Interview with Suzanne M. Synborski
Published 2014-04-21.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I have been a fringe-dwelling rebel all my life, so going indie was the only option.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
It's the escape. The ability to be the first to go where none has ever gone before. To stop at the gate as I carry the disk of the moon in my hand and glance back to see who is brave enough to follow.
What are you working on next?
Hmmmm. Can't let that cat out of the bag. All I can say is that it is very different than the first two.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Coffee and a German shepherd ringing the door bell to get out.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Hey, this is Louisiana. I listen to the best live music in the world, dance at my favorite honky-tonk, and try not to run over alligators in the Walmart parking lot.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
They find me just when I need them.
What is your writing process?
The ideas come when I least expect them, thus making me a binge writer. As for the actual documentation:
Wine for poetry. Vodka for fiction. And if I am really desperate--pretzels.
How do you approach cover design?
The symbols that run the story crawl out from between the pages and fight for dominance. The winners make the cover.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
This is a terribly tough question. There are so many great books. I absolutely adore A.S. Byatt's Possession. It is perfect in every way. It is the only book that ever made me cry at the end---not because of the ending itself, but because I was so in awe of the author's skill. Clive Barker's Damnation Game is a masterwork. Only Mr. Barker could outpace the magic of William Blake when it comes to creating powerful alternate universes that meld with any "reality." Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon is my go to haven when this world becomes too overwhelming. Nothing can ever take its place. Paul Auster's New York Trilogy is a favorite because it perfectly depicts the writing process, character creation, and how books sometimes write themselves and create their own reality. Last, but certainly not least, is Carl Jung's Mysterium Conjunctionis because it answers all questions.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
Currently, my e-reader of choice is the Kindle. I have a large Kindle HD. I like to watch movies on it when I cannot sleep. I often wake up with my face stuck to the screen. I am thinking of getting the smaller one for toting around.
What's the story behind your latest book?
Hmmmm. Can't let that cat out of the bag. All I can say is that it is very different than the first two.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
The first story I remember clearly was actually Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast. I remember crying when my lovely beast turned into a prissy, pasty-faced prince.
Describe your desk
My desk is two composed of two islands covered with computer towers, speakers, a printer, and piles of books. In fact, two and a half of the walls in my office/cave are lined with book cases stacked with hundreds of books. If an earthquake ever hits here, I would be killed in a paper landslide.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in upstate New York. Our house was in a relatively remote location, so I became an avid reader and purveyor of the imagination. Even as a child, I was an insomniac. So, the long, lonely hours of darkness became the spaces in time where I created my own worlds in which to escape the tossing and turning world.
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