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Interview de Stephen Collins sur Amazon
Amazon.com : How did you begin writing? Did you intend to become an author, or do you have a specific reason or reasons for writing each book?
S.C. :I wrote a play that was produced at The Williamstown Theatre Festival, and, while I loved the experience, I wanted to write something that was purely between me and the audience the reader. In theatre, there are lots of interpreters (actors and directors and producers). I want the reader to have the exact experience I write. I want the responsibility for the story, as opposed to someone else's idea of my story. I went to Amherst College where we had to write a lot, and a lot of wonderful writers come from Amherst, but I had no intention of writing professionally when I was there. I wanted to be an actor.
Amazon.com: What authors do you like to read? What book or books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?
S.C. :I love Lawrence Block, and I enjoy Carl Hiassen. I was influenced and inspired by Saroyan, Steinbeck, Hemingway, and maybe most of all Dickens I not that I write like any of them, but I learned a lot from each of them. Dickens' detail and humor made me laugh out loud when I was in 7th grade. I couldn't believe a book could make you laugh out loud. I wanted to do that, too.
Amazon.com: Could you describe the mundane details of writing: How many hours a day do you devote to writing? Do you write a draft on paper or at a keyboard (typewriter or computer)? Do you have a favorite location or time of day (or night) for writing? What do you do to avoid--or seek!--distractions?
S.C. : I write on a laptop, 6-8 hours at a time. The only interruptions I allow myself are the bathroom and a snack. No phone calls. No getting up. I like to start as early in the day as possible, but I can do it at any time. Re-writing, once the book is there, can be done with more ditractions - on a plane, or in in shorter bursts of time.
Amazon.com: Do you meet your readers at book signings, conventions, or similar events? Do you interact with your readers electronically through e-mail or other online forums?
S.C. :This is my first electronic interaction, although I did some online interivews when "Eye Contact" first came out. I love to do signings and meet people and booksellers. It's great feedback.
Amazon.com: When and how did you get started on the Net? Do you read any newsgroups such as rec.arts.books and rec.arts.sf.written, mailing lists, or other on-line forums? Do you use the Net for research--or is it just another time sink? Are you able to communicate with other writers or people you work with over the Net?
S.C. : I started on CompuServe back in '85, now I'm on (sigh) AOL. I mostly use the net for email and news, although the factual stuff that's out there is astounding, if you know what you want (even, I suppose, if you don't). I also invite you to take a look at my own website.
Amazon.com: Feel free to use this space to write about whatever you wish: your family, your hometown, hobbies, favorite places, where you've lived, where you went to school, what jobs you have had, your last (or planned) vacation, your favorite color/food/pet/song/movie, what books you'd take to a desert island, what you intend to do before you die, or what you think of just about anything.
S.C. : I'm married with a young daughter, a cat and a dog. Favorite places: Paris, New York (particularly Shea Stadium), any baseball park, for that matter, and Madeline Island in Wisconsin. Favorite movies: Howard Hawks' "Only Angels Have Wings" and the Alastair Sim "A Christmas Carol." Books to take on a desert island: Dickens' "Bleak House," Hemingway's "Islands in The Stream," The Bible. Before I die I want to move into my dream house, write at least a dozen more novels, and meet at least one grandchild.