Author Quick Chat with Annie Rains
Remember back in late January, when I got together with NY Times Bestselling Author RaeAnne Thayne to have a quick chat about writing and life? You can see that chat here. This month I’ve got another author you shouldn’t miss! Today, I’m chatting with USA Today Bestselling author Annie Rains, and you’re invited to listen in! The two of us sat down this week for a little virtual conversation. Grab a cup of coffee and join us! We hope you enjoy this little glimpse into our world…
A Conversation with Annie Rains
Jenny: Whenever someone asks how I come up with ideas, the question is so broad that I struggle to give a concise answer. I get my ideas from everywhere. It’s all about painting a picture with words. It could be a setting that moves me. Sometimes I’ll go somewhere and imagine an entire cast of characters in a particular place and need to express what their world is like. Other times, my ideas come in the form of some kind of emotion that’s generated by another creative outlet—be it a song lyric, a movie, another novel… My inspiration comes from trying to harness that same emotion in my own words.
Do you have a specific thing (or things!) that grabs you and gives you inspiration?
Annie: You kind of just described my technique to a tee! I grab my ideas from everywhere too. I’ll often tell my husband, who is a musician, “that song makes me want to write a book.” It’s about a feeling for me. Something will make me feel a certain way and that will drive me to put it into words. Writing for me is all about capturing a certain feeling.
Jenny: I do the exact same thing with songs! In fact, watching songwriters create and perform songs with all their stories inspires me. Where I sometimes struggle is when I need to make the ideas come at will. I tweeted a while back,
“Every day, I sit in front of my computer like, ‘Be there, Creative Energy, be there!’ Some days he visits with a smile and others he just hangs outside my house with his headphones on and his face in his phone.”
My brain never seems to go on and off when I’d like it to, and my best ideas come at the most inconvenient times: the shower, driving, late at night once I’m snuggled under my covers…
Is there a particular time when ideas come to you?
Annie: Well, I get ideas throughout the day, but because I have a day job and three kids, the ideas have to wait until the early hours of the morning for me to act on them. I have notebooks all over my house for just that reason—so I can jot down ideas before I lose them. There’s nothing worse than having what you feel like is the most amazing idea, and then forgetting it. :) The shower is a wonderful place for ideas. When I’m plotting or stuck on what to do next in my book, I take A LOT of baths and showers—haha. Long walks and drives are good for getting the ideas flowing too.
Jenny: I’ve written while working another job and now I’m a full time author, and I’ve found that it doesn’t matter what I do during the day; I still only generate the same number of ideas. It’s hard to know when to sit down and write. I find that as a creative, when it comes to my daily writing schedule, I straddle the line between psychotic organization and complete chaos. Every book seems to require a different daily structure for me, depending on how easily it flows from my fingers.
Would you say that your daily writing routine is a well-oiled machine, or is it still evolving?
Annie: It’s a well-oiled machine because the rest of my day is booked. I wake up early while everyone else in my household is still asleep. Then I make my coffee ( a MUST) and get to work. The hours of 4-6 a.m. are my most productive time. Those hours aren’t what comes natural to me by any means, but I know that if I don’t work then, it might not happen. I typically use any free time in the evenings for social media and promotional to-dos for my books because my creative energy is zapped by the time the sun goes down.
Jenny: I think we might be clones of each other! I’m the same way in the mornings! Coffee first at a ridiculous hour when the house is quiet and I’m most rested. I had the most structure when I worked another job. Sometimes the forced structure is good. I was told once that creatives need four to five hours of wide-open time to do our thing, versus a strict structure. Personally, I think I could use six or seven (or eight…) hours.
How long do you need before you can actually put your finger to the keys, and get something down that’s worth keeping?
Annie: Ideally, wide-open time would be wonderful! I do keep a very strict structure though. Otherwise, my deadlines would never be met on time. I try to get my word count first thing in the morning, but I have the rest of the day to reflect on what comes next. I think about my writing when I’m cleaning, driving, bike riding with my kids, etc.
Jenny: Oh my gosh! So do I! We’re twins, I’m convinced.
Annie: Haha. I think the writer’s brain is always on, even if you’re not sitting behind the computer and staring at the screen. I find that to be one of the harder parts of being a writer—that you never turn the work off. It’s also one of the best things about writing because you’re always looking forward to that next opportunity to sit down with your characters, in their world, and take them further on their journey.
Jenny: I totally agree. I used to teach elementary school and I’d tell people, “I’m with kids all day. At night, I just want to sit down and play with my grownups.” Ha.
Annie: Thank you so much for the opportunity to chat, Jenny! This was a lot of fun. I always enjoy talking about the writing process.
Jenny: Me too! Thanks for joining me!