Questions for an Interview

By Elaine L. Orr

I recently jotted some notes for an interview about my writing and writing practices, and they reminded me why I do what I do.

How long have you been writing?

For probably twenty-five years, I jotted notes and wrote short things and a few plays. Then I decided that writing books was more my style and started doing it seriously in about 2005. The first ones were published at the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011. I don't intend to stop.

Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?

I wouldn't say always, or I suppose I would have gone into academic writing programs instead of political science. I did take a journalism course right after college and wrote a lot of very boring reports. 

When it comes to fiction though, cozy mysteries were a natural for me. I had always enjoyed traditional mysteries like Agatha Christies or M.C. Beaton's work. I also decided that while some people might not read cozies, they could be read by everyone from high school up. If you write something that has a lot of violence or sex, there are distinct audiences for those, but not everyone wants to read them. Not that everyone wants to read cozies. I occasionally hear someone who has never read one refer to them as too simple. I dare them to write a good one.

Do you have a favorite place to write? 

I write in places with some activity, but not something I’m involved in. That way I feel like I'm with people but I don't have to talk much. Libraries are good and when I first moved to Illinois I spent a lot of time in Starbucks. I can also write at home. It may sound trite, but the hardest thing about that is keeping the cat away from me. I really like her, but she wants to sit on the keyboard or my lap.

Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?

I read a little bit of everything. I like Anne Tyler, who writes literary fiction. There are still Agatha Christie books I haven't read. I do read some thrillers, from authors such as John Sandford’s Virgil Flowers series or almost anything by Daniel Silva. 

I like books where the characters are compelling. One of my favorite books is Pompeii by Robert Harris. Of course, you know how it's going to end, but the characters he created and the situations he describes are fascinating. 

I'm in a "women of mystery book club" (WOMB). We just finished Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Satanto. What's that saying? So many books, so little time.

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