Susan Rooke is a Pushcart-nominated poet and author of the Space Between fantasy series. Her work has appeared in such publications as inkscrawl, Eye to the Telescope, The Twilight Zone Magazine and The Christian Science Monitor, among many others.
1. How long have you been writing and what got you started?
I’ve been writing almost since I learned to read. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. I wrote a haunted house story when I was about 7. Then one of my big brothers induced me to read Macbeth when I was about 8. He thought I would enjoy the three witches. I did, so much that I learned all their lines by heart and recited them at odd moments. I began wearing a black hooded cloak with black plastic toads stitched to it as I skulked through the house peering around doorframes. It’s probably his fault that all the fiction I’ve ever written is speculative.
2. What is the best piece of advice you have for new writers?
Read widely. Reading the work of great writers and poets is the best way to improve one’s own writing, I think. Also, write. Don’t make the mistake of thinking, “There’s always tomorrow.” Too often there’s not. Procrastination is deadly to writing (I should know!) and something that preys on me is the thought of getting to the end and being filled with regret for what I’ve left unwritten.
3. What is your favorite type of fiction and who are your favorite authors?
Speculative fiction, whether it’s outright fantasy like J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, or supernatural horror like some of Stephen King’s work, is what I enjoy most. Tolkien and King are some of my favorite authors, as are Neil Gaiman and Susanna Clarke. Her Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is my favorite novel, and I can’t wait to read her latest, Piranesi. (And I’m a huge fan of Edward Gorey’s work!)
4. How do you measure success when it comes to your writing?
For my poetry and short fiction, I call it successful when I have a piece accepted for publication. It tells me that an editor has found my work worth reading and believes others will, too. It’s different for my novels. I’ve never wanted to be a breakout star (luckily!), another J.K. Rowling, say. I’m not even sure that’s a desirable thing. While still revising the first novel in The Space Between series, I told my family I didn’t want fame and fortune, and certainly had zero expectations of either. My dream, I said, naming a number that seemed unattainable, was to reach a couple hundred people. Strangers, who just happened to see the book and feel curious enough to read it. Never in a million years did I expect any more than that, but I’m very grateful to have had those expectations exceeded.
5. Do you favor the traditional route or self-publishing?
It depends on the piece. With poetry and short fiction, I prefer the traditional route, i.e., submitting to publications. The validation of acceptance is important and can come fairly quickly. But with my first novel, after several years of trying to find an agent and/or traditional publisher, I decided life was too short to waste any more time on such a loooong process. So I engaged the help of some beta readers and then about three years ago, a terrific editorial and promotions firm. Now I’ve got two novels published and the next underway.
6. Are you an outliner or discovery writer? Or somewhere in between?
I’m on Team Pantser. My characters take over and they tend to surprise me.
7. How do you deal with rejections?
Avoidance. When I see an email pop up from a publication, I hurriedly avert my eyes and close my email. I’ll go all day without opening it. Finally I get tired of dodging around it and just brace myself for the worst. Sometimes, though, it’s good news!
8. Do you participate in any online or in-person critique or writing groups?
Only for poetry. It’s a helpful, supportive group of friends; we get together monthly. In-progress fiction I share with very few people.
9. What are your writing goals for the next twelve months?
To finish writing the third book in the Space Between series, and soon to resume my fortnightly blog posts. Both are on hold for the moment due to a distracting case of shingles.
10. Is there anything you’d like to plug? Feel free to share a link.
Yes, thank you! I’d like to invite readers to visit my website, http://susanrooke.net. There you’ll find more info plus Amazon links for my two books, The Space Between and The Realm Below, as well as audio clips from both (and from a couple of other works, too). There’s also an archive of 120-plus blog posts, some of which feature quite delicious recipes for food and cocktails!
