Harvest season thunders toward us, and what could be more delightful than reading, writing and dreaming about food. September’s author -Eva Pasco – brings us a novel connected to all things edible…but let her tell you about her writing journey:
“A Jill-of-all-Trades in the progression of life—a factory fatale gluing eyes on pairs of lion slippers at Capitol Heel Lining, collating booklets at Sidney-Higgins Bookbinding, getting downright dirty at H & H Screw Products, and teaching in the third-grade classroom trenches—Eva Pasco turned a corner after retirement.
Reviving a dormant flair for writing, she braved the arduous journey along the Indie author’s untrammeled path, a route chosen to bypass literary agents and take full control of the publication process from cover to copy through the genre of Contemporary Women’s Fiction—Underlying Notes and An Enlightening Quiche.”
What drew you to writing?
Already a proficient typist by the age of nine, courtesy of my mother, the catalyst which served as my writing inspiration occurred when I was twelve years old. A malfunction in the electrical wiring caused our doorbell to ring automatically. This prompted me to compose, “The Mystery of the Midnight Doorbell,” a short story involving secret codes and a smuggling ring.
My overactive imagination soon spurred several mysteries and serial spy thrillers. In high school, I wrote a romance novella which earned its place on a library shelf. The rigors of college, and the demands placed on a rewarding teaching career, shelved further creative writing ambitions until I retired from the profession. With time on my hands, midlife restlessness reactivated my dormant imagination.
Which of the authors you have read has had the most effect or influence on your writing?
My number one influence is Anne Lamott. She inspired me to write a book I would love to read that’s written honestly and has the capability of making the reader laugh and cry because they’re so invested in the characters who are flawed individuals caught up in life’s craziness.
What is your writing process?
My writing process is basically the “pantser” approach: No outline. No rigid plot to hem me in. You might say the windmills of my mind propel the story, whereby the end justifies the means to get there. From past practice, my characters sabotage the ending I have in mind. Believe me, I know better than to question their judgement!
Usually bursts of brilliance for how to best articulate an idea or parlay snatches of dialog overtake me when I’m away from the keyboard doing housework. I immediately turn off the vacuum or abandon my dust cloth to heed my inner voice by scribbling the message on a notebook kept on my desk for this purpose. Another quirk of mine is to play music conducive for plying my mood to write a scene.
Just for fun:
Name a book you have read more than once.
In third grade, I was so smitten with The Wizard of Oz that I signed it out from our school library several weeks in a row to read it again and again.
Name your favorite comfort or reward food.
If a Nestle’s Crunch bar qualifies as “food”—it’s what I reward myself to munch on while working at the keyboard.
Contact Eva at the following sites: e-mail:
eva.pasco@hotmail.comAuthors Den: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/EvaPasco
WordPress: https://evapasco.com/