Windsor
author, Brittni Brinn had the awesome
idea to cross-promote with four authors in the area, and graciously invited me
to participate to be one of those guinea pigs…er authors. I jumped at the
opportunity of course, so for the next three Thursdays I’ll be hosting Brittni,
along with Ben Van Dongen
and Justine Alley Dowsett.
I’ll be the author featured on the fourth Thursday, sharing a ‘behind the
scenes’ post about the process of writing the first book in my Mysterious Tales
from Fairy Falls teen psychic mystery series, Lost and Found. For Brittni’s post, I decided to resurrect my
‘Authors in the Limelight’ interview series, where I get to ask an author eight
questions about their newest book, and how they deal with life as a writer. So,
without further ado, let’s get this interview started…
Welcome, Brittni! How long have you been
writing?
I've
been writing since I was pretty young. I suppose I started writing because my
parents gave me a journal when I was 7. It had a lock with a small key, and I
loved it. But writing stories I think started more around grade five. I had a
teacher who encouraged me to pursue writing and a classmate who wrote beautiful
stories she would read aloud. I read a ton of books at that age too. A lot of
those influences shaped my interest in storytelling. So, after I decided not to
be a scientist, I decided to be a writer.
A scientist, eh? Makes sense that you
followed your heart and wrote in the science fiction genre! Where did you get
your idea and inspiration to write The
Patch Project?
It
started with a short story I wrote in my undergrad. Just a small piece about a
married couple spending Christmas in the apocalypse. I took it to a Sci-Fi
conference for writers and submitted it to an editor panel. One of the editors
expressed interest in the story and asked to see a manuscript. So I started
writing a novel. I'd been reading A Canticle for Leibowitz and Do
Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? around that time, and the
post-apocalyptic genre appealed to me. But I wanted to do something different.
Okay, so what sets The Patch
Project apart from other books in the same genre?
The
aspect that most sets it apart from contemporary post-apocalyptic novels is
that The Patch Project isn't about an exterior threat. There
are no zombies, no monsters. No incurable epidemic. The event that wipes out
most of the world is mysterious. It's the resulting isolation and character
shifts that drive the story. Characters are dealing with new abilities as well
as personal loss. The main questions become Who am I, now that this has
happened? What should I do now?
Wait…no zombies? Now that’s refreshing! As
an author, what is your writing process, Brittni?
I
take naps? Those help, but I suppose writing just happens. When I'm on the bus
or after watching a play. Sometimes I write something because I'm inspired.
Sometimes out of boredom. But it usually starts with a specific image or a
specific character. Once I have that in mind, I write how the first scene plays
out. Then I leave it for awhile, think about it, come back to it. Usually it's
a struggle to get myself back in the writing chair. Sometimes I use writing
exercises like free-writing or following a character's stream of consciousness.
I rarely map out my stories; I like to garden. Let the characters and story
grow as I go along. Then go back afterwards, transplant, weed, and add some
fertilizer where the growth is thin.
Well, I hope you harvest many stories
that way, Brittni. How long did it take for you to start and finish The Patch Project?
From
the original short story to the first draft of the novel was about two years.
After the manuscript was rejected by a publisher, I put it away for awhile.
When I went back to it in 2016, I did a full edit of the story and the
following summer did three further rounds of editing with EDGE's house editor,
the wonderful Heather Manuel. And here we are, a year later! Altogether, The
Patch Project was about 6 years in the making!
Now that’s staying power! Do you have
any advice for other writers, Brittni?
I
don't know if I have any advice, but I would suggest finding writing friends.
Having people to really talk to about writing has been invaluable to me. Plus,
it's good to see that there's not just one way to be a writer. We all go about
it differently, tell our stories in ways unique to us. And that's good! We all
have so much to learn from each other.
Having a support system in this business
is a must for sure. What’s next for Brittni Brinn the author?
Well,
there's a sequel to The Patch Project in the works! (Hooray!)
I'm also hoping to work on some collaborative film and graphic novel projects
in the near future as well!
All the best with your future writing
endeavors, Brittni! Okay, here’s one for me, since I’m writing a time travel
series—If you could time travel anywhere into Earth’s past, where would you go
and why?
Time
travel is such a fascinating concept! Not too far back for me. The 1980s maybe?
Could see some New Wave bands, have 80s hair, buy a walkman, it'd be fun.
About The
Patch Project:
May and Isak live on
what used to be Holly Street. But when a mysterious event wipes out most of the
earth's surface, they find themselves the sole survivors of a once thriving
neighbourhood. Another survivor, Ed, is stranded at a highway gas station.
Pinot and Miller wander the wasteland, scrounging for supplies. Some of them have developed strange new
abilities; some of them have experienced unthinkable loss. In this
post-apocalyptic novella, each of them will have to come to terms with who
they've become, and what they've done, in order to survive.
Book Info and Links:
You
can find The Patch Project on Amazon.com,
through EDGE
Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, or locally at Juniper Books.
Meet the Author:
Brittni Brinn is a
writer and playwright. She has a Masters degree in Creative Writing and
Literature. Her interests include rocks kicked up by the ocean, books from
friends, and comfortable sweaters. She currently lives in Windsor, along with
her husband and two cats.
Connect with Brittni Brinn:
Website: www.brittnibrinn.com
Facebook:
Brittni Brinn @brittniinink
Instagram:
@brittni_in_ink
Twitter:
@brittni_in_ink
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