Interview With Valerie Atkinson Brown
Name: Valerie Atkinson Brown
Website: http://www.authorsguild.net/members/valbrown/
Contact: Valerie Brown, valerie198@yahoo.com
Questions:
Q: Where are you originally from? Pasadena, Texas
A: Can you tell us your latest book news? International Business Law will be out in 2005.
Q: How old were you when you first started writing?
A: Very young - I entered a contest with my illustrated story. I didn’t win, but I had the urge to write ever since then. I loved putting my memories, experiences, and impressions on paper - and providing fun drawings.
Q: When did you first realize you had the potential to be a writer?
A: When I knew I could not excel at other pursuits - and plus the drive to write became too strong. I had to do it.
Q: What was your inspiration to write your first novel?
A: Personal experience and a vision of the future - kind of Ann Rayndish - about World War III. I had this vision long before 9-11 because I knew something bad was coming because of all the problems in the world. There was even a time I wanted to relinquish my American citizenship because of all the apathy about so many important issues and because of favoritism to some pressure groups (that use any means to get their way).
Q: Is there anyone or anything that inspired you to write?
A: My dad. And Thomas Jefferson.
Q: How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
A: Yes in many ways. My dad did many great things in his life after growing up poor and picking cotton. Later he attended Anapolis and Rice. He did all this through sheer perseverance - the same quality a writer must have. You can be talented, but if you do not persevere, you will not succeed. You can have loads of money to pursue a writing career (even talent) but if you do not persevere, you will not succeed.
Again hopefuls - perseverance - this means through hardships, hard times, brutal times, even times where there seems to be no hope and no friends to help you. Persevere.
Q: Do you have a specific writing style?
A: I’m exploring all different kinds. With writing as a career I have loads of time. I will never retire and will explore different writing styles for as long as I can.
Q: What genre are you most comfortable writing?
A: For now, non-fiction law and business guides.
Q: How do you come up with the title(s) for your book(s)?
A: They come to me after contemplating the world around me.
Q: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
A: Most of my writing so far just tells readers to try to understand the seemingly difficult - just break everything down and somehow it can be learned by anyone.
Q: How much of the novel is realistic?
A: Depends.
Q: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?
A: Certainly they are based on real experiences.
Q: What books have most influenced your life?
A: Anything Sylvia Plath. Anything Eudora Welty. And Stephen King and Oscar Wilde. Stephen King is probably my all time favorite - he started from a trailor and just kept writing and writing. He did not let anything stop him.
Q: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
A: I would love to have Stephen King as a mentor.
Q: What are you reading now?
A: Everything I can find about subjects I love or find intriguing - field guides to butterflies, the history of letters, handbook to chemistry and physics.
Q: What new author has grasped your interest?
A: DAVID SEDARIS IS HILARIOUS. I LOVE HIM!
Q: Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?
A: Winston Churchill said it all - never, never, never give up! Never!