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Author Interview...Connie Cockrell
Connie Cockrell
Short Bio:
Connie Cockrell grew up in upstate NY, just outside of Gloversville, NY. She now lives in Payson, AZ with her husband: hiking, gardening, and playing bunko. Connie began writing in response to a challenge from her daughter in October 2011 and has been hooked ever since. She writes about whatever comes into her head so her books could be in any genre. She's published fourteen books so far, has been included in five different anthologies and been published on EveryDayStories.com. Connie's always on the lookout for a good story idea. Beware, you may be the next one.
Can you tell us a little more about yourself?
I'm a daughter, sister, wife, mother, retired AF Master Sergeant, project manager, volunteer, writer, and well, I don't know what comes next. Life is an ever expanding circle and I think I'm still too early in the cycle to really say who I am.
When did you first realize that you wanted to become a writer? I'm not really sure when I realized when I wanted to be a writer. I've always written. As a grade school student, in eighth grade, I co-wrote a stage play for my school's Christmas pageant. I made an effort to include students from every class and it was a musical. Totally ripped off every Christmas carol imaginable. No copyright concerns from me. I was amazed when the teachers let me and my best friend, Hillary, let us put the damn thing on. That's my first real memory of writing.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Good question. If I have an outline, I can write a my first draft of a book in a month. If I don't have an outline, as I have so painfully experienced with my last work, it can take months. What work you ask? I'm not telling. Let us say that I'm not good at pantsing my stories. I'll let it go at that.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I'm not sure. I think I'm a boring writer. I don't have a playlist. I don't have to have a special place to write. If I'm at my home computer, I have a glass of water on the desk. I've sometimes reached for water only to find it empty but I'm in the flow so don't get up for more water for two or three hours. Yep. Boring. No strange rituals.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Oh! Good question. The answer depends on what I'm writing. For my Gulliver Station series I consulted with an aerospace engineer on the size of the space station. There was a lot of information about the size of an artificial space required to grow crops and sustain a population of a certain size. On the other hand, my Brown Rain series requires research on things like PTSD, survival theory and even such simple things like backpacking. That describes the research. The ideas themselves come from "what if" questions when I see a TV show or magazine article. Just the littlest thing can provoke what authors call a "plot bunny".
When did you write your first book and how old were you?
Discounting the play I wrote about earlier, I was 57 when I indie published my 1st book, The Bad Seed. It was 2012 and I had written it in 2011. I was challenged by my daughter in October 2011 and took two weeks to read Larry Brooks, Story Engineering, then plot out my story with sticky notes on the back of my computer room closet door before the start of the 2011 National Novel Writing Month.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I garden. I love the feeling of walking out my back door to pick fresh vegetables, fruit, and herbs. I also hike. I belong to a local hiking group. It's amazing what you find in your local area when you get off of the highways and into the back country.
What does your family think of your writing?
My family thinks it's cool. They still don't know what to do with an author in their midst but they like it.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
Not sure. For one thing, that I have all of these stories. Who knew?
How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?
I've published 14 so far. And always I think my last one is the best and my favourite. Probably because it is and because I keep learning every book how to write better.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I do hear from readers and I love the feedback.
What do you think makes a good story?
For this I have to reflect on stories I love. I love SciFi. I love the new worlds, the new cultures, the new social paradigms. All of that reflects the interaction between people. Sure, the tech is a big part of the story but at the end of the day, it's the connection between people and to a degree the impact of the tech on the people that drive the story.
Do you write full-time or as a hobby?
I spend about 8 or more hours a day on writing. So, I think it's full-time.
Did you enjoy reading when you were growing up? If so, what were some of your favorite books?
I loved reading. True story. When I was in the sixth grade, twelve years old, I was seated in the back of the room right next to the tiny room library. It contained the entire Golden Book Encyclopaedia. I snuck those books, A to Z, and read every page of that collection.
What books, if any, have had the most influence on you?
Science Fiction. The entire thought process that there is another way of living. There is another way to do things, has always fascinated me.
Do you have a favourite author? If so, who are they and why is s/he your favourite?
I can't say that I do. To be sure, SciFi/Fantasy author top my list and we've already talked about it. But I also like other authors.
What is your favourite genre to read?
I've mentioned SciFi and Fantasy. I started with Heinlein and Asimov but newer authors include C. J. Cherryh, Chuck Wendig, and Kevin Hearne. But I also love mysteries, action, spy novels, and even westerns. No accounting for taste, I guess.
What books are you currently reading?
I'm reading Chuck Wendig's series, The Heartland Trilogy.
When you start a novel, do you just start writing or do you work with an outline?
I've experimented with writing by the seat of my pants, called pantsing. Not a good method for me. So I'm sticking with a rough outline type method. I write a scene sentence on a 3X5 card the includes the scene main character, the setting, the conflict and the twist at the least. There may be other notes. I find that these "trail" pointers are enough to guide me to the end of the story without constraining the flow of the tale. If the story diverges, I've been known to throw out the entire planned ending and write new cards to guide me to the new ending.
About how long does it take for you to write a book?
If I have a good outline, a month, usually during NaNo or Camp Nano. If I don't have a good outline? It can take months to write the first draft and four times that time to re-write and revise.
Who designs your book covers?
Most of the time I devise my own covers. Sometimes, though, other people design the covers for me.
How much of you/your life is in the books you write?
Sometimes a lot. Sometimes just a little. It's up to the reader to decide.
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
Editing. I want the book to resonate. I write a fairly bare bones story in my first draft. After that, I have to add in the "color". I need to describe the location, the background, how the character is reacting, feeling, to what's going on. I want to believe my reader will subconsciously absorb my meaning but that's not really the case. I have to let the reader know what's going on.
Have you ever hated something you wrote?
Nope. If I did I wouldn't write it.
Do you ever experience writer’s block? If so, what do you do?
I'm knocking on wood. I haven't so far. What I have experienced is a reluctance to write to my current wip. (Work in Progress) That means I'm forcing the story in ways it doesn't want to go. When that happens I need to back off and analyse what the story is telling me and where I need to go from the sticking point. Then I can start writing again.
Do you have a favourite place or time of the day you like to write?
It seems at this point I can write anytime and any where. I've written long-hand in a notebook in the car on a long trip. I've written in coffee shops. I've written late at night or early in the morning when I knew my schedule would prevent me from writing in my usual afternoon time slot. So, while I like writing in the afternoon, I don't seem to be wedded to it.
Do you have any unusual habits when writing (for example: writing naked, on an exercise ball, etc.)?
LOL! Nope. I just want a full glass of water. Though once I'm in the groove I'll reach for the glass over and over only to find it empty but too involved to get up and get more water.
Which character(s) from your books is your favourite and why?
I think it has to do with whatever book I'm working on or just finished. I just finished drafting Mystery in the Woods so right now my head and heart is full of Jean Hays. She's feisty, smart, no-nonsense and fearless. Or at least she projects fearless. She's everything I'm not, to be honest, and that makes me love her.
If you had the opportunity to make a movie from one of your books, which book would it be and who would play the characters?
Oh, gosh. I'd love it if my Brown Rain series was made into a movie. Kyra and Alyssa are unique and brave and so willing to take on the evil in the world. Who would play them? I have no idea. Maybe my readers would know. Would that be a good contest?
What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
When I'm not writing I'm gardening, hiking, cooking or working for my two fav charities: the Northern Gila County Fair and the Payson Book Festival. Both of them are dear to my heart and totally deserving of community support. Seriously. If you're in Northern Gila County Arizona July 23rd,2016, or September 9 – 11, 2016, you need to attend these events.
Can you tell us about any books or series you are currently working on?
I just finished drafting the second book in my Jean Hays series. It's a cozy mystery about a retired AF project manager that somehow keeps finding dead bodies in her new hometown of Grayson, Arizona. I'm also working on two new series. One is my All About Bob series. A contemporary study of things that various "Bob's" find wrong in their lives. The other series is SciFi, the Zoe Ohale stories. Zoe is an orphan left to fend for herself on the streets of Baia Mare because children of undesirables aren't eligible for assistance. Zoe has a lot to deal with—the police, the crime lords, her own gang and more than that, herself. How will she win?
Links to check out:
See you on the other side!
Chevoque
