Interview: A Woman of
Many Talents
S.L. Viehl, Lynn Viehl, Gena Hale, Jessica Hall, Rebecca Kelly, Sheila
Kelly....
By Lazette Gifford
© 2005,
Lazette Gifford
Whatever name you happen to
have come across on the bookshelves, you are bound to have been impressed
and delighted by Sheila's writing. She’s one of the most prolific writers
today, and she continues to entertain her readers in many genres. Since
January 2000, she has written twenty-five novels in five genres, including
the very popular books StarDoc series (as S. L. Viehl), which is returning
with new stories. The first book of her new Darkyn series (as Lynn Viehl)
reached the USA Today bestseller list.
Sheila took the time from her
always busy schedule to answer a few questions for writers. You can also
find many interesting notes on writing -- and life -- at her blog:
http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/
Vision:
You write more novels in a single year than practically any other writer.
How do you choose what you are going to write about?
 What
I choose to write is largely determined by what I enjoy writing and
think will sell well, what the editors indicate they’d like to see, and
what I’m hired outright to do.
Vision:
With so many different projects, one after another, how do you stay focused
on the individual pieces?
I’m a pretty decent multi-tasker;
my mind is always going in a thousand directions even when I’m not
writing. Ruthless organization also helps.
Vision:
What trends do you see in the publishing world, and how do you decide which
ones to follow?
Generally I see three types
of trends: micro-trends, which is whatever becomes hugely popular for a
short duration; mid-trends, which are the micro-trends that blossom into a
genre movement that might last a year or two; and trend-shifts, which are
mid-trends that don’t dwindle away and sometimes end up changing the
direction of a genre.
I’m definitely a trend
watcher, but I rarely chase any for the sake of the trend. Instead, I use
them as timing devices to know when what I’m writing has the best chance
of being accepted and doing well on the market.
 For
example, I had pitched a trilogy of vampire books back in 1998, but
never sold them. When I saw the momentum the vampire fiction sub-genre
was just beginning to build, I dusted them off and resubmitted them --
and promptly sold them to the same publisher that had rejected them five
years earlier.
Vision:
What is your average work day like? Do you write every day?
I start writing every
morning at 5:30 am (4:30 am this month because I’m a bit behind after
moving to a new home). I take a break to feed my kids and drive them to
school, and then write until it’s time to pick up the kids. My afternoons
and early evenings are devoted to the family, and then I start editing
around 8:00pm. I usually work until 1 or 2 am. I write every day (unless
I’m in the hospital, or someone I love is).
I don’t recommend my
schedule to other writers, unless you’re also naturally hyper and a
chronic insomniac.
Vision:
How much pre-writing work do you do for a novel? How long does that sort of
work take you?
 I
do a great deal of prep work before I write a book. I think about it,
nail all the research, outline extensively, and visualize scenes until I
can “see” the entire story in my head before I put one word of the novel
on paper. I like mapping out what I’m going to do as much as possible
as I prefer to write straight through a book without stopping.
Vision:
You rarely write shorter material. Is that because you don't have the time,
or because you don't find it as fulfilling?
I still write quite a few
short stories in between books -- about twenty to fifty a year -- but I
don’t publish any of them. I used to put them up on my old web site, but
I discovered they were being bootlegged and decided to stop that. These
days I just file them away for my personal future reference. Writing
short stories helps me test drive novel ideas and see if I like how they
come out on the page before I commit to writing a book.
Vision:
What genres do you write in, and under what names? Do you have a favorite?
 I
write inspirational and historical fiction as a writer-for-hire
(contract terms prevent me from publicizing those books), romantic
suspense as Jessica Hall, inspirational fiction as Rebecca Kelly,
nonfiction as Sheila Kelly, dark fantasy/vampire fiction as Lynn Viehl,
and science fiction as S.L. Viehl.
I have fun with everything
I write, so I don’t have a preference.
Vision:
Are there any other genres you'd like to write? Are there stories you've
always wanted to write but haven't had the chance to yet?
I won’t live long enough
to write all the stories in my head. I’ve been toying with the idea of
writing a pair of historical novels under my own name, finishing and
publishing an epic fantasy novel I have about half-written, and
outlining a mystery series that’s been brewing on the back burner for a
few years.
Vision:
With your new StarDoc book you've gone back to the very popular SF universe
that you created. Was it difficult to start working with such a complex
setting again?
 I
was able to publish three standalone novels set in the StarDoc universe
after the series was put on hold, so in a sense I’ve never really left
it. It was a genuine delight to come back to characters I’ve not written
for two years and update their stories.
Vision:
Who has influenced your writing?
Off the top of my head, in
no particular order: Shakespeare, Holly Lisle, Jane Austen, Laura Cifelli
(my editor at NAL), Dr. Maya Angelou, George Carlin, Nora Roberts, poet
John Keats, Stuart Woods, Chaucer, Joan Sabella (my mother), A.M. Lightner,
Mark Kurlansky, Linda Howard, the Bible, Nathaniel Philbrick, Amy Tan,
Catherine Coulter, Kahlil Gibran, poet June Jordan, Barbara Tuchman,
Stephen King, Iris Johansen and Jean M. Auel.
Vision:
What drew you to quilting? Do you have any other hobbies or pastimes that
you enjoy? Do you like just getting away from writing now and then?
 After
I left home, my mother threw away a ratty old quilt that my
great-grandmother had made and that I had cherished when I was a child. I
taught myself to quilt from how-to books so I could remake the one that
was discarded. That led to me becoming an avid quilter and eventually a
quilt conservator.
I also paint (horrible
watercolors; think swallows that look like flying turkeys), crochet, knit,
make and bind my own books, cook just about anything, and read for
pleasure.
Writing is such an integral
part of me and my life that I never feel the need to get away from it.
It’s always with me anyway. If I’m not writing on the keyboard or in a
journal, I’m doing it in my head.
Vision:
Your blog is a very popular spot, and a place where you are not afraid to
tell your views. Do you think having a blog has helped your career?
Paperback Writer (http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/ )has
 definitely
helped my career, mainly by getting my name out there and making people
wonder what sort of books I write (curious people go out and buy your
novels). It’s also made me a number of enemies among those who think
authors shouldn’t talk openly about how they feel about the business,
editors, reviewers, other writers, advances, royalties, etc., so it’s
not been all hearts and flowers.
I wanted to use the weblog
more as an information outlet and a personal journal than a vehicle for
fame, and I’m still not comfortable with the fame. I won’t put a
page-view counter on the blog because I’m afraid to know how many people
read it. The popularity has also made me seriously consider shutting it
down. I try to think about all the writers who have told me how much they
appreciate the financial and industry information I’ve been publishing on
the weblog, and then I don’t hit that “delete blog” icon.
Vision:
Do you see the Internet as a good tool for upcoming writers? How should they
be using it, if it is?
Absolutely; the internet is
changing writers’ lives and careers for the better. I think the research
opportunities on the net are incredible. What library could ever be big
enough to hold all the information that is out here in cyberspace?
 The
internet also allows writers to get important data about markets,
publishers, editors and potential sales opportunities, far more than any
trade news source could cover. There are endless chances to network,
communicate and collaborate with other writers, so no writer ever has to
dwell in isolation (unless they want to). Best of all, it’s free, and you
can access it from home while you’re wearing your PJs and bunny slippers.
Nothing can beat that.
To use the internet, you
have to get out there and explore it. Each week I try to hit at least
twenty new web sites and/or web blogs. I also check out what other
writers recommend. I bookmark what I think can help me and pass the
information along in the ten things lists I post on my weblog every week.
Vision:
Are there common mistakes you see new writers making? What suggestions would
you give them?
The most common mistake I
see is the one I think we all make: we allow something involved with the
publishing industry to interfere with our writing. Whether it’s the state
of the market, a rejection letter, a sneering critic, or a brush-off from
a colleague, letting what they do mess with our process is
counterproductive.
I’m just as sensitive to
negative influences as any writer, so I try to steer clear of them.
Mostly I joke about them, ignore them, or unplug. You can’t surround
yourself with non-stop happiness, but you can stay away from what can harm
the writing. In all things, protect the work.
Vision:
Has writing changed who you are or how you see the world? Are there themes
that matter most to you?
 Writing
has allowed me to cope with who I am and the world around me. If not
for writing, I’d probably be crazy or dead. Tolerance and identity are
the two themes that perpetually fascinate me, but I’m a child of the
first American generation to be desegregated. The fight against racism
had (and still has) an enormous influence on me as a person and a
writer.
Vision:
When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Has your career progressed the
way you thought it would?
I started pursuing
publication when I was thirteen and had written my first novel. I’m
pretty sure I was hooked from the day I picked up a pencil and started
learning to write the alphabet. I looked at the words, something clicked,
and I discovered who I was.
 My
career has gone in unexpected directions from day one. I never expected
to spend ten years getting nothing but rejections, or to sell two books
with the first contract, or to end up writing in so many genres. I had
only one expectation: to see my name on the cover of a book.
I still don’t know what
will happen with my career, but it’s been one hell of a ride so far.
Vision:
What do you have coming out that we should look for? What sort of things do
you plan, or hope, to write in the future?
 The
last of my SF standalone novels under contract, Afterburn by S.L.
Viehl, just hit the shelves in hardcover. So did the paperback reprint
of the book before it, Bio Rescue. I have a writer-for-hire
novel coming out in September, which I can’t talk about, and then the
second of my Darkyn vampire novels, Private Demon by Lynn Viehl,
comes out in October. The first new StarDoc series novel in two years,
Rebel Ice, will be released in January 2006.
I’m considering a number of
projects and career shifts at the moment, but I’m holding off on deciding
anything until I’ve finished out my present contracts. I want to tell
great stories, so I hope to be doing that.
Vision:
Thank you for taking this time for this interview. Any last words you'd like
to say to our readers?
It’s been a pleasure. I
hope the writers who read this will keep working toward their goals.
Nothing depresses the cynics more than someone who won’t give up.
Be sure to check out
Sheila's weblog and watch for her books at your favorite bookstore!
http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/ |
