Tell us about your journey as a writer.
My first attempt at writing was in a class for gifted children when I was 12. I fell in love with manipulating language to get my meaning across. I’ve been hooked ever since. I didn’t start writing fiction until about two years ago. Now, I’ve received my BA in English-Creative Writing and I’m starting on my MA in English with a creative writing focus.
Who are your favourite authors and why?
Some of my favorites include Sidney Sheldon, Clive Cussler, and J.D. Robb, but this is a huge list that spans several different genres. I mainly look for authors who can get me invested in their characters. I need to care about them in some way, whether it is wanting them to succeed or to take a devastating fall. There also needs to be consistency within the author’s world because any deviation will throw me out of that “zone” and it ruins the whole experience.
What genres tempt you at the moment? From both a reading and writing perspective.
I love fantasy but I’ve always been too intimidated by it to really write anything. It’s something that I will do someday, though!
What do you find is the hardest part of writing?
Finding the quiet I need to work. I have the attention span of a gnat, and I’ve found that when I have a lot going on around me, I’m busy paying attention to it and not to whatever I’m supposed to be working on. I write best when I have quiet and people are leaving me alone.
What advice would you give to other writers?
Never stop reading. If I ask you what the last book you read is, and you can’t tell me, I’m going to walk away from you and end the conversation. Read everything. Read things you love. Read things you hate. Read the classics. Read for your own pleasure, but read as an author, too. See the craft behind the words and use it to make your own craft better.
What inspired you to write Celia?
Celia comes from of my own life experiences. It was a story I needed to write. I took an advanced fiction writing class and knew this was the story I should use for it. The class structure and strict deadlines helped keep me focused and gave me clear goals to reach. It also helped to break it down into chapters because it kept me from getting overwhelmed.
If you could have dinner with any literary character, who would it be and what would you eat?
Jaenelle Angelline from the Black Jewels books by Anne Bishop. Since she’s witch I will eat whatever she gives me and be glad to have it.
What are you working on at the moment?
Right now, I’m in the middle of my new novel, Enraptured. It’s the story of a small church community where the pastor has told his congregation that he was told when the Rapture would occur. The community prepares for it and one little girl goes missing. But was she Raptured?
Where can fans find you online?
I have a Facebook page www.facebook.com/erinrbrittofficial, a Twitter feed http://twitter.com/erinrbritt , a website http://erinrbritt.wix.com/erinrbritt , a blog www.wordpress.com/erinrbritt, Amazon Author page http://www.amazon.com/Erin-Britt/e/B00A9VOVL4/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0, and Goodreads author page http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6570513.
Nicky Peacock - YA & Horror Author 