Margaretta James Interview

• Q. Can you tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to become a writer?

  Ans. My grandmother was a prolific writer of poems and short stories. She only ever shared them in letters she wrote to my mother who would read them to me. My Irish mother had a great love of literature so I was exposed to a love of reading at an early age. With that background, I think I was compelled to write.

• Q. What genre(s) do you primarily write in, and what draws you to that particular genre?

  Ans. I write short stories, poems, and novels in a variety of genres. Recently, I was working on an adult novel, but an old children's story that I'd started decades ago kept going through my head. I ended up writing it so that I could move on. My muse has no particular direction or rhyme or reason which is most inconvenient.

• Q. What is your favorite book, and what about it resonates with you the most?

  Ans. I lived in China for ten years and I love Peter Hessler's series about his experiences there. He has the rare quality of being able to immerse himself in a culture and transfer his understanding to others with empathy and humor.

• Q. Who is your favorite author, and how have they influenced your writing?

  Ans. Peter Hessler is my favorite author and I don't write like him at all, but I think his books have taught me that authenticity and compassion are the most important traits in writing.

• Q. How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, such as work, family, or hobbies?

  Ans. Like many writers, I don't. When I was teaching full-time, writing had to take a backward step. When the muse hits, I don't leave my study for days.

• Q. How do you show appreciation and love to your followers and readers? Do you actively engage with them on social media or through other means?

  Ans. I always answer emails and I do receive some lovely ones.

• Q. What do you enjoy most about being an author, and what keeps you motivated to continue writing?

  Ans. Writing is a compulsion, so I don't feel like I have a choice.

• Q. Have you ever faced writer's block, and if so, how do you overcome it?

  Ans. I only write when the mood is upon me and don't stress when it isn't.

• Q. What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are just starting their writing journey?

  Ans. I think that you have to sit and do it. In most cases, there is no financial reward. In teaching, the rewards are mostly intrinsic and I think I have taken that approach to my writing.

• Q. Do you have any upcoming projects or works in progress that you'd like to share with your readers?

  Ans. I have one children's novel and a book of short stories for adults in the pipeline.

• Q. Finally, what are your goals and aspirations as a writer? Where do you see yourself and your writing career in the future?

  Ans. I don't knit or quilt or garden -- this is my one and only hobby.

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