Good morning, and welcome to the next stop in The Other Side of Quiet blog tour. I love the unique premise for this story, just because it brings up the question...'what if'.
I don't know if you are excited as I am about this post, or if you have been following the tour, but it is time well spent, so now let's move on to our interview.
Sounds exciting, doesn't it?
Then keep reading, because we have a great interview for you. But first, meet the Author:
TARA C. ALLRED is an award-winning author, instructional designer, and educator. She has been recognized as a California Scholar of the Arts for Creative Writing and is a recipient of the Howey awards for Best Adult Book and Best Adult Author. She lives in Utah with her husband.Her published works include Sanders' Starfish, Unauthored Letters, and The Other Side of Quiet.
She is also the founder of the Other Side of Quiet online creative writing
group ( www.othersideofquiet.net).
What are your ambitions for your writing career now that your newest book,
The Other Side of Quiet, is released?
I think my next ambition
is to use that term writing career. J I’ve always
wanted to be a writer. Now I’m transitioning into the realization that this is
a job. There are fun aspects of the job but there’s also lots of non-writing
work within this profession.
LOL, yes, welcome to the collective moan as all authors realise that there is so much more to do today than just write. The good thing is that you have great author groups willing to share experience, tips and tricks with you. The CIR group on facebook is a great place for authors to connect.
Do you write full-time or part-time?
My favorite time to
write is in the middle of the night. So depending on life, I have windows when
I do write full-time. Then there are windows I write part-time. And other times
when I don’t write. I’ve had windows when I have full-time work, separate from
my writing, which prevents me from writing at all. Then there are other times
when I juggle both career demands. Also there have been moments when I’ve
focused solely on writing without other employment. Right now, I would say I
write part-time.
What draws you to the subjects you write about?
In life, when I hit a
complex issue or when I see a paradox, I want to understand things better. If I
hit something that interests me, but that I don’t understand, I hunger for a
peace to understand. To find that peace I create characters and place them in
opposing situations and then see how they tackle these challenges. It is hard
and fulfilling. I can’t write books very fast because of this method, instead I
have to observe the world around me, listen, table thoughts, and slowly build
out certain scenes in a novel. But for me, this is the fulfilling part of the
process, and it’s why I write. I write to first be a reader. I write so that I
can understand my world in a new way and so I can make peace with the paradoxes
I’ve encountered. I think this offers an interesting glimpse into one aspect of the writing process. There is so much more to writing (other than the actual time an author spends typing), which most people tend not to realize.
What was the hardest thing about writing The Other Side of Quiet?
When I first had the
general storyline idea I was super excited about the novel. But right away,
with the story I envisioned, I knew it’d be a huge undertaking to adequately do
justice to these ten diverse students. There was room for a lot of research to
make sure each student’s life was believable. So I didn’t want to rush the
book. Then over the years, experiences kept presenting themselves and bit by
bit the book took shape. When it was finally time to actually put all my ideas
together and formulate a complete draft, I was surprised how easy it was for
some aspects of the novel to fit together. Still there were several drafts, and
certain variations to some character’s storyline, but the overall vision worked
surprisingly well. Until I hit the final stages. The final three months of fine
tuning were the hardest part. A lot of little glitches around the final product
surfaced and there were some deadlines that proved quite difficult. And I grew
so attached to these characters; it’s been hard for me to share them with
others like I would have thought. I feel like a mother to all of them, and I
just want to protect them, and make sure that they all are adequately
understood. It’s not a good place to be as an author of a piece. I should be
able to let them go at this stage of publication. Ha ha, if you could easily let them go of your characters, then you wouldn't be an author. (Either that or you would be shamed by the author community). Just kidding.
Will this book, The Other Side of
Quiet, be part of a series or can we expect to see the characters in any
future writings from you?
That is my next idea I’m playing with. As mentioned, I’m troubled that the characters from The Other Side of Quiet haven’t left me yet. I don’t feel like their stories are complete yet, which is an unsettling feeling. Under these circumstances, I’m playing with the idea of some novellas to help these characters finish up their high school years. If I proceed, it would be journal style. That type of writing works very well for me and it lets me write quite fast. There is something raw and pure in journal writing and I love it. For research in writing The Other Side of Quiet, I used my own teenage journals and letter correspondences to get a feel of the difficult struggles through those formative years. The Other Side of Quiet just barely tapped the surface on so many storylines that still may need to be shared.
I love it! More to look forward to.
If made into a movie, which actor/actress would you like to see playing
the lead characters from The Other Side
of Quiet?
Honestly, I would want
undiscovered stars to play in the movie. I know the big names are what help
draw a larger appeal to a movie, but I love the idea of new talent emerging
from this story. It syncs with my own hopes for opportunities within the Other
Side of Quiet online writing group (www.othersideofquiet.net).
This book takes place in a classroom setting, what were you like in
school?
I was extremely shy. I
tried my best to follow the rules and I worked hard at my studies. I enjoy
learning, so for the most part I didn’t mind the school work. But I shied away
from any attention where I could. Which makes you the perfect observer.
Were you good in English and/or Creative Writing?
I really enjoyed my
English classes; this is where I learned about literature. But I don’t think I learned
how to truly write until after
college. I was fortunate that I got to teach a college-level English Composition
class. The teaching is what finally taught me the skills I had lacked in my
formal education.
In junior high and high
school, my favorite classes were Math and Science.
Since you published your first book, how do you think you’ve evolved
creatively?
Wow! It’s so tricky
because I believe you always want to be growing. I think if I ever stopped
growing as a writer I’d quit. For me the fun is to embark on the ongoing quest
to write a really “great novel.” I hope I evolve as a writer with each book,
and that fans can see that growth in each book I create. However it’s tricky,
because once I grow, I find I want to apologize a bit when readers pick up my
first book, or my next, or my next. I want to say, “I didn’t know about such and such when I wrote that.” So I
hope I always evolve as a writer. But how to be at peace with the past and let readers
read that work, that’s tricky! A piece of advice... as hard as it is to let go of your characters, as an author, totally loving one of our creations is an even greater undertaking. Let it go. You did your best and it will be loved as is, so give it the honor and respect it deserves...as is.
How long on average does it take you to write a book? Can we expect
to see another release shortly?
As mentioned, I am a
slow writer. I used to be quite envious of authors who write so rapidly. It’s
taken me some time to accept my differences, but now I’m okay with those
differences. For each of my three novels, it took me ten years from initial
concept to final product.
Fortunately, I have
several novels that are past initial concept.
A few months ago, I
pulled out a manuscript I’d worked on between my first two novels. I was surprised
to see I’d done more work on it than I remembered. It still has a lot of work
ahead, but the mapping, outlining, and chapter outlines are strong. Also I’m
excited to revisit the paradox. I’m a much different person than I was in 2003,
so I think it’ll be fun to blend the me then
and the me now. This particular book will
be a much richer story by having both versions of me working on this story. So I’m very excited with this project.
Since half of the first
draft is already written, I’m quite optimistic that it’ll be published within
the next 12 – 18 months. The running title is Helping Helper.
However I’m also
exploring new avenues that will help me produce other stories in a more timely
manner. All I have to say about taking ten years is this...congratulations! You did it! How many never get that far, never even try, or give up because it is taking so long...so stand up and pat yourself on the back, because you did it!
What are your thoughts on writing a book series or collaborating with
other authors to create a series?
In the past, I’ve only considered this very briefly. However recently I’ve become much more open to this idea. Especially with the idea of some novellas for The Other Side of Quiet characters’ high school years, there are just some characters in the group that I think could have a much stronger storyline if I collaborated with a couple other authors. I have some ideas, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens next. Let me know if you ever want to give it a try. I have been dying to write something with another author where we each are a character, letting situations and interactions unfold.
What book/s are you reading at present?
Amethyst Eyes by Debbie Brown and loving it! I am flattered. Thank you.
I’ve been hungry for a
really great read and this has been a fun one. From the opening line, I’ve been
pulled in. It’s been a very enjoyable read.
I also recently read the
non-fiction book Indie and Proud by
Christine Fonseca which gives great insight into the mind of a creative. It’s
an excellent book for anyone who writes.
This year, I’ve discovered
a whole new list of exciting books due to the guest authors which have appeared
on the Other Side of Quiet writing group. I appreciate the chance I have to
meet the authors and for a brief moment emerge myself into their books and
careers as I prepare their posts. It leaves me with quite a fabulous list of
books that I can’t wait to read.
Buy Book From...
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Follow Tara C. Allred...
Website
Google+
Come on Tour!
Read the Reviews!!
April 6, 2015 ~ The Book Stalker
**RELEASE DATE**
April 7, 2015 ~ Debbie Denny - Character Interview
April 8, 2015 ~ A Gluten Free Journey
April 9, 2015 ~ A Madison Mom
April 10, 2015 ~ The Power of Family
April 11, 2015 ~ Book Club Sisters
April 12, 2015 ~ Steph's Reads & Reviews
April 13, 2015 ~ Espacular Aiesa
April 14, 2015 ~ Kelley Crandall - Exclusive Interview
April 15, 2015 ~ Sanity is for Those Without Children
April 16, 2015 ~ Cali's Book Reviews
April 17, 2015 ~ Amethyst Eyes - Author Interview
April 18, 2015 ~ Book Launch Event
April 19, 2015 ~ Radio Commercials Recap
April 20, 2015 ~ Deal Sharing Aunt
April 21, 2015 - Book Lover Reviews
April 22, 2015 ~ Totally Addicted to Reading
April 23, 2015 ~ Dragon Knight's Book Promotions - Book Excerpt
April 24, 2015 ~ Katie Jenkins - Interview
April 25, 2015 ~ Manic Mama of 3
April 26, 2015 ~ Tour Closes - Sum UP
Now for the Author's Giveaway!!
10 Winners, Choice of Book with 130 Authors to Choose From!
One Grand Prize ~ The Other Side of Quiet Tour Giveaway!!
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