Alexis D. Craig
Author Interview:
1.What inspires you most to write?
Writing for me comes from a lot of different places. I see things while I’m out, or while watching TV, or listening to music and I ask, ‘what if’ and follow my question to its conclusion. Sometimes, it results in a great plot. Sometimes just an amusing thought. The good ones I record on my phone under the notes and keep for later.
2. What is your favorite genre?
- I love romantic suspense. Mysteries and puzzles are better with homicide and sex.
3. Who is one author you admire if any and why?
- Tami Hoag, because she transitioned from contemporary romance to heavy-duty romantic suspense to suspense and she maintains quality with her longevity. It’s impressive and I love to read her books.
4. How do you overcome blank writing spells?
- Read and try to write even if it’s just a few hundred words instead of a thousand. Just finish the day a little farther than the day before. You can also try to write your scene from a different perspective or skip to a different scene if that’s more present in your mind.
5. What legal publishing advice can you give?
- There’s no harm in having a lawyer look over your contracts.
6. How many books have you written, are any a bestseller yet?
- I’ve written 14 so far, and while I haven’t made the NYT or USAT, I’ve ranked on Amazon with at least five of them, stateside and internationally.
7. If you had the opportunity to rewrite one movie script which would it be, why?
Avengers: Endgame. I’d write it in a way that makes more narrative sense, doesn’t completely overlook the agency and accomplishments of Agent Carter outside of Steve’s life. Steve wouldn’t be going back to stay and honestly, the love story of him and Bucky would be brought to its logical conclusion.
8. What are some difficulties you've experienced in your writing career; how do you handle book critiques/criticism?
- I write slowly and linearly. Sometimes I get bogged down in one point to the point where I need outside assistance to see the forest for the trees.
As far as criticism goes - depends on if it’s legit. Is it criticizing the plotting, pacing, mechanics, or other structural elements of the book or story? If so, then I’ll take a look to see if their complaint matches with the vision I had for the story. Sometimes readers don’t get what you’re trying to convey. If it’s a consistent complaint, then that definitely deserves some examination. If it’s a complaint about character behavior or things that indicate that the storyline traveled in a direction they were not expecting and did not appreciate, there’s not a lot you can do about that. Also, if the criticism is abusive, just block and move on. There’s no percentage in getting into a public tiff with your readers. It only makes you look bad.
9. What are your best experiences in your writing career?
- Winning the 2020 Golden Quill and International Digital Award for A Killing Moon.
10. Do you prefer to write in silence and or have some sort of sound in the background?
- I tend to put together playlists for the scenes I’m writing. I prefer writing with music while I’m sitting in Starbucks. I’m not sure what it is about the atmosphere there, but I tend to get better and more work done there.
11. What are some encouraging words you'd give to another author/writer?
- Keep going, improvement only happens with practice. Plus, The Godfather was Mario Puzo’s 7th novel. Success is a marathon not a sprint.
12. How did you decide the pricing of your material; how did you go about promotion/advertising and distribution of your work?
- That’s been left up to my publisher.
13. Why should anyone read your book?
- I write fun stories with relatable characters and lots of action and romance. Paranormal or contemporary, my books are fun.
14. Did you have a book coach?
- No
15. What was your favorite subject in school?
- I’m a language geek, so my favorite subjects were Latin, French, and the semester of Japanese I took senior year.
16. Are you self-published or have an established publishing contract elsewhere?
- I have contracts with multiple publishers.