Skip to main content

Interview with Mary Griffith, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 12.03.2005


Mary is such a cool chick. She wrote such wonderful things about me on her blog. :) :) :) :) :)

I was telling Heather tonight, There's so much negativity in the world, that when something comes along warm and fuzzy like a mink coat, just snuggle up.

The mink coat isn't big enough for my inflating ego, though. ;)

If you get a chance, please pray for my upper back. I'm so lopsided because I can't put all my weight on one leg, so it's throwing my back out of whack. I'm hoping to be able to drive soon so I can make the long trek into Sunnyvale to my chiropractor. Oh, and kudos to my lovely wonderful sister Dineen who's been driving me to my PT appointments until then. :)

Back to the interview! Since I'm a writer, I just had to pick Mary's brains about her writing style. You know, hopefully some of that genius will rub off.

Writer questions:

CT: What is your most memorable moment as a writer?

MG: My most memorable moment as a writer was typing THE END on my first story. That story hasn't sold yet, but the accomplishment was huge. It was as if the Lord met me there and said,"Okay, now we can do something." And He did.

CT: Writing a novel is ...

MG: the most wonderfully insane thing I've ever done!

CT: What was your timeline on this novel? When did you start, finish, submit and sell this puppy?

MG: Hmmm...let's see. My agent told me about the new line and the interest mid-2003. At the 2003 ACFW conference, I met with a Steeple Hill editor and discussed the idea. I also ate lunch with the head of the line. Both meeting were positive and I went home and got to work! By Christmas I had something ready to submit. (It was a rough December, I don't ever want to do that again). We got an offer by late January.

CT: What's your greatest writing weakness and how do you overcome it?

MG: Which to pick... Grammar isn't my strong point to be sure. I'm more of a poet naturally and my prose sometimes swings in places where it should be quiet. I've been blessed with great copyeditors, but I'm working on it. Setting is also not my strong suit.

CT: What's your best writing strength?

MG: Dialogue seems to come most naturally. I often hear a character talking before I know who he or she is. Still, I do have to revise my dialogue quite a bit too. I struggle with it all.

CT: How do you handle deadline stress? Any advice or tips?

MG: Now I'm really chuckling, Camy. I don't know if stress is something that can be handled. More like managed. Sometimes, I can't even do that. Unlike some who can work for hours in a soundproof office, there is always something going on around me. Let's just say there is lots of praying, crying and chocolate involved.

CT: Most writers struggle with insecurity. How do you retain your confidence as a writer?

MG: I have good friends who keep lying me until it's too late for me to get the book back. I don't know that I am confident about it. Often there may be one day out of a whole book that something says, "this is good." I hang on to those moments for the days when I feel I can't write a check much less a book.

CT: What's the biggest risk you've ever taken as a writer?

MG: The biggest risk I've taken as a writer is writing the book of my heart the first time out knowing it might not get published. I still ended up writing something different after, but I couldn't let go of that story. Though it didn't sell that book, it sold me as a writer. Aside from that, I've turned in some surprises here and there, but we won't go there...

CT: You're writing up a storm—Hurricane Mary coming through!—when suddenly it grinds to a halt. What do you do when you're stuck?

MG: It depends on when it's due! If I have time, I leave it alone and go play with my kids, listen to some good music and read a good book. If I don't have time, I call my friends and whine, have a meltdown and read a book from my keeper shelf. My husband hugs me a lot and nods in the right places though he has no idea what I'm talking about.

Thanks for having me, Camy and thanks to everyone for reading. For more information about me or MADE OF HONOR, stop by http://wwww.MarilynnGriffith.com.

Comments

Great interview, Mary!

Camy, bless your heart! LOLOLOLOLOL. Girl, you know I'm happy to help you. Love ya!
M. C. Pearson said…
Sunnyvale, huh? My dad used to work at Lockheed there. He always had such a long commute. I'll pray for you.

The interview is so much fun. I nod along and am encouraged as a writer.

Popular Posts

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures...

Toilet seat cover

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Update August 2008: I wrote up the pattern for this with "improvements"! Here's the link to my No Cold Bums toilet seat cover ! Okay, remember a few days ago I was complaining about the cold toilet seat in my bathroom? Well, I decided to knit a seat cover. Not a lid cover, but a seat cover. I went online and couldn’t find anything for the seat, just one pattern for the lid by Feminitz.com . However, I took her pattern for the inside edge of the lid cover and modified it to make a seat cover. Here it is! It’s really ugly stitch-wise because originally I made it too small and had to extend it a couple inches on each side. I figured I’d be the one staring at it, so who cared if the extension wasn’t perfectly invisible? I used acrylic yarn since, well, that’s what I had, and also because it’s easy to wash. I’ll probably have to wash this cover every week or so, but it’s easy to take off—I made ties which you can see near the back of the seat. And...

SUSHI FOR ONE: Original chapter 8

I found this yesterday and had completely forgotten about this. I had originally plotted a different set of dates for Lex in Sushi for One and one of them was Duane the Dweeb. He got combined with/switched to George in a later revision, and I rewrote their date scene, but I found the original scene tucked away in my computer. For those of you who haven’t read Sushi for One , don’t worry, this won’t ruin the book for you. For those of you who have read it, you’ll hopefully get a chuckle over some jokes I didn’t include in the chapter 8 that’s in the book. Back cover description: She’s searching for Mr. Perfect. God keeps sending Mr. Unexpected. Lex Sakai is completely unfazed by her family’s dreaded title, Oldest Single Female Cousin. As a competitive volleyball coach and athlete, she has bigger priorities. So when her iron-willed grandmother threatens to cut funding for Lex’s team unless Lex brings a date to her cousin’s wedding, Lex does what any competitor would do—she cre...

What Is a Brutus Cut? A Regency Hair Trend Inspired by Ancient Rome

Regency Haircuts and Disguises in Lady Wynwood’s Spies In this excerpt from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 8: Traitor , Phoebe prepares for a dangerous mission—one that requires her to disguise herself as a young man. The hairstyle she receives, called a Brutus cut, was actually quite fashionable during the Regency. Read on to find out more about this curious trend and why it suited her new identity so well. Excerpt from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 8: Traitor : By far, the absolute worst part of Uncle Sol’s plan was that Phoebe had to cut her hair. Of the four agents, Phoebe and Mr. Coulton-Jones would be the least likely to be recognized when they entered the Ramparts building—Mr. Coulton-Jones, because of his skill in altering his facial features and his posture, and Phoebe, because she could play a convincing young man, which no one would expect. A disreputable hat would hide her long hair to an extent, but it would not fool anyone who looked closely. Also, because she would lo...

Merry Christmas! Enjoy The Spinster's Christmas

As a Merry Christmas gift to all my blog readers, I’m going to be posting my Christian Regency romantic suspense, The Spinster’s Christmas , for free on my blog! I’ll be posting the book in 1000-1500 word segments every Tuesday and Friday. (When I do the calculations, it’ll finish around the end of May.) Why am I posting a Christmas story when it won’t be Christmas in a week? Because I can! :) The Spinster’s Christmas is the prequel volume to my Lady Wynwood’s Spies series . Right now I’m editing volume 1 of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, and it’s on track to release in 2020. (If you’re on my Camille Elliot newsletter , you’ll be sure to hear when it’s available for preorder.) I anticipate that the Lady Wynwood’s Spies series to be about ten volumes. I think the series story will be a lot of fun to tell, and I’m looking forward to writing up a storm! Below, I’ll be listing the links to the parts of The Spinster’s Christmas as I post them. (I created the html links by hand so please ...