Make-Believe Mondays With Christine Norris

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Christine Norris.

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

Christine: I’m so excited about this because I just finished it! Well, the “first” draft, which has been tweaked a little as I wrote it. It’s the third book in the Library of Athena series. Megan and all her friends are back, and dealing with a new problem and a new enchanted book. This one is set in Ancient China, and it’s got all the same adventure and magic the first two have. I don’t want to give too much away, because I never know what’s going to change between the first and final drafts.

I’m also really excited that the first book of the series(The Crown of Zeus)is coming out in paperback later this year!

Debra: That is exciting! Something well worth celebrating.

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?

Christine: I watch a lot of movies, read a lot of books. Really, I’m always looking for new stuff to read. I call it Feeding the Muse. She’s a hungry girl.

Debra: Feeding the Muse, I like that. Mine must be a teenager, because she is always hungry and very curious and experimental.

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Christine: I’ve always been a reader. Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time books were well-worn in my house. I must have read them a dozen times. I don’t have those copies anymore, but I should replace them. I’ve done that with a few favorites, like The Westing Game and The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. That one was just re-published last year, so of course I bought a new copy.

Debra: There is something about holding a well worn book, they are so loved and familiar. It can be hard to let those go for the new replacement.

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Catherine: Isn’t that what I’m doing now? Well, since I write Young Adult, there really aren’t many expectations to meet except for those that come with a good story. I don’t necessarily need a HEA, or need to follow those ‘rules’ that seem to come with Romance. I’ve gotten some good reviews for the previous Library of Athena books, and several have said they’re very different kinds of stories from other stuff out there for YA Fantasy. Which is good! I don’t want to be just another magic wielding, dragon-riding, vampire-using writer.

Debra: Well, that is what I hope every author is able to do, because it means they are free to imagine and create. And that is where the best fiction comes from, in my humble opinion.

Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?

Christine: Just that if you can dream it, you can write it. I have some ideas floating in my head for stories outside the series, and I’m playing around with them, mostly still in my head, but they’ll be making the move to paper soon. They’re odd, but that’s what makes them wonderful.

Debra: Odd is wonderful, isn't it? The unusual, the unique can be so much fun.

Christine, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Christine: Thank you for having me!

Debra: My pleasure.

Please visit Christine at
www.christine-norris.com
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This week I am working on the new western, while planning the book release party for A Desperate Journey, which comes out March 31, 2009.

Please visit my website at
www.debraparmley.com