Writers Like Us - Courtney C Stevens

Writers Like Us is alllllmost at 50 author interviews, and I've been lining up a stellar line up of inspiring and fun writers to count us down. You can check out all the interviews here, which include advice and insights from Sara Zarr, A.S. King, and many, many others.

This week, Courtney C Stevens stops by to share her writing, publishing, and life advice. She's the author of Faking Normal, The Blue-Haired Boy, and The Lies About Truth. You can find her tweeting at @Quartland. Her answers are below in bold.

Courtney on Writing

• I've written eight point seven books, and four point five have seen the light of day.

• My favorite type character to write is someone who feels real and unreal at the same time.

• No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with sleeping. No, seriously, I still have trouble with everything. The more I write and know, the harder it gets, because I want to level up.

• A typical comment from my critique partner is here’s a link to the difference between farther and further.

• The book I wished I wrote is the one I’m working on now.

Courtney on Getting Published

• When I was querying, I felt like maybe I should just take pictures of baby hedgehogs.

• The biggest mistake I ever made querying was trying to squash hope to protect myself. Many artists are scared to hope. I’m scared not to.

• What I love most about my agent is she’s aware of how my personal life affects my artistry.

• While my book was out on submission, I worked my day job and wrote the next book. I had a really keen sense that if it happened, it happened. If it didn’t, I'd write my way to where I wanted to be with the next thing.

• When I got "The Call," my first thought was I still have to do my day job tonight. How am I going to do my job tonight? I need to call my mom.

• When I saw my book sale in Publishers Marketplace, I went to my local librarian and thanked her.

Courtney on Life Outside Writing

• If I weren't a writer, I'd probably be an FBI agent. 

• Secretly, I'm terrified of losing my hearing.

• My secret girlfriend/boyfriend is if I told you, well, you see the problem here. 

• Sometimes, when no one is around, I drive fast on country roads and listen to music and look for places that no one else sees. (I also consider trespassing when there is an old silo with vines crawling up the sides, because … how awesome are those things?)

Courtney C. Stevens grew up in Kentucky and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is an adjunct professor and a former youth minister. Her other skills include playing hide-and-seek, climbing trees, and being an Olympic torch bearer. She is also the author of Faking Normal, which Kirkus Reviews called “a story that resonates” and Publishers Weekly called a “rich debut,” as well as the e-novella The Blue-Haired Boy, and the recently released The Lies About Truth.