Five Questions with Michelle McGriff
Monday, April 30, 2007
Thus far, I've read all of your books. You come up with unique storylines. How long does it take you to write a novel? It take me about 36 hours in my mind and about 4 months to draft hard copy and that's about 40-60,000 words. Edits and all the rest can take up to 6 months but that's common.Your characters are unforgettable. Are they based on people that you know?
Not directly. I think they are mostly based on people I've met, such as, in passing, or people I've observed such as in the mall or on a bus. I like to ask myself What If....what is that person is a spy, a criminal, a psycho...what will they do when they leave this mall, get off this bus, etc...
Did you always plan to write professionally?
No, I've always written since being a teen, however, I thought I would have been a movie director. That was what I always wanted to be. I used to always want to yell out "CUT" especially when my real life got full of drama. HA! I used to want to be a professional entertainer (singer) like my father but decided against it after some health issues took my voice. Plus, I get stage freight.
2007 is a busy year for you. Please tell us about your 2007 releases.
First off there is Colored Summer, the story written in first person. It was a challenge as I normally write in omi-first. June, is another anthology with Dr. Maxine Thompson (No Pockets in a Shroud) and bestselling author Denise Campbell (Mankiller). My story in that set is DETOURED. July will bring another THRILLER, Deadly Tease...that story will take my readers to a side of Michelle McGriff they have never seen before (wink). And then a new book under a pen name that I'm going to try on the public before attempting to cross fully into that genre. I'll leave that secret there for a minute... secret.
What's one of your favorite pastimes, when you're not writing?
Dancing and virtual speed dating haha... (sorry folks, that a private joke between me and Shelia). Seriously, I enjoy listening to music and watching movies.
To learn more about Michelle McGriff, visit her website: www.myspace.com/mosambasbookshelf
Interview by Shelia M Goss, an entertainment writer and author of My Invisible Husband, Roses are thorns, Violets are true and Paige's Web. For more information, visit www.sheliagoss.com.
