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The Interview - Mae McGraw
maemcgraw.com
How did you become an author and get published? Share your experience.
Lots and lots of query letters with plenty of rejection letters, but I persisted in the face of adversity, just like Katie Harris.
Which character do you enjoy writing the most as a writer and why? If choosing a favorite character is like choosing a favorite child, which character do you find requires the most attention and detail from you as a writer?
Oh, for sure it's my protagonist, Katie Harris, who is my favorite. She is curious, spunky and tenacious. Katie requires a lot of research and stretch of my imagination. I am not as spunky as she is so it's sometimes a stretch for me to put her in risky situations as she pursues the truth.
Can you explain your writing process? Do you prefer to create an outline and plan beforehand, or do you prefer to write more spontaneously and organically?
I do make an outline based on the "Save the Cat" method. I often go off my outline when it suits the story.
What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?
Three of my favorite authors are Rhys Bowen, Victoria Thompson, and Anne Perry. They inspire me because they put so much emotion in their historical mysteries. I have learned much from studying their work.
Tell us what you enjoy most about writing [genre].
Learning about the past and then writing about characters that live and work in the Civil War period.
What have you found to be most challenging about writing in [genre]?
I love to research, especially the Civil War period. It's so fascinating because there were many changes for women and in medicine. I sometimes spend too much time researching just because I find it so interesting.
Do you identify with your main character or did you create a character that is your opposite?
Katie Harris is part me and part my imagination. Katie cares about people and she's tenacious--that part is me. For the imagination piece, look to her risks. I'm more cautious by nature and would not attempt some of her schemes.
Describe the [book/series] in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.
In 1865, Katie solves murders while pursuing a medical career.
Would you like readers to have any specific takeaway from your book?
Yes, the power of persistence in the face of adversity.
Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?1. What is your favorite line from your book?
Keep writing--your writing will improve. Tenacity is the key to getting published. If the large presses and literary agents aren't interested, move on the smaller presses because they have so much to offer.
My favorite line is when Katie quotes Florence Nightingale: "How little can be done under the spirit of fear."
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I am president of the Northeast Ohio chapter of Sisters in Crime, a member of Literary Cleveland, Great Lakes Fiction Writers, and most important a writing critique group. I think it's important to connect with other writers. I also love golf, boating, and most of all reading. I am in several book clubs. I do like to socialize too.
Was there anything you had to research for the book?
Yes, 1865 medicine, fashion, slang, Civil War battle sites are all research areas that I focus on to accurately describe life in Ohio's post-Civil War times.
Did you have any say in the cover design?
Yes, Bitter Medicine is an historical novel, so pictures of Katie Harris's dress, hat, a town circa 1865, and pony cart were submitted. Katie, my protagonist, often travels to town in a pony cart.
What are you reading right now?
Paula Brackston's The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish. This is book one in her series. I'm always interested in seeing how an author incorporates previous information in a series. How does the writer give the information necessary from previous books without making it too cumbersome or repetitive.
What can we anticipate from you moving forward?
I will be continuing the series with possibly five more historical mysteries, featuring Katie Harris as she works through her apprenticeship and moves on to become a doctor. Internal Medicine, the book I'm working on now, has Katie investigating a murder and the wrongful confinement of a woman in an insane asylum. In Ohio, 1865, a woman could be declared insane with her husband's, brother's, or father's signature and that of one doctor.
Did you always want to be an author? If not, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. I taught Senior English and AP English at a high school for many years. Although I would write plays for my friends and siblings to act out as a child, I didn't start writing articles and stories until much later. Teaching did not give me much time to pursue my writing passion, but I would get up early to write because I loved it.
Where do you like to write? In a coffee shop? In your home office? On the beach?
I write at home in my office. No music, except my husband practicing on the piano. He often plays while I write.
Are any of the characters in your book based on people in your real life? If so, can you tell us more about that process and how it influenced your writing?
Oh, yes! I use my friends and acquittances for many of my characters. I change a few physical features and their names, but when I'm writing, I imagine how these folks would act and react. It makes it so much easier to describe my characters' actions.
