Sara Mack
- Paranormal, YA & Contemporary Romance Author -
FOLLOW ME
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question you want answered? Send it to me via my contact form, Facebook, or Twitter!
Who gave you the push to put your thoughts onto paper and make the big leap into being an author?
My beta readers! Well, they didn’t start out as “betas” per se; I simply started writing as a hobby to entertain three of my friends. I didn’t tell anyone that I was writing except these three people, not even my husband. It was just a fun, girly thing to do, and I got a kick out of surprising them with each new chapter. Then, I’d say halfway through the first story, something happened that I didn’t expect. I knew I loved my characters, but my friends grew to love them too. They had to know what was going to happen; they demanded chapters; they even got upset when I was late delivering one! They’re the ones who, when I finished, told me that I had created something that others would read and love.
How you develop the stories and characters. Do they come from your life experiences or from other motivations?
Since my writing secret was revealed, a lot of people have asked me this question. They can’t seem to understand how I could come up with the story I told. A lot of people (especially family) want to know who is who in the book; which characters are which family members. The truth is that the book is fiction, and no one character represents one person in my life. I was surprised how many people were disappointed by this. They want to be in the book! Anyway, it’s become clear to me, as people read my story and give me feedback that I did, subconsciously, include many character traits of those I know and love.
As for the story itself, the basic idea was to write a ghost story. As I thought more about it, I wanted to make it different, twist it in a way I had never seen before. I did use some personal life experiences in some of the scenes (attending a prom, causing chaos on Devil’s Night, working at a golf course, for example), but they are not identical to what happened to me. I think, for me as a writer, having personally experienced some of the things in one way or another helped me to portray a genuine feeling on paper. For the many scenes I fabricated, I had to be sure I stayed true to my characters personalities. It wasn’t too difficult; most of the time I just went with what my gut told me.
Is there a certain inspiration or muse that gets you writing through any sort of "writer's block"?
Hot showers! The shower is where I get most of my thinking done. I can’t tell you how many kinks in a scene were worked through during a shower. It’s where Guardian first popped into my head.
Coffee or tea?
Most definitely sweetened iced tea. I don’t go a day without it!
What kind of books do you like to read?
Mostly contemporary and paranormal romance. I’m down for a good mystery novel, too. I’ve read mainly indie authors for the past two years, with the exception of The Hunger Games (which I loved). My TBR list is crazy long. I have an Amazon Kindle one-click problem.
What advice do you have for those that what to get into the writing business?
If you write as a hobby, and you’re just looking to share your work, go for it! It’s fantastic and rewarding. If you are considering this as a full-time career, be prepared. My primary job is in an office forty hours a week; writing is a hobby that I only wish could be full time. The only reason I decided to publish was due to the prodding of friends who read my story. I thought, “Hell. Why not? Maybe I can make a little extra money to pay for my daughter’s hockey season.” Let’s just say I haven’t made enough in six months to cover one month’s ice bill. Make sure you do your research (as far as copyright and such), and make sure you put your best work out there. Nothing hurts worse than a bad review, especially if it is over something that can be easily fixed, like typos.