# Please introduce yourself and your book(s)!
I’m Claire Fullerton, the traditionally published author of Little Tea, Mourning Dove, Dancing to an Irish Reel, and A Portal in Time. I also have a novella titled, Through an Autumn Window, which is included in the book, A Southern Season: Scenes from a Front Porch Swing. I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and now live in Malibu, California.
# What is/are the real-life story(ies) behind your book(s)?
There are no “real-life” stories in my novels, though I draw from a strong sense of place and am inspired by people and events I know.
# What inspires/inspired your creativity?
People are always my inspiration, My last two novels are set in the Deep South, and the South has such wonderfully colorful characters that are part and parcel to the Southern culture. I think all stories happen because of the people involved, so my inspiration comes from simply paying attention to people’s mannerisms, the stories they tell, and their way with words.
# How do you deal with creative block?
I am not a believer in writer’s block, per se. I think that once a story idea comes and the process of writing it begins, there will be understandable times when the story needs room to breathe. I prefer to think of these pauses as part of the overall gestation. The key is to stay committed to the project.
# What are the biggest mistakes you can make in a book?
Letting the manuscript go before you’ve thoroughly revised it multiple times and lived with it long enough to gain objectivity.
# How do bad reviews and negative feedback affect you and how do you deal with them?
I understand that all books are subjectively read and reviewed. Every book is not for every reader, this is inherent to the business of being a writer.
# How has your creation process improved over time?
The writing process improves as one reads voraciously and the creative writing process improves with each book written. A writing career is a creative long game with no “there” to get to.
# What were the best, worst and most surprising things you encountered during the entire process of completing your book(s)?
Because I begin novels without an outline, ( though I typically create one once I am into the book) the unfolding of the story itself often surprises me.
# Do you tend towards personal satisfaction or aim to serve your readers? Do you balance the two and how?
I think if a writer writes the story they have to tell, then they will gift readers with the story and build their readership one reader at a time!
# What role do emotions play in creativity?
Emotions, from a writer’s perspective are best shown through action, expressions, gestures, and word choice. A writer needs to be in touch with emotions in order to accurately portray them.
# Do you have any creativity tricks?
The one big trick is understanding that creativity comes from the process of writing.
# What are your plans for future books?
I am now 90,000 words into my next manuscript.
# Tell us some quirky facts about yourself
My background is in music radio, I am a ballet teacher, and I love my three German shepherds!
Links: https://linktr.ee/