing research on different topics. Math, on the other hand—well—not so good. I must be all right brained. Anyway, after school I did some writing for magazines, but I didn’t like typewriters. I didn’t do any serious writing until we got our computer, so now I didn’t have any more excuses. I’ve been writing ever since.



What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?



Find a good critique group. There are times in writing you know what your characters are up to, but you don’t make it clear to the reader. Others will notice. I’m lucky because my group is a positive force. They work with you to make it better. Next, join an organization. I joined RWA and besides having the support of the members, it’s a great place to start networking with agents and editors. Third, don’t let the rejections get you down. Somewhere out there, someone will love your work. You just have to find them.



Tell us about what you’re working on right now and what we can expect from you in the near future.



Silver Screen Heroes was just the first in a Dangerous Times trilogy. Golden North the second book set in Juneau, Alaska also in the early 1920′s. That is set to be released August 20th. The third book is my work in progress, Bronze Skies, that’s set during World War 2 about the Alaskan invasion by the Japanese. It’s about the children of the original characters. Later, I want to rework my first manuscript that takes place in the 1960′s.



Wow, really looking forward to reading more of your work! Thank you for taking the time to talk to us! For those of you who want to know more about Ilona’s work, you can visit her website here. Thank you for joining us today on Writers on Writing! Until next week!

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 15th, 2010 at 8:39 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.