About Linda S Rice:
As a child, I was mesmerized by story tellers and my mother always made sure I had a supply of books close at hand while I was growing up. Sitting on her lap and listening to her read to me is one of my earliest memories. I remember drawing pictures and then making up stories to go with them, and as I got older, my stories became longer and more fanciful. At age ten, I began to write them down, and when I was twelve, I wrote my first “book,” all handwritten. I wrote during rainy days in gym class when we all had to stay in the locker room and sit on benches. I had a small cult following of friends who waited for me to finish each page which I would then pass down the row. When I got a typewriter for my thirteenth birthday, I typed up my “masterpiece” and put it in a 3-ring binder then hid it away. The story was actually quite silly. Having a typewriter, however, made it possible for me to write even more, which I did on almost a daily basis.
But, as happens to many young, aspiring writers, reality grabbed me and when I graduated from high school and headed to college then into the work force, the dream of becoming an author washed away. It wasn’t until I turned 62 and experienced my 3rd job layoff, that I decided to try and make my writing dream come true.
My first “real” book started as a joke when going to a concert with a high school friend of mine who lives in Texas. When we were teenagers in the 60’s, we were huge fans of the Beatles and, of course, I used to make up wild stories about us and them. Marsha’s favorite was George and mine was Paul. Since we were going to see Paul in concert, I teasingly suggested we make up a more modern and adult story to make the concert more fun. When Marsha said, “Well, George is dead,” I immediately responded, “That’s okay…we’ll time travel!” And, I began to formulate the story in my mind.
The story grew into a series as one idea after another popped into my head, and before I knew it, I had three published books and a plan to write a total of five.
Writing has become an addiction to me, and I’m finding that ideas for other scenarios and characters keep flooding my brain, with the characters screaming, “Write about me! Write about me!”
And, that’s what I intend to do.
What inspires you to write?
My inspiration comes mostly from dreams. I tend to have very vivid dreams, and I keep a notepad next to my bed so I can write them down. Sometimes I feel like characters are talking to me and telling me to write about them, and then I conjure up what they look like in my mind.
Tell us about your writing process.
I just start writing and it flows out of me onto the page as fast as I can type. Sometimes, I’m not even sure what I’ve written until I go back and read it. There are days, however, when I don’t feel “in the mood” or when my characters have said and done things unexpected and I have to contemplate what might happen next. Will it be something good or something bad? Eventually, I get the itch to go for it again and once more it just flows.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I listen and talk to my characters constantly! I even argue and fight with them and often find them annoying. As some of the characters in my first published books are based on people I know, it sometimes feels as if they’re in the room with me or hanging over my shoulder as I write.
What advice would you give other writers?
I’ve learned that self-doubt is the biggest obstacle to overcome as a new writer. You have the burning desire to write, you love to write, you feel you MUST write, but then when you read back what you wrote, you keep asking yourself if it’s any good or if anyone else would ever want to read it. Just believe in yourself and keep writing.
I’ve also learned to relax when I write and not think too hard about what’s coming out of my head onto the page. If I feel stuck or uninspired for some reason, I just stop, go do something else and not stress about it. It might be days or even a week or more before I go back and start to write again.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I spoke to another author who recommended self-publishing after having a bad experience with a traditional publisher who went out of business. She had to buy the rights to her book back from the publisher who bought the original company and it took years. She re-published using Create Space and recommended them to me. I found them to be professional, timely and helpful. I used them for the cover design and formatting, but not editing.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Although there are still people out there who want to hold a hard-copy or paperback in their hands, the majority of readers are going to digital books using either a Kindle, Nook or other device. You can publish an e-book free and by using social media, can reach more readers.
As a reader, I love my Kindle. I can make the print larger, go back and forth between books, find definitions to words, and there are other bells and whistles.
What genres do you write?: Fiction – Romance – some Erotica – Time travel
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Linda S Rice Home Page Link
Link To Linda S Rice Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
