SoCNoC mini-interview: Cat Connor

Born in Christchurch, Cat Connor now lives in Wellington. She claims that it's better that way since she seems allergic to Christchurch.

She writes thrillers and this leads to some interesting conversations around the dinner table with the kids suggesting new types of gruesome deaths for new victims. This is somewhat ironic, since her 12 year old is too young to read her own mum's books, managing to read only the first chapter of KILLERBYTE before being too scared to read on.

Currently, she is writing The _Byte_ series: Killerbyte, Terrorbyte, Exacerbyte… and soon to come, Flashbyte. The series centers on FBI Special Agent Ellie Conway, the cases she investigates, lunatics she comes across, and her relationships.

She is published by Rebel E Publishers in South Africa. Her books are available in all eFormats and paperback, worldwide from Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, MightyApe, Fishpond, etc.

As a weird note: Every time Cat does a radio interview there is an earthquake… as she wrote this interview Christchurch was struck again by another big aftershock (June 13th).

Cat’s on-line presence below:

Blog: catconnor.blogspot.com 

Twitter: @catconnor 

Website: catconnor.wordpress.com

1. Can you talk to us about when you knew you wanted to become a writer?

That’s actually quite a hard question. Probably not until I was pushed into it by friends who were reading what I was producing and loving it. (I’m lucky enough to have friends who tell the brutal truth… so if they liked it, then I was on to something!) I probably started writing seriously over 10 years ago – I joined Backspace as a foundation member after leaving Writersnet. With the support of other authors and a few clues about how to survive in the industry I decided that writing was what I wanted to do. So about then, for shits and giggles (and because a publishing history looks good on query letters) I set about writing a bunch of short stories before shopping my fourth novel, Killerbyte. My acceptance rate skewed the stats on Duotope because it was so high. I still write the occasional short, because they’re fun. Mostly these days I write shorts using my main character in The _Byte_ Series.

2. What is your writing schedule, your daily goals, your productivity?

I have no daily goals, because I cannot write like that. I write when I want to and/or when I feel compelled to.

I am however prolific (so says my publishers and my editor). I may not have a set schedule but I write a lot, and I write fast. I am also very quick at getting edits back, because I truly enjoy the editing process. My editor had to ask me to slow down because I can get edits back to her before she’s ready! In the last few years I have written six Byte novels, plus a bunch of shorts, and two other unrelated novels. Currently I’m working on the next Byte, and I know there is at least one more brewing after this, possibly two more. Plus the inkling of another potential series.

3. Do you have any funny habits or quirks (write in your underwear, at a kitchen table with kids screaming around you? write while in bed? Read and write at the same time? Need to be near a window? Eat while writing/don't eat while writing? etc...)

I can and do write anywhere. In the last year I have written more on my laptop than on my PC, which means I can write in bed. School holidays I prefer to stay in bed late and write, no one bugs me if they can’t see me! I drink coffee while I’m writing. Copious amounts of Columbian medium roast 100% Arabica coffee. There are also the three gnomes Elvis, Dennis and Tony who sit next to my printer – if I’m at my desk, my gnomes MUST be next to my printer. This is simply because I don’t trust them and don’t want them sneaking up behind me while I’m working. I do read and write at the same time but not my genre. I also watch a lot of action movies while I’m writing. And I absolutely MUST have music. Music is vital. Usually Lorenza Ponce, Bon Jovi, or Kevin Costner and Modern West (Yes, that Kevin Costner and yes he can sing!).

4. What are your indispensable writing tools?

A notebook, whiteboard – because sometimes a murder board is required, good pens, decent laptop and PC, my glasses – because I can’t see to write without them, earbuds and iPod.

5. Do you do any writing challenges like SoCNoC or Nanowrimo (a novel in a month)? If not, then why not? If you do, how do you use it and how does it help you?

I took part in Nano for three consecutive years. The first year wasn’t a success for me, but it set me up. I had a taste. I knew what was possible and I liked it.

The second year, I discovered I was already signed up to do NaNoWriMo. No conscious choice needed. I knew I wasn’t prepared to have a string of failures under my belt. I had to do it. (And I was already using familiar terms to explain what I was doing. “I’m doing Nano, you?”)

The joy of pounding the keyboard got me over the dreadful frustrating slowness of the NaNoWriMo site. I ignored everyone and everything around me. I told my kids I was busy and wouldn’t be available for anything all month. And unless there was copious blood and or unconsciousness involved the little ones (and grown ones) were to leave me alone. I got so organized I surprised myself. I utilized the crock-pot to the fullest. I did everything required of me, quickly and efficiently, and it was on with the writing.

I did it. I wrote my first kiwi novel. A fun spy/thriller type novel that totally kicks ass. And one day when I get time, I will polish the hell out of it and send it out into the big wide world.

Three years ago– reeling from a string of rejections and disgruntled with the whole publishing industry I did Nano again. Same deal – I was already signed up (and I will not have a failure next to my name!) this time however I wanted to write the fourth book in a series. (Turns out it’s the 5th book, but never mind)

I did it and then some. I passed the 50,000-required words; I think the word count was around 80,000. The difference in word count came from using established characters that I knew very well indeed. I still had no clue about plot when I started. This didn’t matter, because frankly I never do when I start a story. It just happens. It was much easier writing with familiar characters.

Hell all you have to do is 50,000 words in 30 days. Easily achievable. (Yet I failed the first time but we don’t have to dwell on that.) It works out to fewer than 2,000 words a day. Then, I discovered that people actually planned for Nano! The whole thought of planning felt like cheating (and I struggled with being able to use established characters, because that felt like cheating too). Yet it’s apparently not. I didn’t plan for my first two attempts. I just sat down and wrote, no freaking clue about the characters that would show up, plot, none of it. I winged it from beginning to end. And it was fun but it wasn’t as easy as the third year.

Last two years, I thought I’d flag NaNoWriMo itself and do a 50k challenge at Backspace instead, that way I could write the 50k I want to write to finish a novel I was working on. Then, I went over to the Nano site and found myself already signed up. (This is getting to be a habit)

This time I ignored the lure and the bright lights and wisely decided to opt out of Nano I did the challenge over at Backspace that was much more suited to my current needs.

Time is now an issue. In all seriousness, me taking November and writing another novel in 30 days may drive my family to the edge, and I suspect that all it will take is the whisper of Nano to make them throw themselves from the cliff.

There is no doubt in my mind that writing challenges like Nanowrimo, the Backspace challenges, and SocNoc are excellent for writers. They teach you to write and be damned. Squash that inner editor and just get the story out.

Doing NaNoWriMo for the first time is probably not insane, let’s face it – you don’t really know what it’s like until you’ve tried it. But there really is no excuse for the torturing of families beyond that once. That being said, I don’t know anyone who has only done it once. That’s the hook, you do it once just to see - but it’s insidious, it gets in, before you know it, thirty days are gone in a haze of word counts and challenges.

It’s like a drug.

It’s crystal meth for writers. (But even cheaper and easier to obtain.)

I’m an addict. Hello, my name is Cat Connor and writing at a frenetic pace is my drug of choice.

I fully expect to find NaNoWriMo on the DEA drug information list in the next few years, the effects are far reaching and it’s most definitely open for abuse. It’s worldwide and they’re already pushing it to kids.

But I despite all that, I urge unpublished writers to do it! It’s good to stretch those writing muscles.