Carrie Bailey

Interview questions:

1. Did you pick your genre or did it pick you?

I thought I was going to be writing fantasy, but my first novel evolved quickly into a post apocalyptic world similar to the games I used to play with my siblings as a kid.

2. Do you write in multiple genres or just one?

I write whatever I want. Whenever I want. Sometimes, I want to write and I can’t. That is when I switch genres and do some corny odes to common household items.

3. How much time do you devote to writing per day?

I’ve both written 8,000 words in a day and gone months without opening Scrivner at all.

Maybe I want to paint? Maybe I’ve fallen in love? I could be moving countries or changing jobs. I do not believe in wrapping a life around writing. Life comes first. I don’t freelance. There are no deadlines for me.

4. What have you published so far?

That’s embarrassing… lot’s of articles about rare books? Yeah, but also a personal finance book by a fictional reptilian. The reptilian is fictional. I repeat. f-i-c-t-i-o-n-a-l.

Then, there was this anthology about a writer secret society, which I can’t tell you much about either. And possibly the most normal thing was Bungle of Oz, a novella written for the Frank L. Baum Wizard of Oz series.

5. Has your method of writing changed over the course of publishing your books?

100%

We’re all learning aren’t we? Just the other day I got a great idea about keeping ideas and phrases on index cards. That may be my new thing this year.

6. Where do you see yourself a year from now?

Finally finished with the revisions on my novel. Writing the second one. Possibly living in Finland. Anything is possible.

7. Did you self-publish, go the traditional way, or do both?

Both. I’ve been published and I’ve self-published. I support writers doing whatever works.

8. Which method did you prefer?

Self-publishing.

9. Of the books that you have written, do you have a favorite? Why?

I love the one that I am working on right now. It’s been lost, rewritten, abandoned and generally obsessed over for the past four or five years while I was learning how to be a real writer. The final revisions are half way finished. I plan to continue the series in one form or another for the rest of my life, but hopefully, now that I know what I’m doing… it might go a little faster.

10. Why did you become a writer?

I was pretending to be a writer to help a shy friend find an agent. And then it just sort of happened. I didn’t mean to do it, but there was this laptop and the blogging was just so much fun.

11. Who is your target audience?

Occasional readers from YA to Adult who are more interested in ideas and action than relationships and vocabulary building.

12. What are you working on now?

A book…

13. What makes you different from other writers in your genre?

I’m more approachable. I’ll have a long chat with anyone about anything anywhere – just because I can.

But, my writing in my current novel is particularly distinct given that I’ve got more giant cats and dogs than average. And the coffee can make you immortal, which should be the case in every science fiction novel. But, then milk reverses the effect so no one notices. Or something… And my current novel is set in New Zealand where I was living most of the past few years.

Visit Carrie at her website: http://www.carriebaileybooks.com.