Spotlight on Christie Craig
Q: How long have you been writing?
24 years
Q: How long did it take you to publish?
10 years
Q: How many manuscripts do you have hidden away/under the bed/in storage?
2 complete; probably 6 partials
Q: Do you have a writing schedule and if so, what is it?
Yes, Monday-Friday, 7:30-5:30 (sometimes later if deadlines loom) and Saturday-Sunday as needed.
Q: Do you have a critique group? If yes, how many are in the group?
Yes. I work with several different people, though we’re not part of a group. Generally four people read my
work.
Q: If this is not the only critique group you’ve participated in, how many others did you have before finding the one that worked?
I’ve worked with several different groups. Some just didn’t fit right.
Q: When developing an idea for a new story, which comes first – the plot or the title or the characters?
The characters.
Q: How do you handle new story ideas that pop up when you’re in the middle of a project? (ex: notebook by the bed/separate word file, etc?)
It depends on how strong they hit me. Sometimes I might jot them down. Most of the time, I just file them away in my head. I figure if they are that good, I’ll remember them.
Q: Have you ever gotten to the middle of a project and got bored or lost your momentum? If so, how did you handle it?
I think most writers do this. For me, I go back and reread the earlier chapters. When I start feeling bored, I’ve generally taken a wrong turn. If I can find that oops, I usually can reconnect with the energy of the story.
Q: Finish this sentence: If I could write anything I wanted and knew it would see, it would be…
I love ghost stories. So a good ghost story with romantic elements is really my cup of tea.
Q: What is the best advice you ever received?
Don’t compare yourself to others and follow your heart, no matter what others might say.
Q: What is the worst?
Number 1: Only write in one genre. I know this probably works for many writers, but I found I grew as a
writer as I tried to explore different genres. 4umber 2: Stop entering contests. I sold my first book back in
’94 due to contests. And my second step back into publication happened as a direct result of a contest. And I signed with an agent as a result of contest. I know contests are not for everyone. But for me, they were my path to publication.
Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
The last three of or four chapters of a book when I’m tying it all together. I always get so excited.
Q: What is your least favorite part of the writing process?
Rewriting/polishing. The right side of my brain doesn’t work very well.
Q: Which came first for you – the editor or the agent?
I sold my first book in ’94 without an agent. When I sold again in 2006, I had an agent. I had submitted a
manuscript to my agent, but after finaling with four manuscripts in the Golden Pen, a published judge, contacted her agent and told her about me. The agent recognized my name as having a submission in her to-beread stack, so she pulled it out, read it and she signed me.
Q: How many contests did you enter before you sold? How many did you final in?
Oh, lordie! I don’t know the exact number. I think the last years before I sold I was entering one to two contests a month. And I finaled in seven out of ten contest that I entered.
Q: How do you promote your books?
Website, blogging, guest blogging. I do some promotional items, but I target more booksellers and book buyers than just the general public. I also do a lot of workshops for RWA chapters and organizations.
Q: Free Form: Here’s your chance to tell us anything you’d like—tidbits, advice, funny stories, pet peeves, hopes, dreams, etc.
I’m a big believer in what I call the “Make it Happen Process.” The principles are easy. Work your ass off.
Never give up. 4ever, ever stop improving. When you think you know it all, you’re only fooling yourself.
Writing is the entertainment business and it is always changing. Don’t compare yourself to others. We all
have our own paths and schedules. Jealously is a human emotion, and it’s fine to wish you had what others
have, but when you start wishing other’s didn’t have their accomplishments, jealously becomes a an ugly
emotion and can bring on many negative effects. Do what you can do, do it the best you can do it, and don’t let the outcome dishearten you. Just because a book didn’t get bought, doesn’t mean that the editor reading it won’t remember you. Just the opportunity to have been read by this editor may be what leads you to greater things later on. This has happened to me so many times. And it would have been easy to see the outcome as a failure and give up. Reach out to others. I’m a big believer in Karma. Don’t keep working on the
same book. Write it, polish it, and then move on the next one.
