Author Q and A with Tosca Lee

Tosca Lee, author of both Christian fiction novels: Demon: A Memor (2007) & Havah: The Story of Eve (2008) answers some questions about her experience writing two novels.

Question: "Writers block: How do you handle writer’s block?"
Tosca Lee: Having a deadline pretty much resolves that—getting stuck isn’t an option. If there’s some kind of psychological heel-digging going on my part, I need to figure out what that’s about, whether it’s fatigue, fear, or needing to go have some fun for a bit. In general, when I need to blast though, I look at what needs to happen later in the scene. That seems to clear things up. If necessary, I just sketch out the basic happenings and come back to flesh it out later. Allowing yourself permission to write something ugly, sophomoric and juvenile just to move forward helps a lot. Time enough to fix it later.

Question: Writers should be organized: How do you organize yourself?
Tosca Lee: Haha. Oh wait. You’re serious.
Organized, organized…
Well, I guess I keep my basic outline (which isn’t really an outline but a collection of notes in more or less basic order) in a notebook so I can flip around in it and cross things off as I go. That’s about it. I am not terribly organized, though I’m intrigued with the storyboard approach and recently purchased one made by someone in the Pikes Peak Writer’s Group. I think I might give that a whirl on the next go-round

Question: Writing is never exactly how we want it: What would you do differently about the process of writing Demon and/or Havah
Tosca Lee: I would allow myself a little more time, I think, though it’s hard to know if that would make a big difference. Just like the way expenses expand to fit a budget, writing will stretch to fill (and overflow) any amount of time allotted to it.

Question: Writers have a life: How do you balance work & writing?
Tosca Lee: [blank look]

Question: Writers write: When you sit down to write, how long do you try and stay writing?
Tosca Lee: As long as I have. I will write an hour at a time if that’s all I have, though that is hard to do—it’s much easier for me to get into a multi-hour groove and go most of the day. Marathon sessions where I can really get absorbed without the stop and start of picking up and putting down seem to yield the best results for me. So that might be anywhere from 4-5 to 12 hours a day with breaks whenever my eyes, back, or butt hurt.

Question: Writers seek advice: What advice do you have for writers
Tosca Lee: If you’re trying to get published, don’t stop work after your first one. Start your next one. And the next one. The more you have ready, done, and available to offer, the easier you make it on yourself when they start to sell. Also, if your first work doesn’t sell, you can try to break in with your second or third.

Question: Writers have techniques: Do you listen to music, use index cards, or any other technique you find useful
Tosca Lee: Music doesn’t seem to work for me—it’s distracting. Index cards would probably end up all over my floor. Other than my binder of notes, I don’t have much in the way of techniques or systems. I just sit down to the page, which is ultimately all there is. I do often pray, though, before beginning.

Question: Where you write: Do you write at home, at a coffee shop, on the plane, in the airport, etc
Tosca Lee: Yes. The last days on deadline, I’ve generally cleared my work and personal schedule as much as possible to spend in my office.

Question: Writers research: How much research was involved in writing Demon & Havah?
Tosca Lee: Demon consisted of scriptural research and then just knowing my way around Boston. Havah was much more extensive—scripture, horticulture, the Levant, childbirth, fire-making, basket weaving. Yeah. I wish I was joking about that.

Question: Finding time to write: What time of day do you find it best to write?
Tosca Lee: I’m not sure—I don’t usually get the luxury of choosing. I do find that when I’m home if I don’t get up and into it relatively quickly, I lose the drive by afternoon. So I can’t tell myself, “I’ll go run these errands/pick up the house/do e-mail first.” Those things work better as breaks or at the end of the day.

Question: Writers read: What types of books do you read?
Tosca Lee: I don’t read as much fiction as I should! It’s been mostly Biblical commentary and research, though I’m trying to take this opportunity now that Havah is done to catch up with the pile of books that have been patiently waiting on me. This week I’m reading The Shack. Also in my queue: the Twilight series, several of Phillipa Gregory’s books, books by friends Austin Boyd, Randy Ingermanson, and Mark Olsen.
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Thank you Tosca for taking the time to answer these questions for the All Pages Aside - Writer's Blog.

Be sure to check out Tosca's websites:
www.ToscaLee.com
www.HavahStoryofEve.com
www.DemonaMemoir.com