Author Interviews: C.L. McCollum

I’m going to be a total shit here and give some spoilers to the interview answers for this particular author. She mentions new writers need to find their tribe. Well, the author I’m hosting today has been someone I’ve considered a part of my twitter writing tribe for a while now, and I’m so thrilled to have her on my blog today. If you’re not following the lovely C.L. McCollum yet, you’re missing out.

Questions:

What was your first experience with writing? I don’t actually remember my first experience writing – it’s sort of always been there in the back of my head, whether writing the little “books” in elementary that teachers sent home for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or singing songs I made up on the spot while swinging on the playground. I think I’ve always written – it just took a while to admit that it was what I really wanted to do, and even longer to believe that I might be able to pull it off professionally. It’ll still be a long road to make it there, but it’s a goal that excites me now as much as intimidates!
Where do you generally do most of your writing? Is there a specific room that has been dubbed “The Writer’s Cave”? I have an awesome office with dark purple walls and an entire wall of bookshelves and some really amazing art and masks all over the wall. Unfortunately, I can barely get in it right now. We have a roommate now, and storage has been a little tricky. I’m definitely looking forward to getting back to making that my writing “place,” but in the meantime, I tend to write on the couch or on my bed. Anywhere comfy and where my hips don’t ache. I always think it would be fun to have “my” coffee shop to write in, but generally when I’m in the mood to write, I want to get started right then instead of having to pack up and drive somewhere.
What are your thoughts on e-books vs. “traditional” print, both as a reader and a writer? Personally, I still love getting to hold a book in my hand and see it sitting in place of pride on my bookshelf once I’m done with it. That said, having an ereader has been a HUGE boon when I go on trips. I was the one-suitcase-just-for-books kind of girl growing up, and being able to just load the Kindle up makes it much easier to pack LOL. From a writer stand point, I think it’s actually a cool thing – it gives readers a different format for checking out my work, and that’s always a cool thing, you know?
Any advice for new writers? Find your tribe. Writing is hard, and navigating the publishing industry whether indie or traditional is even harder. Going it alone will get exhausting and discouraging, but having a group of writerly friends going through the same journey you are and cheering you on all the way can be a lifeline like you wouldn’t believe. I wrote alone in a void for years, and I really think if I’d continued that way without no writer friends, there’s a very good chance I might have quit a long time ago. I really don’t think I can understate the importance of having other people supporting you!
What’s your preferred genre to write in? I’m a science fiction and fantasy girl all the way, and I’ve written all across the subgenres from sci fi romance to magical realism to fantasy horror to epic fantasy to paranormal. I’m just so drawn to the sense of “other” – of the possibilities that exist in a world where the rules of reality as we know them are thrown off kilter, whether just slightly like with magical realism, or completely off the deep end with crazy science fiction space operas. It’s just so much fun for me to lose myself in those worlds.

Here’s a spot to pimp one of your writer friends… GO! (Or to gush about a recent fave read) Well since Pitch Wars is gearing up, I can’t help but want to pimp out my brilliant mentor, Molly E. Lee! Seriously if anyone’s debating on entering this year and is writing YA or NA, you TOTALLY should submit to her. She was incredible with all of her feedback for TRACES last year. The story wouldn’t be anywhere near as good as it is now without her help. She’s also self publishing a New Adult series right now that is so SO good – it’s her “Love on the Edge” series. The books are EDGE OF CHAOS and EAST OF REDEMPTION, and y’all should definitely check them out if you like steamy romances with some badass careers and settings.

ONCE UPON A TIME: CLICHES FOR A CAUSE BOOK II

Once upon a time, authors and artists gathered from the four corners of the globe, drawn together by the same vision. A vision of a happier ever after for abuse victims everywhere. Join those creative souls for the next installment of the Cliches for a Cause anthology series, as they take you on a journey through the land of fairy tales. While not all of these stories end happily, we hope you will find a little joy in knowing all proceeds from this anthology will benefit the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN).

Get it on Amazon.

Bio:

C. L. McCollum spends her time delving into the wonder of the world. She’s always been drawn to the “How” and the “Why” and the “Is this even possible?” While her debut novel is on the road to publication, C. L. has contributed to multiple anthologies, and also co-edits a charity anthology series known as “Clichés for a Cause” and is a founding member of the Herding Cats Press #MimosaThursday podcasts. Currently, C. L. is keeping it weird in Austin, TX with the love of her life and their various furry roommates.

You can find her at home at www.clmccollum.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CLMCCOLLUMAUTHOR, and in the Twitter verse at https://twitter.com/C_L_McCollum. You can find her stories on her Amazon Author page http://www.amazon.com/C.L.-McCollum/e/B00OM24UUS/