Writer Wednesday: Rebecca Roland
Originally published at finding my words. Please leave any comments there.
I’d like to welcome Rebecca Roland today. Find out what she’ll do if you offer her chocolate, what to do if you get so many rejections you can wallpaper your house, where to find her latest book, and more…
1. First things first…a name and bio:
My name is Rebecca Roland. My friends call me Becky, Rebecca, and sometimes Becca. I respond to all, especially if you’re offering chocolate.
I’ve written off and on for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t start writing with the intent of publishing until 2006. I was done with school, and my husband was done with school, so I finally had both time and mental energy.
2. Where are you from and what’s your favorite thing about where you live?
I grew up in south Texas, on the Mexican border and by the Gulf. It was always hot and humid. I swam a lot and went out on boats a lot. The Mexican food was the best.
Now I live in Albuquerque. I miss the water, but I love the desert and the mountains. There’s something about New Mexico that is just magical and mysterious, and there’s a lot of history here. This place has been an inspiration for several of my stories.
3. Tell about your latest book. What made you want to write it?
My first novel Shards of History is coming out soon from World Weaver Press. It actually began as a short story while I was at the Odyssey Writing Workshop in 2007. The deadline was looming for me to turn in a story. Fortunately, my subconscious accepted the challenge, and one night I dreamed about houses situated in the middle of a really high, steep cliff. When I woke up, I wondered what sort of people would live there, and then I realized, nobody human would. Dun-dun-duuunnnnn! That was how I came up with creatures called Jeguduns, and the story followed.
4. Where can people find your books and short stories?
My short story “The King of Ash and Bones” appeared in one of the first issues of Stupefying Stories: http://www.amazon.com/Stupefying-Stories-November-2011-ebook/dp/B0062EYT82
My flash story “The Secret Ingredient” appeared most recently in Uncle John’s Flush Fiction: http://www.amazon.com/Flush-Fiction-Short-Short-Stories-Bathroom/dp/160710427X
5. What are you working on right now?
Right now I’m working on a new urban fantasy novel. It’s YA, which I’ve never dabbled in before, so I’m a little nervous about it.
6. What inspired you to be a writer?
I love to read. I read voraciously as a kid. I loved escaping into other worlds. I still do.
7. Who is your favorite character in your stories? Why?
That’s such a hard one to answer. I typically love whoever I happen to be writing, even my antagonists. They do bad things, but for compelling reasons. Right now I’d have to say I have the most fun with Gabriella Lujan, one of the characters in my YA novel-in-progress. She reminds me of Daria from that old MTV cartoon.
8. What is your favorite comfort food?
Chocolate, of course!
9. What character from your stories was the hardest to write?
I had a hard time pinning down the main character in Shards of History. Initially she was much younger, but then the rest of the story didn’t work out. Then she was older, but acted like a petulant twelve year-old. When I made her an adult and gave her a jerk of a husband to deal with, the rest of the story worked out much better.
10. What’s the biggest challenge about being a writer?
The biggest challenge is to keep on keepin’ on. You’re going to get a lot of rejections. A lot. Oodles. Enough to wallpaper your entire house.
11. Do you have any advice for beginning writers?
Perseverance. See the answer above. If you really want to see your work published, you need to stick it out.
12. Who are your favorite authors and why?
I love Lois McMaster Bujold, especially her Vorkosigan series. Miles Vorkosigan is one of my favorite all-time characters. He’s neurotic, dangerously intelligent, and he’s willing to do anything for the people he loves.
I’m also a big Stephen King fan. His characters are quirky and dark, and his worlds are horrific. He never fails to get my adrenaline going.
Ken Liu, because I want to throw in a short story writer. How does he manage to manipulate my emotions so well? He made me cry, darn it!
13. What books have most influenced your writing?
So many have influenced me that this is a hard one to pin down. I love Bradbury’s prose, the sense of whimsy from the Harry Potter series (I’m thinking more of the early books as the latter books turned dark and lost some of that), King’s atmosphere, Bujold’s characters, and George R.R. Martin’s feeling of something breathtakingly epic taking place (good grief, how does he keep track of everything?). I could go on and on. I think my true answer is that it all depends on what kind of story I’m writing. Do I want it to sound pretty? Am I writing a quirky character? A dark hero? Then I start thinking about the authors who have done that well and turn to their work to give my thought processes a kick in the pants.
14. What tools are in your writer’s tool-kit?
Coffee and chocolate.
My macbook pro.
Some of the books I’ve found most helpful: Ursula K. LeGuin’s Steering the Craft, Elizabeth Lyon’s Manuscript Makeover, and Donald Maass’ The Fire in Fiction.
15. Where can people find out more about you and your books and short stories?
You can check out my blog: http://rebeccarolandwriter.blogspot.com/
Or find me on Twitter: @rebecca_roland
Or on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Rebecca_Roland
And keep up with the latest news on Shards of History at the World Weaver Press website: http://worldweaverpress.com/news-and-blog/
16. What question(s) did I forget to ask?
What am I watching on TV? Soon I’ll be watching the last season of Breaking Bad, filmed right here in Albuquerque. I love seeing familiar places depicted on television. I can’t wait to see what happens to Walter.
Pollos Hermanos, anyone?
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If you are a writer interested in participating in Writer Wednesday, please send an email with a short biography to ww (at) ambersistla (dot) com.