The Book Stacks

An Interview with Debbie Viguié

In this four part series we will be talking with author Debbie Viguié about her life as a professional writer.

(Continued from last Monday)

Elisa: Do you like to use an outline or do you prefer to just write?

Debbie: I prefer to just write. However, when it comes to writer’s block outlines are really helpful. You know where you are supposed to be going, then. To just write is better for me. Unfortunately that is not always the writer’s decision as oftentimes editors want an outline.

Elisa: How do you deal with writer’s block?

Debbie: Well, you can try to force your way forward. If you have an outline, then you can jump ahead to another scene that will be easier. Otherwise, try writing something completely different. Listen to some music. Get out of the house. Go see a film. For me, if all else fails, I put in the first disc of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (extended edition) on an endless loop. It’s very soothing for me, and somehow it taps right into my creative side. You see, there are movies I can do housework to, and there are movies I can write to. There are very few films that function both ways for me. Clue is one of the best ones for housework but I can’t write to it.

Elisa: What kind of book have you always wanted to write?

Debbie: Oh, everything, but most especially a western.

Elisa: Who are your favorite authors and why?

Debbie: Zane Grey is my favorite author. Every book he wrote had a romance in it. Sometimes it was a romance between man and nature or boys and sports. Other times, it was a romance between a man and a woman. Even though he was writing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he wrote a woman’s point of view really well. Another element he used in his writing was to tell the same scene twice, once from each side. He’d tell it all from “his� point of view, and then turn around and replay the same scene from “her� point of view. You could see how each person interpreted and misinterpreted the events and motives of the other. He was also great with imagery and his writing had intensity to it. One thing you have to remember about Zane Grey’s books. Every once in a while the story ended badly, so you were never quite sure if this one would turn out alright. Also, he kills you with his openers.

Jim Kjelgaard and Jack London wrote animal stories. Jim Kjelgaard wrote “Snow Dog� (which I’ve read over 400 times) and “Haunt Fox� (which I’ve read over 80 times). They were from the animal’s point of view. “Snow Dog� was about the love between a man and a dog. “Haunt Fox� was the story of an adversarial relationship between a hunter and the hunted. It’s about an animal trapper and a fox and their bond. The fox gets smarter and the boy gets older, and eventually the boy has to choose between renown and the continuation of that bond. Jack London’s “Call of the Wild� is also written from the animal’s point of view and explores the relationship between man and dog. He also writes great stories about life at sea.

I love Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.� It’s a bizarre story told from many points of view. Stylistically, it’s very different from anything else.

I like J. K. Rowling, too, but I like the later Harry Potter books better than the earlier ones.

…Part 4 to follow next week….

Debbie Viguié