Hello readers. Today, I have for you a wonderful lady and talented author by the name of Vanessa Morgan. She is touring the blogosphere to promote her latest book – The Good Man. Read on to meet Vanessa and learn a bit about her writing.
The Personal Questions
1. What’s your idea of total happiness? For me, happiness equals freedom: being free to
do whatever I want to do and whenever I want to do it. Happiness is also spending time with the
people I love, attending film festivals, eating out, enjoying the sun and
cuddling my cat.
do whatever I want to do and whenever I want to do it. Happiness is also spending time with the
people I love, attending film festivals, eating out, enjoying the sun and
cuddling my cat.
2.
Which trait do you most deplore about yourself? My need for independence and
variety.
Which trait do you most deplore about yourself? My need for independence and
variety.
3.
What, do you consider to be the most overrated virtue? Chastity.
What, do you consider to be the most overrated virtue? Chastity.
4.
What’s your worse vice? I’m actually a very sweet girl.
What’s your worse vice? I’m actually a very sweet girl.
5.
What do you most value in your friends? Their willingness to accept me the way
I am.
What do you most value in your friends? Their willingness to accept me the way
I am.
6.
Do you have a mantra or motto? Become your dream.
Do you have a mantra or motto? Become your dream.
7.
Which living, and which dead person, do you most admire and why? I don’t admire
people for their talent, but for their kindness and uniqueness.
Which living, and which dead person, do you most admire and why? I don’t admire
people for their talent, but for their kindness and uniqueness.
8.
What is your greatest regret? I believe we should never regret anything because
at one time it was exactly what we wanted.
What is your greatest regret? I believe we should never regret anything because
at one time it was exactly what we wanted.
9.
When are you most likely to lie? When I know I’m going to hurt someone if I
tell the truth.
When are you most likely to lie? When I know I’m going to hurt someone if I
tell the truth.
10. What is your favourite (song) and
why? I get bored of songs pretty easily, so my favourites change often.
why? I get bored of songs pretty easily, so my favourites change often.
11. What is your favourite
cuisine? Anything extremely spicy.
cuisine? Anything extremely spicy.
12. Have your personal experiences (or
situations) influenced you, creatively? Give us an example. Quiet a lot, yes. It helps to add depth and meaning to a story and to create fleshed-out characters. Sometimes, it happens unconsciously. The theme of A Good Man – how we all end up hurting other people however hard we try to be good – characterizes me a great deal, but I realized this only after
the story was finished. I always thought that the character of Céline was the
one that resembled me the most, but there is something from me in almost every
character. And the ones that aren’t like me, are loosely based on people I
know.
situations) influenced you, creatively? Give us an example. Quiet a lot, yes. It helps to add depth and meaning to a story and to create fleshed-out characters. Sometimes, it happens unconsciously. The theme of A Good Man – how we all end up hurting other people however hard we try to be good – characterizes me a great deal, but I realized this only after
the story was finished. I always thought that the character of Céline was the
one that resembled me the most, but there is something from me in almost every
character. And the ones that aren’t like me, are loosely based on people I
know.
13. How much of your creative ability
do you think is innate and how much is
learned? That’s an interesting question. I believe that every creative
ability starts with passion. From then on, you get better with time and
practice. I once read that it takes about 1,000 hours to become competent at
any skill, about 5,000 hours to master any skill and between 25,000 and 35,000
hours to become world class. Having a good mentor and being focused greatly
speed up this process.
do you think is innate and how much is
learned? That’s an interesting question. I believe that every creative
ability starts with passion. From then on, you get better with time and
practice. I once read that it takes about 1,000 hours to become competent at
any skill, about 5,000 hours to master any skill and between 25,000 and 35,000
hours to become world class. Having a good mentor and being focused greatly
speed up this process.
14. How often do you read? What are you
reading now? It depends on the time I have on my hands. Sometimes I can read several books a week; other times nothing for several months.
reading now? It depends on the time I have on my hands. Sometimes I can read several books a week; other times nothing for several months.
15. What other interests do you have?
Watching movies, going to film festivals, eating out, cooking, cuddling my cat.
Watching movies, going to film festivals, eating out, cooking, cuddling my cat.
16. What was the last movie you went to
see? I saw the Danish movie Beast at the BIFFF film festival yesterday evening.
see? I saw the Danish movie Beast at the BIFFF film festival yesterday evening.
17. Do you have a favourite genre? I’m a horror girl.
The Writer Specific Questions.
1)
What got you into writing? Are you an indie or traditional author? Both. I have
published a short story on Kindle, but I have also published books the traditional way and have written screenplays for production companies. I personally love the freedom and increased revenue that is linked with indie publishing, but traditional publishers are a good help when it comes to editing and promotion.
What got you into writing? Are you an indie or traditional author? Both. I have
published a short story on Kindle, but I have also published books the traditional way and have written screenplays for production companies. I personally love the freedom and increased revenue that is linked with indie publishing, but traditional publishers are a good help when it comes to editing and promotion.
2)
Did you publish the first book you wrote? I never even sent it out to publishers. Those first books were meant to learn, not to get published.
Did you publish the first book you wrote? I never even sent it out to publishers. Those first books were meant to learn, not to get published.
3)
What is your biggest problem with the writing process? How do you tackle it?
Writing the first draft is always easy; it’s the rewriting phase that is the most difficult, because rewriting is all about improving myself and finding better ideas than the ones I initially had. It’s difficult, because it’s not natural.
Having a clear vision of what you want your story to become is important while
doing this. So is listening to the advice of others in your field.
What is your biggest problem with the writing process? How do you tackle it?
Writing the first draft is always easy; it’s the rewriting phase that is the most difficult, because rewriting is all about improving myself and finding better ideas than the ones I initially had. It’s difficult, because it’s not natural.
Having a clear vision of what you want your story to become is important while
doing this. So is listening to the advice of others in your field.
4)
Do you feel writing is something you need to do or want to do? Creating movies and
books is all about expressing my passions; writing is only the creative manner
in which I express myself best.
Do you feel writing is something you need to do or want to do? Creating movies and
books is all about expressing my passions; writing is only the creative manner
in which I express myself best.
5)
Whose writing inspires you most and why?
Movies in particular inspire me. My novel Drowned Sorrow was greatly
influenced by horror movies such as The Ring, Pulse, The Wicker Man, Dagon,
Let’s Scare Jessica To Death and Dead And Buried. My latest screenplay, A Good
Man, is slightly reminiscent of American Psycho.
Whose writing inspires you most and why?
Movies in particular inspire me. My novel Drowned Sorrow was greatly
influenced by horror movies such as The Ring, Pulse, The Wicker Man, Dagon,
Let’s Scare Jessica To Death and Dead And Buried. My latest screenplay, A Good
Man, is slightly reminiscent of American Psycho.
6)
If I gave you a license to brag, what would brag about? Give us the links. I would brag
about my cat Avalon. He’s the star in his own web comic at http://avalon-lion.blogspot.com and he also ‘acts’ in the movies I wrote. But if I had to
brag about myself, I would say that my latest screenplay, A Good Man, is pretty
original. We’re talking about old, botoxed vampires with arthritis here. I
would be surprised if you’d have seen that kind of vampire before.
If I gave you a license to brag, what would brag about? Give us the links. I would brag
about my cat Avalon. He’s the star in his own web comic at http://avalon-lion.blogspot.com and he also ‘acts’ in the movies I wrote. But if I had to
brag about myself, I would say that my latest screenplay, A Good Man, is pretty
original. We’re talking about old, botoxed vampires with arthritis here. I
would be surprised if you’d have seen that kind of vampire before.
7)
How does
your creative process benefit you? Being
creative enables me to be my own boss and to work in the company of those I
love. Those benefits are priceless.
How does
your creative process benefit you? Being
creative enables me to be my own boss and to work in the company of those I
love. Those benefits are priceless.
8)
Do you believe that creativity and genius go hand in hand?
Do you believe that creativity and genius go hand in hand?
There are several types of geniuses. Some people are a genius when it comes to remembering facts, others are mathematical geniuses, others are brilliant while being creative.
The Profile
Screenwriter and
novelist Vanessa Morgan is known as the ‘female version of Stephen King’. You
can find out more about Vanessa Morgan and her work by going to her personal
blog http://vanessa-morgan.blogspot.com.
novelist Vanessa Morgan is known as the ‘female version of Stephen King’. You
can find out more about Vanessa Morgan and her work by going to her personal
blog http://vanessa-morgan.blogspot.com.
If you like cats, you might also like the
web comic about her cat Avalon at http://avalon-lion.blogspot.com.
web comic about her cat Avalon at http://avalon-lion.blogspot.com.
The Books
A Good Man
(screenplay)
(screenplay)
Do you like Dexter
and American Psycho? Then chances are you will love A Good Man.
and American Psycho? Then chances are you will love A Good Man.
Louis Caron is a
good man – he’s a vegetarian, feeds homeless people, takes care of animals and
is converned with the ecological well-being of the planet. But his altruism has
a sinister edge – he’s a vampire and local detective Taglioni becomes
increasingly suspicious of him. Louis’ attempt to escape the police will take
him on a journey into his own private hell where he is not only forced to
confront his worst fears, but where he will also destroy the lives of those he
cares about.
good man – he’s a vegetarian, feeds homeless people, takes care of animals and
is converned with the ecological well-being of the planet. But his altruism has
a sinister edge – he’s a vampire and local detective Taglioni becomes
increasingly suspicious of him. Louis’ attempt to escape the police will take
him on a journey into his own private hell where he is not only forced to
confront his worst fears, but where he will also destroy the lives of those he
cares about.
The Strangers
Outside (short story)
Outside (short story)
Two sisters,
Jennifer and Louise, return to their remote holiday cottage after a day at the
seaside. But little do they know they’re being surrounded. Soon after their
arrival, the girls will come face to face with the strangers outside.
When the assailants make their intentions known, things take a shockingly
terrible turn and an intense battle for survival will begin.
Jennifer and Louise, return to their remote holiday cottage after a day at the
seaside. But little do they know they’re being surrounded. Soon after their
arrival, the girls will come face to face with the strangers outside.
When the assailants make their intentions known, things take a shockingly
terrible turn and an intense battle for survival will begin.
Drowned Sorrow
(novel)
(novel)
Megan Blackwood has just lost her son in a
terrible accident. Now she has come to Moonlight Creek with her teenage
daughter Jenna, hoping that a change of scenery might help to put her life back
together. But something odd is going on in Moonlight Creek. When rain falls
over the village, the inhabitants commit grisly murders, leaving the village
deserted with the first rays of sunshine. Beneath the lake’s surface, an eerie
presence watches… and waits… Waits to reveal a tragic past drowned in
mystery and fear. One that doesn’t bode well for visitors. By the time Megan
realizes that her daughter is in danger, it might already be too late.
terrible accident. Now she has come to Moonlight Creek with her teenage
daughter Jenna, hoping that a change of scenery might help to put her life back
together. But something odd is going on in Moonlight Creek. When rain falls
over the village, the inhabitants commit grisly murders, leaving the village
deserted with the first rays of sunshine. Beneath the lake’s surface, an eerie
presence watches… and waits… Waits to reveal a tragic past drowned in
mystery and fear. One that doesn’t bode well for visitors. By the time Megan
realizes that her daughter is in danger, it might already be too late.
Great interview. I love seeing how other people think and write. 😀
Me too Misha – thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Great interview! And I love that cover! 🙂
Thanks again for joining my hop! Have a great weekend and good luck to Vanessa Morgan! Congrats on your new release, Vanessa! 🙂
Thanks Eveli X
Hmm, the stories sound very interesting. This coming from someone that doesn't like Stephen King but did like Dexter.
Heather