Ask the Author!
Q: What is your favorite childhood book?
A: I have two, actually. The Phantom Tollbooth, and A Wrinkle in Time. Both completely blew my mind. I still have several dog-eared copies of Wrinkle, and my copy of Phantom is almost unrecognizable due to wear.
Q: Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
A: Never. “O’Brien” became my legal last name 2-3 years before I started writing. I’ve never wanted to use anything else. (Quite the sore subject for my husband.)
Q: How long on average does it take you to write a book?
A: I’d be afraid to average it out. I wrote Lockhardt Sound in 8 or 9 months. The second book in the saga, A Fate Worse Than Fame, was done in 6 weeks. Ballad of Someday took years, while Hit Makers took about 5 months. It all depends on what’s happening and how much time I can dedicate to sitting there and doing it. Family time, my former day job, they all affected the process. For the MiM saga, there are lots of nuances that require intense research and concentration. If I don’t have the proper solitude, I can’t work. Averaging the time it takes from start to finish would make me nervous. I like to use Fate as the litmus test, because it reminds me what I’m capable of under ideal circumstances.
Q: Do you get writer’s block?
A: Yes and no. Generally, I don’t believe in writer’s block. I was taught early on not to get sucked into that myth. My practice is to write through it. Even gibberish. Just keep typing away. Eventually, it starts flowing again—and I can always go back and edit out the gibberish or whatever didn’t work once I’m back in the flow. I have, however, experienced periods where I felt unable to write. The ideas were there, but sitting down to write them was impossible for various reasons.
Q: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
A: For me, research is a fluid thing. It may or may not begin before I start writing. The amount of time depends on the subject matter, and how much I know about it going in. For example, I have a musical background, but not to the level seen in the MiM saga. I knew enough to start writing, but did extensive research as I went along—details about the music business, its history, and the challenges faced by those who have reached its highest echelon. Notably, Hit Makers took years of research before I wrote a single word. Some research topics emerge over time. Some I don’t know about until I need them. I’m a big believer in it, though. To an admittedly obsessive level. I spend hours researching a topic for one well-placed sentence. In Lockhardt Sound, I found myself researching Key Biscayne weather from specific days in 1991 and the exact locations of its phone booths at the time. Who does that? There’s a line to be drawn. I routinely cross it.
Q: What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
A: I don’t know about the term “pilgrimage,” but a personal journey of mine that began in January 1988 resulted in the beginning of my writing career a year later.
Q: Does writing energize or exhaust you?
A: Yes. Yes, it does.
Q: How many hours a day do you write?
A: Ideally, I start writing first thing in the morning and go all day. Time doesn’t register when I’m writing. At my age, with the kids and grandkids spread out across America, I don’t have the same household distractions I used to. Now, I can’t get coffee and head straight to my den first thing in the morning. If I don’t, I struggle to get into the groove. Four or five hours a day would satisfy me, but prefer more. I love what I do.
Q: How many unwritten and half-finished books do you have?
A: Dozens. I’ll never be able to finish them all. Outside of the MiM saga, there are a several I’m dying to write. Two in particular, right now. And recently, another 10-book family saga came to me. I’d like to see that through. As I mature as a writer, I’m discovering exactly what “type” of author I want to be. What I enjoy the most. However, the lion’s share of my ideas will likely never be written. There are simply too many. It makes me sort of sad.
Q: What does literary success look like to you?
A: When a reader contacts me and tells me they loved my book, I am touched. I don’t know if success can be measured any other way. To make a connection with someone over a story in your head, to have them moved by the fictional tale of make-believe characters…what could be better than that? I mean, sure, there’s the practical piece of success. There are reviews. Money. No honest writer would tell you those things don’t matter. Of course they do. But the raw connection? That’s success to me.
Q: Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
A: Both, I think. You have to be confident enough to do the work and put it out there. But if a writer thinks they have it all figured out and can’t take direction—or constructive criticism—they’re harming themselves. Perhaps irreparably.
Q: Do writers need to feel strong emotions?
A: I think anyone who can string sentences together into cohesive order can be writer. There are all sorts of writers out there. Some, better than others. As for whether they need to feel their emotions strongly, I can’t answer for everyone. I know, for me, it helps when I’m writing an intense scene. There’s a line, though, writers need to be mindful of. Lots of pits to land in with high emotions. I have the scars to prove it.
Q: What is the first book that made you cry?
A: I think it was Where the Red Fern Grows. It broke my heart. I just loved Old Dan and Little Ann.
Q: What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
A: My best friend in sixth grade started hanging out more with another friend than with me. I was hurt, which manifested itself as anger. I created this stupid, hand-made card and gave it to her at recess. The front read, “You are cordially invited to ‘Two Friends in a Fight.’” I never lived it down. Most my schoolmates called me “Miss Big Words” from then on, so the whole thing backfired. I didn’t think “cordially” was that big a word. Guess I was wrong.
Q: Does your family support your career as a writer?
A: That’s a complicated question. My husband does, but it’s probably more difficult for him than he lets on. I prefer to be alone. That preference can make those anyone close to me feel like they’re unimportant or like I’d rather not be around them, which isn’t true.
Q: How long were you a part-time writer before you became a full-time one?
A: Nearly twenty-seven years. I was a single mom, and therefore the sole support of my family. It was unavoidable. A lot of bumps along the way. Most my “part-time” writing wasn’t writing at all. I’m blessed to have an understanding husband now who gave me the gift of time.
Q: What are common traps for aspiring writers?
A: Most traps for aspiring writers have to do with the culture we live in, I think. Many these days don’t want to do the work. Some don’t realize how important it is to put together a well-written, interesting tale that might find a following. One trap lies within the lure of the business itself. While the ability to self-publish books is a wonderful breakthrough for many, it also invites the belief that “anyone” can be a writer. But most people can’t be writers, and shouldn’t be. That sounds harsh, I know, but it’s true. An aspiring writer who won’t do the work, eschews direction, resists hiring a good editor, won’t invest in a good cover, or otherwise lets their ego dictate their career is bound for failure. Finding literary success is difficult under the best of circumstances. Anyone can push that submit box on their chosen distributor’s site and upload their book, but that doesn’t mean their product is well-written or compelling. Maybe the biggest trap is the lie that having a book out there will hand them a million-dollar career with relatively minimal effort.
Q: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
A: I’m still struggling to get them! So far, reviews are mostly positive. My reaction to negative reviews depends on what the reviewer says. If they’re intentionally mean or nitpicky, I try to ignore it. If an honest reviewer points out something I overlooked or didn’t previously consider, I’m thankful for their input and keep their advice in mind for future projects.
Q: Do you hide any secrets in your books?
A: You’d better believe it. Be it subtle foreshadowing or Easter eggs, it’s almost a subconscious thing at this point. That’s an added bonus when I talk with readers. They love to hear the insider gossip!
Have additional questions for Heather? Feel free to submit yours HERE.