The Book Stacks

Dr. Gillian Polack is a writer, historian, and mighty fine cook. You may learn more about her love of food history over at her Food History blog. Recently, she kindly allowed The Book Stacks to interview her, and here is the result.

Thank you for taking time to talk with me, Dr. Polack!

You’re welcome (though I have to admit, I don’t often answer to ‘Dr Polack.’ The writer-me is ‘Gillian.’)

1. How did you get started as a writer?

I have written stories inside my head from the moment I was old enough to read. When I read “The Little Princess”, I realized I wanted to tell other people those stories, too, and that I wanted to write them down. This led to me deciding at the advanced age of eight that I would have to make sure I got a day-job, because I couldn’t see myself making a living telling stories.

2. What sort of books have you written?

Novels, although the history-me has books lurking, too. Only one has been published to date (Illuminations, Trivium Publishing - buyable at all good online bookshops and just a few select non-online ones). Illuminations is half adventure fantasy and half women’s fiction and (alas) my sense of humour sneaks in from time to time.

3. What genre of book have you always wanted to write (but have yet to write)?

I’m writing the genre I always wanted to write. I love writing about women and what they think and what happens to their lives when magic enters it. I suspect that I want to write less seriously - everyone expects me to be serious because I’m an historian, but the truth will out, and the truth is that I’m not so serious a person.

4. What’s your favorite thing about writing?

The characters. I love it that interesting people let me inhabit their worlds for a few months or a couple of years and give me insights into their lives. It’s like making hosts of new friends. When they’re annoying, it’s in the same way that a good friend is annoying: I just have to laugh and accept it.

5. What’s your least favorite thing about writing?

Find a publisher or agent. I don’t mind being published, but I hate the process of seeking approval.

6. Where do you get your ideas?

From living?
Seriously, everything I do informs my fiction. I got mad about medical testing and how my then-doctor handled women’s hormonal issues, so I wrote an SF short story about it. Since I was small, I’ve had a sense of watching myself live and of analysing everything that happens and everything that everyone says or does (to the great annoyance of my sisters) and it was writing fiction that taught me why I was doing that.

7. Do you like to use an outline or do you prefer to just write?

I do both. Sometimes I need an outline, and sometimes I find that I have everything complete in my mind and can just write.

8. How do you deal with writer’s block?

For me, writer’s block generally means that I’m not seeing something I need to see with my fiction. An important event has to happen, or a character needs to have an epiphany. I go away and do other things or work on something else until my mind has had a chance to get to work and find out what the problem is and how I’m going to solve it. One of my favourite
ways of letting my mind work away at things is to cook.

9. Who are your favorite authors and why?

I always have a name ready, because people ask me this question a lot. The name right now is Ursula le Guin. Last year it was Cordwainer Smith. The year before that it was Aphra Behn. The truth is that my favourite authors are many and varied. Each of them has taught me something about myself, or the world, or about writing, or about humanity. The very best writers do all of this and entertain at the same time.

10. What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Don’t tell everyone you want to write. Sit down and write. Read and read and read. Then sit down and write some more. Learn how to edit. Then sit down and write some more, and edit what you write. Don’t dream of making millions - write the very best book you can. Then learn some more about writing and write something even better.

Dr. Gillian Polack, Food History, Illuminations, Ursula le Guin, Cordwainer Smith, Aphra Behn