Tag Team Interview Brad Whittington/Lisa Samson Conclusion

BradW: Speaking of new projects, I see you have a full plate ahead of you. What's up with that over commitment thing?

LisaS: It's called "Being the main breadwinner." It's actually a doable scenario if I view what I do as a real job. Normally I'd write about 1-2 hours average a day. Now I have to pick up my pace and work a good 4-6. And I'm doing things differently this time. I'm outlining up front and working all the kinks out ahead of time so I don't have to throw out 50-60 pages worth of text like I did the last go round.

BradW: If you can do it, outlining makes writing MUCH more efficient. But sometimes folks just can't make that work for them. It's worked for me the last 4 books, and it's the only way I can do a Matt Cooper novel. But I have some other projects on the back burner that I have no idea where they're going. I'm wondering if I will have to change my way of working for those projects.

LisaS: Like you say, each to his own. I never thought I was an outliner, but when forced to do it, I'm seeing the advantages. At least for me at this time of my life.

BradW: But 1-2 hours a day is coasting! When I'm on a project I write 4 hours on Tue/Thu and all day Sat/Sun. About 20-30 hours a week. For 5 or 6 months. Then I'm done. [This is the part where Lisa beats me up.]

LisaS: Yeah, for sure. Never thought of myself as a fast writer, but maybe I really am.

BradW: Yep, you were just wearing the wrong shoes.

LisaS: Yeah, maybe I was wearing Ted Dekker's shoes!

BradW: Ha! Were they red?

LisaS: No, black. Obsidian. Darker than the abyss. Darker than hell itself.

BradW: Like a gaping maw, spewing forth an absence of light, the shoes seemed to suck in all the light in the room, a veritable black hole of haute couture. Oswald rubbed his eyes, and they fell out and rolled into the abyss of . . .THE SHOES!

LisaS: True that!

BradW: Well, looks like I have to get up 4 hours from now to catch a plane. Any parting words for our aspiring self-abusers otherwise known as writers?

LisaS: "It beats working at McDonalds."

BradW: That's it? The famous parting words? I don't know if I can top that.

LisaS: Really, for me, it all sort of comes down to that in my most Ted Dekker of moments.

BradW: How about, "Many people think they have one good book in them. They are horribly wrong."

LisaS: Oh, yeah. That'll play in Padukah! Okay, that's spelled very wrongly. Paduca? Paducah?

BradW: I believe Puhdewkuh is the official spelling.

LisaS: LOL. Okay what is your real advice?

BradW: "Every morning, first thing, eat a worm. They’re filled with protein."

LisaS: That sort of puts everything else into perspective, I guess.

BradW: "Don't quit the day job?"

LisaS: That should be an encouragement to anyone!

BradW: "If I could talk you out of being a writer, I would. Because if you can be talked out of it, then you don't want it bad enough."

LisaS: Love that. It's really true. For all my talk, I can't imagine not doing it. Not really.

BradW: Exactly.

LisaS: Get some sleep.

BradW: Will do. Check you on the flip side.

LisaS: Over and out!