Q: What’s your name and where are you from?

A: I write under the pen name C.A. Dickson. I was born in Long Beach, CA and still live in the greater Los Angeles area.

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: To this day, Brewitt Neighborhood Library is my “safe space.” This library was where I discovered just how magical books can be. As a young girl, I marveled at how words could make me feel. How they could transport me anywhere, even to places that didn’t exist. I was in awe of that power and wanted to learn how to wield it myself. The boundlessness of the mystical, mysterious, and magical is the enchantment I strive to bring into my writing.

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:  In an interview, Christopher Walken was asked about the melodic quality he brings to his line delivery that has come to be known as his signature style, and he explained that he rehearses his monologues until the rhythm of the words “sound right” to him. That’s exactly how I write. Although I did take a couple undergrad creative writing courses, my gut has always been my brightest north star in developing my style and voice as a writer. If the idea, phrasing, cadence, pacing, etc. give me tingles, then I know I’m on the right track.

Q: Do you have a writer’s group that you work with? What other resources have you found that help you out?

A:  I wish I could say I’m great at building community, but part of why I write is because I prefer to work in solitary. There are some incredibly valuable resources for writers like Literary Marketplace, Duotrope, AWP, and free webinars hosted by Authors Guild. I also exercise being a good literary citizen by engaging with Reparations Club bookstore. This destination is a vital means for writers and bibliophiles alike in that they work closely with PEN America co-hosting book readings, signings, and events of which I will occasionally take part. I learn a lot from communing with other writers, yet I have a bit of a superstitious streak in that I don’t want others’ styles to influence my own voice too much.

Q: What are some of your goals for your writing career?

A: My greatest goal in writing is to do for others what books have done for me. I want to plant seeds that will flourish in someone else’s imagination. I want to sprinkle magic into the ordinary. I want my work to leave a lasting impression that stains the memory forever. If I do that correctly, then other accolades like awards, prizes, recognition, and even film/TV adaptations will follow.

Q: Talk about one of your favorite pieces you’ve written. Why is that one your favorite?

A: My favorite writing is always the one I’m working on currently. Right now, I’m wrapping up my third novel, Asshole Teenage Girls, which has been an absolute thrill to write. All three of my novels are magical realism/speculative fiction, but what sets this one apart is the cast of characters. I’ve had to revisit my own teenage years, and through the tenacity of these characters, I’ve been able to reclaim a power I felt I’d lost back when I was trying to navigate the psychological gauntlet of teenage life. I’m also tackling very different subject matter than I’m used to writing in addition to experimenting with language in new ways, so it’s been an incredibly exciting learning experience for me.

Q: What does your writing process look like?

A:  The general idea of the book usually comes first. I’ll do a ton of research on the subject matter.  I’ll use that info to draw a rough plot outline then leave it be. I spend most of my time developing the characters. I give them birthdays, and birth places, physical features, phobias, etc. I sharpen their attributes to the point that they come alive in my head. I can hear their voices. I know what they wear, what they eat, where the live, how they walk, and even sometimes how they smell. At that point, I become almost a journalistic observer taking record of how the various characters navigate the situations I put them in.

Q: What is one piece of advice you can offer to new writers?

A:  Writing is a meditation. It is a passionate release. It is the writer’s duty to both themselves and the reader to create when the inspiration is flowing.