Interview with Marie Anderson
Q: What’s your name and where are you from?
A: Marie Anderson, Western Springs, IL (a Chicago suburb)
Q: Talk about your journey as a writer. Was there any inspiration you can recall that started it all? When did you know writing was a passion for you?
A: I’ve always loved stories! I love reading them and watching them via movies and streaming. I don’t love writing first drafts (the tyranny of the blank screen), but I love rewriting. The ability to rewrite is what keeps me writing. We writers have a superpower—the backspace key! It’s liberating for me to know that nobody ever sees my first drafts.
Q: Have you had any formal education in writing? If yes, what did you find most useful from the education? If no, how did you learn everything you currently know about writing?
A: I took a couple of writing classes in college. I’ve learned the most from reading other writers’ work, fiction and non-fiction, as well as from how-to articles and books (e.g. On Writing by Stephen King).
Q: Do you have a writer’s group that you work with? What other resources have you found that help you out?
A: I participate in three different writing critique groups that meet at public libraries near me. Since 2009, I’ve been leading and learning from a writing critique group that meets two Wednesdays each month at a public library in La Grange, IL.
Q: What are some of your goals for your writing career?
A: 1) To keep writing; 2) To keep submitting work for publication; 3) To support other writers by cheerleading their successes, reading their work, and sharing publishing opportunities.
Q: Talk about one of your favorite pieces you’ve written. Why is that one your favorite?
A: My short story, “Lunch Lady Sings the Blues,” is the story I wrote (and rewrote several times!) most dear to my heart. It was inspired by real life events that happened to me when I worked as a lunch lady at a public grammar school. It was published a few years ago in Persimmon Tree. I like that the hero if the story is one of the many ordinary people who quietly and with no public recognition or fanfare make a positive difference in their world.
Q: What does your writing process look like?
A: First drafts happen in the early morning after two cups of coffee. Rewriting happens anytime.
Q: What do you do for work? What other hobbies or interests do you have besides writing?
A: I’m a retired empty nester (a married mother of three millennials). Past employment includes working at schools, in offices, and at a bakery. My interests are: my family, reading, streaming, knitting, walking, occasional casino visits, and keeping my lovely little ranch home tidy and welcoming.
Q: As we all know, most people make little to no money for their writing, yet it’s still an important part of any writer’s life. How do you make time to write? Is there a particular time of day you prefer to write?
A: It has never felt to me like I have to make time to write. The time has always been there, even when I was a full-time mom of three little ones. I’m most alert and caffeinated in the morning, so that’s when the first drafts happen.
Q: What are you currently reading?
A: The Verifiers by Jane Pek; Battle Mountain by C. J. Box
Q: Are you currently working on any projects you want to talk about?
A: This year (2025) I will be putting together my third book of stories that have been previously published by various publishers. The first two (available on Amazon) are What Good Moms Do and Other Stories and Sharp Curves Ahead. The working title for my third book is Small, Medium, Large.
Q: What is one piece of advice you can offer to new writers?
A: Rewrite after getting early drafts critiqued by others.
Q: Is there anything else you want to talk about?
A: Thank you for these interesting questions! I enjoyed answering them!