Susan's turn at bat with the RWQ Reader Quiz

First of all, I'd like to thank Jayne for the format. Yes, I ripped it off. Never reinvent the wheel if you don't have to, I always say. :) Secondly, a big thanks to the blog participants for such wonderful questions.

PIA and LIZELLE both wanted to know which Quill title I would like to see made into a film and who I think should star in it.

ANSWER: I'm with Jayne: I can't come up with a good answer to this question. I did a satellite radio tour a couple of years ago and that was always the question that stopped me dead. I started making up a cast to avoid dead air time or the sound of me scrambling to pull more out of my blank mind than um, oh, ah, but it simply isn't part of my process to think this way. That may be because I'm not very visual. My characters are these amorphous beings scratching at the back of my mind. A funny thing, though. While they don't play through my mental screens with movie clarity, I know exactly what they look like. And usually it's not any actor someone suggests. :)

KATE wanted to know if most romance novelists marry their ideals.

ANSWER: I met my future husband when I was sixteen and married him several years later. We raised each other, so I think there was a combination of luck that we grew in the same direction, hard work making it work and just plain stubbornness. But, yes. He is my soul mate. And most days he's also my hero.

KARENDE wanted to know how to find an agent.

ANSWER: I'd second Jayne's suggestion is to join Romance Writers of America. But since that won't work for you, there used to be a book called Literary Agents of North America, which I referenced back in the day. It listed agents by the type of books they represent.

RANURGIS wanted to know if there were others in my family who were creative types.

ANSWER: I'm the only one in my family in a creative-based job, but I'm related to so many talented people.

DEE from AUSTRALIA wanted to know if I felt I had grown as an author.

ANSWER: I've definitely grown as a writer. I've always had a "voice" (at least since I've been published) but I think my readers no longer have to slog through so much detritus to get to the heart of what I'm trying to say. I tended to overwrite in my earlier books. I'd both show and tell, which is redundant. I credit Micki Nuding, my editor at Avon, with teaching me to cut out the 'tell' portion. That tightened up my pacing and made my narrative more concise.

MARCIE wanted to know if my non-writing friends understand my frustrations or joys when I talk about my stories.

ANSWER: I hadn't really thought about this, but I rarely talk about my writing with my closest non-writing friends. Occasionally I do. . .but not often.

MICHELLE wanted to know how I keep myself from doing too much research.

ANSWER: Each book is a different situation, but I do most of my research as I go. I know other writers who literally spend months in their research, but I'm not one of them.

DFENDER wanted to know the three people I'd most love to have to a dinner party.

ANSWER: That would be my cousin Colleen, my best friend Mimi, and another longtime friend Martha. Deb, I imagine you had famous figures in mind with this question, but I'm an introvert. I'm not particularly shy, but I'm most comfortable with my family and a small circle of friends. I can't imagine trying to come up with small talk with a legend.

DARLA wanted to know if there was one thing I could change in my writing career what would it be and why?

ANSWER: I would not have hired my first agent. Also, as I'm a slow writer, I would have listened to my editor when she told me to set aside the historical I was writing long enough to build my career in contemporary romance, which was what my first book had just been published in.

BRANDY wanted to know if there is a book I wish I hadn't written.

ANSWER: No. I have three books that will never be published for very good reason, not the least of which is the way I shamelessly stole from other authors' voices. And not merely one, mind you--I was a virtual psych ward full of voices before I developed my own. But as I didn't find RWA until my second book was about to be published, I was on my own. And each of those books was a tool that taught me my craft.

KAREN wanted to know what my dream job would have been if I hadn't become a writer.

ANSWER: Even though there are days when struggling to get my thoughts on paper makes my ears bleed, I wouldn't trade this job for any other. My commute alone is worth any momentary frustration I may feel. Bedroom to office--you can't beat that.

SUSAN B wanted to know if I reread my own books.

ANSWER: It looks as though I may be the only Quill who does, but, yes. I write first for myself--and I sometimes cringe when I pick up an older book. (see answer to Dee of Australia's question) But other times I amaze myself, and that is such a lovely feeling. It reminds me what I'm doing right. And picking apart my mistakes helps keep me from making those particular ones again. Unfortunately, there are always new ones to make.

MS. OWEN & MS. KINDER wanted to know if turning my art into my job in any way distracted from the joy that I take in the writing and have I ever felt that I had to do less than my best to meet a deadline.

ANSWER: Nope. I feel so lucky to actually be able to make a living at my art. And as I mentioned above, first and foremost I have to please myself, so it does not go in until I'm happy with it.

TAMMY wanted to know if there was anything I'd like to change in one of my older books.

ANSWER: Oh, yes. Not the voice, not the basic premise and never the characters. But I would desperately love to edit all my earlier work.

CBELL wanted to know the top ten romance novels I would take to the beach.

ANSWER: Here are a few of the romances I have read over and over again: LORD OF SCOUNDRELS by Loretta Chase; REFORMING A RAKE by Suzanne Enoch; THE WIDOW by Ann Stewart; THE SHADOW AND THE STAR by Laura Kinsale; anything by Theresa Weir--and oh, my gawd, so many more, including, natch, my Sistah Quillers. But I'm also always on the lookout for new authors to read. Nothing thrills me more than discovering a voice that speaks to me and sucks me into a new world.

EVERSCOI wanted to know what comes first, characters or plot?

ANSWER: The characters for me, definitely. They start scratching at the back of my mind (generally the hero, but not always). From there I start kicking around ideas with my brainstorming partner Caroline Cross until I find his or her perfect mate and begin to get a feel for their story. I used to be strictly a seat of the pants type writer. But then I got kicked loose from my publisher in the mid-eighties and no one loves you quite as much as the person who discovered you--at least not early in your career-- so I had to learn how to write a synopsis and to do enough upfront plotting to sell another book. But it all begins and ends with the characters.

KATHY H wanted to know how we find time to read other authors' books and if we each have a favorite.

ANSWER: Reading is the reason I got into this business and I can't imagine not making the time. I'm more critical as a reader now, however, and that's a shame, but I find it difficult to turn off the internal editor. I have my favorite authors who are automatic buys for me, of course. But nothing thrills me more than discovering a new (to me at least) author.

REBECCA wanted to know how to make a green ghost martini and also how I keep my rear in the chair so that I can write.

ANSWER: I could tell you the green ghost martini recipe --but then I'd have to kill you. (And yes, I did originate that riff. People are stealing my best work alllllll the time) I keep my butt planted because I might as well. I'm just going to worry about my lack of progress anyway and not enjoy my stolen time, so I may as well sit there and get something accomplished. But unless I'm really under the gun for a deadline, I give myself weekends off. And when I take a holiday I REALLY take a holiday--none of this dragging my laptop along with me.

MEC wanted to know which of my books I would recommend to someone who had never tried any of my titles.

ANSWER: I think HOT & BOTHERED and my upcoming COMING UNDONE. The character of PJ Morgan grabbed my attention like none other I've ever written. Don't get me wrong, I love all my characters, but that little girl (in H&B) got hold of me in a way I've never experienced with any other.

JULES BENNETT wanted to know if I work on more than one project at a time.

ANSWER: No. There are days I can barely figure out where to go on my one and only project. :) What I usually do then is work on something work related (update my email list; blog, etc) until a solution for whatever stalled me in the first place occurs to me.

SIAN wanted to know if there is a novel by another author that I wish I had written.

ANSWER: Not really. But I do find that reading really good writing inspires my own. There's just something about reading a book that moves me, makes me laugh, makes me say, "Damn, that girl (guy) can write," that kick starts my own creativity.

SHOSHANA asked about organizing research.

ANSWER: It depends a lot on the individual book, but I mostly find what I need as I need it. Of course if one of my characters has a job I know absolutely nothing about, I need to do more upfront research. I like to talk to people in the fields. Sometimes you do all you can and still get it wrong. One of my favorite emails was for Head Over Heels, which featured a former Marine hero who took a bartending job in order to get information about his half-brother who was on the run for murdering the mother of his daughter. The email was from this guy who said something along the lines of, "I'm a former Marine and a bartender. But I really liked your book anyway." Clearly I messed up along the way with some of my research. But he was my kind of reader. Because I could probably spend an eternity and dazzle you with my research. But if I haven't engaged you with my characters, what's the point?

ANONYMOUS asked how many people who read my books would recognize me on the street.

ANSWER: The timing of this question is so interesting as I joined a NIA dance class last Tuesday and after it, a woman came up to me and said, "You're Susan Andersen, right?" She was the ex-wife of a chiropractor I used to see and she read my books. That was kind of cool. Usually, though, no one knows who I am and in all honesty I can't imagine it any other way. I wouldn't last five minutes living the goldfish-bowl life celebrities do.

AGTIGRESS wanted to know if the so-called "business side" of writing -- dealing with agents, contracts, conferences, blogs, reviews, etc. -- provides balance and counterpart to the intense concentration of actually writing, or just a distracting pain in the neck.

ANSWER: I think it's a little of both. Sometimes it gets in the way and takes up time that would be better spent writing. But I love talking with my agent and contracts usually mean money will be coming in, which is always good. The only conferenceI usually attend is national for RWA and I love it, as it gives me an opportunity to dress up a little and see industry personnel and my writer friends from all over the country/world. I'm not going this year, unfortunately, but look forward to next summer in San Francisco. The blog I have a sort of love/hate relationship with. I love the sisterhood communication with readers and other writers but it's tough sometimes to come up with a subject. And reviews...? Well, I rarely read those any more as its so subjective and who wants to waste time dreaming of bitch slapping the idiot who failed to see my brilliance?

This blog was fun. I didn't have to come up with the subject and I always adore talking writing. Thanks to all who participated.