Interview with sci-fi writer Sabrina Chase…
[Note from Steve: Sabrina Chase is a prolific and successful writer in a genre that is difficult to break into—I know that from personal experience. I discovered her in my role as a lurker reading Joe Konrath’s blog—you never know when or where you can find another interesting author! She has written mostly novels: Firehearted, The Last Mage Guardian, The Long Way Home, Raven’s Children, Queen of Chaos, The Scent of Metal, and The Bureau of Substandards Annual Report. Like yours truly, her scientific background is in physics; but also like many physicists, she does something else in her day job—she currently works as a software developer. So yes, she’s a “mad scientist,” but maybe only to the extent that she’s also a writer. For further details, check out her website. Without further ado, let’s enjoy her candid answers to my prying questions!]
Sabrina on Writing:
Steve: Why, how, and when did you start writing?
Sabrina: I suffer from being a quick reader, meaning I read far more quickly than my favorite writers could produce books. To kill time I started making up my own stories, and one thing led to another. At first I tried short stories, but it’s not my natural length. (I’ve gotten better at writing short form over the years.) One day I showed a short story to a friend, and he insisted, “There has to be more! Write the rest!” And so I did—it turned into my first book, Firehearted.
Steve: Whose writing inspires you the most and why?
Sabrina: I really admire H. Beam Piper. He wrote during the Golden Age of science fiction, but with very few exceptions you can’t tell—he managed to make his future worlds seem real, in the sense that they weren’t current times set in a rocket ship. I remember being shocked to learn he died before I was born (rude of him). I want to write my science fiction so it can still be read fifty years from now and not seem dated. He also used real science (e.g. the curious bonding properties of titanium) in his stories instead of handwavium, and, as a scientist, I love that.
Steve: Should writers read in their genre? Should they be avid readers?
Sabrina: It’s generally a good idea to be conversant with the tropes and expectations of the genre, certainly, and I don’t know how you could get a good feel for those without reading. A writer should also have a good sense of what has already been done to death, if for no other reason than to find a fresh take on it. Avid? Well, you do have to find time to write….
Steve: How do you find your plots?
Sabrina: I trip over them 😉 Finding plots is the easy part of writing, once you know what to look for. A good way to start is 1) a character 2)with a problem 3) in a setting. Then you ask questions, such as: “Why is he in that setting? Why is he in a situation with that problem? How did he get to this point?” and then “What is he going to do about it?” If you have a three-dimensional character, you can predict what they will do. Then just follow them around and take notes—perhaps tossing in some difficulties just to make things interesting. My characters hate this…. A short story is typically just one set of these questions, where a novel is a whole bunch of them. Frequently the initial problem is not the main plot of the book, but it gets the process going.
Steve: Are your characters based on real people?
Sabrina: If they are thinking of suing me, absolutely not! Actually, I can think of only one that was directly inspired by a real person—just filed off the serial numbers and dropped him in the story, because he was “perfect for the role.” But I don’t think he’d mind in this case because I stayed true to who he was in real life.
Steve: How do you handle POV (point-of-view)?
Sabrina: A very useful experience for this was theater class. When you act, you have to stay in the mindset of one character and react as they would to what is presented on stage. Staying in a consistent point-of-view is a similar exercise. “Being” the character is also useful for staying in their distinctive voice, too.
Sabrina on the Writing Business:
Steve: Do you use an agent?
Sabrina: I had an agent for many years, but since I have gone indie I don’t any more. He worked hard, but the industry has just changed too much for the traditional agent/client angle to work like it should.
Steve: Do you self-publish or traditionally publish?
Sabrina: I was offered a traditional publishing contract but turned it down—the bad business decisions were already starting to show up. Now I am entirely self-published. While I’m not actively looking for a traditional deal, I would be open to licensing for translated versions.
Steve: What are your most effective marketing techniques?
Sabrina: Writing more books. Seriously, I have done very little marketing at all, and what I have done seems to have little effect on sales. Writing more books has a definite effect, especially new books in an existing series.
Steve: Do you release trade paperbacks or eBooks?
Sabrina: In addition to ebooks, all of my books are also available in print through CreateSpace. [Note from Steve: For the uninitiated, this is Amazon’s self-publishing imprint. If you’re releasing ebooks via Amazon, this is a good combination.]
Steve: What do you think of publishing services like Amazon, Smashwords, etc?
Sabrina: I only use distributor services such as Draft2Digital or Smashwords for things I can’t do myself (Draft2Digital allows me to have books in the iStore, and Smashwords lets me set prices to free). [Note from Steve: Smashwords, I believe, also distributes to the iStore, along with many others, with the exception of Amazon.] I love the new world of publishing that Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Nook, etc. provide. I think it is win-win for all involved. [Note from Steve: win for the readers with inexpensive, entertaining, and quality reading; win for the authors on many fronts.]
[Final note: I thank Sabrina for her candid answers. Be sure and visit her website—a must if you’re a sci-fi fan.]
In libris libertas…please stop what you’re doing a moment and remember all those lost and all those who suffered on 9/11/2001….
[If you enjoyed this interview, please support indie authors…including Sabrina and yours truly. We work hard to give you quality reading entertainment.]
