Make-Believe Mondays with Lori Avocato

Today on Make-Believe Mondays our guest is Lori Avocato.

Lori, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you're working on now.

Lori: Gladly. I am starting a new romantic series of three women who were born and raised by Hippie moms on a commune. Actually, they don't even know if they have the same dad. They pretty much had to raise themselves since the moms were so "free" with no rules. The women did grow up with nurturing natures and all became nurses. They picked different types of nursing, which fit their personalities. Now they are all nearly thirty and single--and rebelling at their mom's lifestyle choices for them. So, they decided to swing the pendulum in the complete opposite no-rules direction--and join the military--fraught with rules. All become Air Force nurses! (As I was.)

Debra: What an interesting storyline. And who better to write about Air Force nurses!

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Lori: Hm, I'd like to say with wine but I've never found one sweet enough and my friends won't let me add Splenda to my Merlot.

Debra: Hahahahaha. Oh, I like that. :-)

I don't buy into the muse/sleeping muse at the moment theory. I think if you are a writer, you just have to sit down and write and the cup will pour out. If we think too much about it and worry that the darn cup is nearly empty, we'll get nothing done. Always assume it's full!

Debra : Yes. We tend to experience what we expect in many cases. And worry is such an unproductive activity.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Lori: At the risk of sounding certifiably insane, that moment happens each time I sit down and write. And I gotta tell you, when I don't write, I get crabby.

Debra: Oh, I do too. Jut ask my family. ;-)

Lori: It's as if those characters are in my head and want to get out. I see the book in my head like a movie when I write and the darn characters do take over--which is actually my subconscious at work. That's why writing the first draft all the way through is so important. Trust your subconscious and listen to the damn characters. "Oh, nurse! Straight jacket please!"

Debra: The subconscious is a very powerful thing. Everyone should pay more attention to it.

Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?

Lori: I can tell you that I always used to make up words with my kids. In the stories that I told them and even in the daily talk to them, in a humorous way. And yet, both of my sons seem very normal to this day. I still make up some words in my work. My characters say them. I love doing that and that's why I liked Dr. Seuss so much. He not only made words up, but they rhymed. How cool was that!

Debra: That was very cool. He was always (and still is) one of my favorites too.

Lori, thank you for joining us here on Make-Believe Mondays.

Readers please visit Lori at
www.LoriAvocato.com

http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/27851/Lori_Avocato/index.aspx

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Debra's news and updates:

I'm expecting to receive my first edits from my editor within the next three weeks and anxiously awaiting my book cover.
Keep watching for my first novel, Desperate Journey, to be released from Samhain July, 2008.

This week on Title Wave,
http://titlewave.blogspot.com"
the blog of my American Title II sisters, Theresa is bloggging on Wed. and Maria is blogging on Fri. I've taken Mondays to list my Make-Believe Mondays blog authors and the occassional blog chat. Stop by and say hello!
www.debraparmley.com

And next week, here on Make-Believe Mondays, our visiting author is Cindi Myers.