The Truth About An Author's Life - Hannah Krieger

                                         

“What happened to your twenty books you had published?” someone once teased me (all in good fun).

     “Yeah, I wish,” was my response.

     Don’t you wish you could just be able to sit down and put out a book a month? Or maybe even every three months? Not trying to be cynical, yet it seems the stereotypical idea of an author’s life is the ability to just sit in front of a computer, or even a typewriter, and let the creativity flow unhindered. Yeah, that’d be really sweet, but unfortunately for us, life gets in the way. For the final interview for this series, I decided to let college student Hannah Krieger give us her take on this theory.

1)      Tell us a little about yourself. What genre(s) do you write?

I’m a senior at Georgetown College. I am majoring in English with a creative writing emphasis and a double minor in classics and history. I am interested in both the editing and writing fields and have held jobs on campus that include assistant editor to the literary review magazine Georgetown Review and was Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper The Georgetonian. I currently am the managing editor, a copy editor, and a page editor for the paper. I have been writing since I was 12. I started writing song lyrics and then I wrote some manuscripts (some I completed and others that still need finishing). I write fiction and like to write a lot of fantasy.

2)      Out of all the careers, why did you pick writing? What drew you to it?

I love the idea of creating something out of nothing. It is so rewarding to sit down to a blank notebook or Word document and over a period of time have it filled with words that weave together a wonderful and captivating story that you had no idea would be there when you first started. I was drawn to writing because I loved to read. I started reading when I was three, and since then I could always be found with a book in my hand (with several more waiting close by). I was always so enthralled with what I read that I soon wanted to try my own hand at it and create stories that were just as captivating for others.

3)       Do you have a ‘day’ job?

I am currently a full-time student, but I keep busy with a plethora of jobs. I work at Kohl’s, the paper on campus, the literary review magazine on campus, an administrative assistant at admissions, and I am an intern at Apex Publications. I am also an editorial consultant for several authors.

4)      Did you ever once consider that writing might interfere with your family time, personal life or even your other job?

                                             

If anything, I have the reverse problem (haha). I want to write all the time, but I can’t due to school, jobs, family, and friends (and those certainly are not bad things). It’s just really easy for life to get in the way of my writing. It’s difficult to find time to escape and focus your thoughts and just write. Although it is crucial to find the time to do this if you want to be a successful author.

5)      What do you think is the truth about an author’s life? Is it as easy as portrayed on screen?

The author’s life definitely involves a lot of hard work and dedication, but its reward is completely worth it. It can be a lonely life because you always want to be alone with your thoughts as you write about what interests you. You want to get that story on paper before any of it leaves your mind. I can’t count the times I’ll be walking somewhere, talking to someone, or even sitting in class and words will just come to me when I’m not even thinking about the idea for a book I have going on in my head. I know it’s crucial to write these words down as soon as they come because it’s rare that they will ever present themselves in the same way again.

6)      Have you developed a technique for juggling life, family and writing? And how long did it take you to master this skill? 

I think it’s crucial to schedule your time. As much as anyone can love to write, if you don’t set aside time each day to sit down and write, it will be so easy not to do. I’ve been told it’s crucial to write every day so as not to get out of the habit of it. So, I think carefully scheduling some time to write each day is a great idea to help juggle the rest of life with writing. Mastering this skill definitely takes a lot of commitment and determination. 

7)      Are there any secrets you’d like to share for other writers who need help juggling life and writing?

I think the most important thing is what I said in question 6. Make sure you dedicate time for yourself to sit down and write. As much as you want to write, it is so easy to become distracted by life and think “I’ll get to it tomorrow.” However, the likelihood of you being distracted again tomorrow is great. You have to be intentional about your writing. Make it a part of your daily routine. I know some people like writing as soon as they get up in the morning. This would be a good time as distractions seem to be fewer in the morning. Then, there are other people who prefer to write at night when they feel like their creative juices are flowing. Either way, find a time, keep it consistent, and stick with it. 

8)      And last but not least, can you let us in on what your next piece is going to be about and when can we expect it?

I have about seven different ideas all floating around in my head right now. 

They mainly are on topics pertaining to fantasy. I have a personal goal of getting a manuscript out in about a year or two. Hopefully the rest will follow soon after. 

Thank you so much, Hannah, for your time and hopefully soon we'll be seeing one of those seven ideas take the form of a book. Well, that wraps up my 'The Truth About An Author's Life' series. Thank you so very much to everyone who participated!