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Laurell K. Hamilton
Generalized Biography (from website or back of book).

Interview
Welcome Laurell! I want to congratulate you on your success, and thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. You have over 32 books published to date and from your blog, I saw that there are many more coming. Good news for me since I am a fan.

1. What made you decide to become an author?

It's all I've ever wanted to be, except for a brief desire to be a wild life biologist.

2. You have also received many awards during your writing career; how does it feel to be living a dream come true for many authors?

To my knowledge, I've not won any awards. Do you mean what is it like to be successful as a writer? My only goal when I began was to be able to make enough money to support myself and my future family, doing the thing I loved most in the world; writing. My success has exceeded my dreams by an amazing amount. Not many people get to say that. One of the best things about my success is that I know that as long as I want to write about Anita and Merry that I'll be able to. My first series died after just one book because it did not sell well enough for the publisher to want the sequel. I've had the failures, and they make the victories all the sweeter.

3. How long have you been writing?

I've been writing since I was twelve and a half. I've been trying to sell my stories as a writer professionally since I was seventeen. I sold my first story in my mid-twenties.

4. What was your first book? How long did it take you to get your first book published?

NIGHTSEER was my first book. It took four years to write. I no longer remember how long it took to sell, but it was nearly four years after it sold before it hit the shelves. The book was held at the publisher so long it almost reverted back to me contractually.

5. How do you come your with your characters? Do you have a specific setting in which you write?

I can't truly tell you how I come up with characters. It's such a natural process for me now. Some characters come whole cloth like Jean-Claude. Some characters are created by bits and pieces like Edward, but then take on a life of their own and change from the original vision. When I was trying to create Edward I turned on the television in the middle of the day, something I rarely do. "The Day of the Jackal" with Edward Fox in the lead was on. That movie came at the perfect time to help solidify what I wanted my Edward to be like. Of course, he's changed a great deal, but that one bit of lucky procrastination came at just the right time. But, I was also in the middle of the book and ready to use the bit of luck.

6. Which is your favorite character or characters to write about?

My favorite character will depend on the moment and what I'm writing. Beyond that it's like picking favorites among your kids.

7. What do you like to do in your spare time?

Spare time? Hmm, I've heard of the concept, but I'm unfamiliar with the actual event.

8. Do you have a set schedule when you write or do you write when you are feeling creative?

Writing is a job and I treat it that way. I try to get to my desk no later than 9:00 A.M. I write until lunch then go back in the afternoon for another session. I try to exercises in the afternoon, but as for most writers, I find the creative process more fascinating. If a deadline or the muse is really pushing sometimes I'll go back for a third session in the evening. I try not to do that though. I find it leaves me tired for the morning session the next day.

9. How did you go about choosing your publisher or agent? Any advice to offer?

I talked to people in the business on what agents they most admired, my current agent was in the top three every time. Why not the other two? One did not return my phone call in time. The other had a terrible office staff. No matter how good your agent is, they can be immensely helped or hurt by less than competent office staff. Publisher, well, your agent handles that part, really. If you're looking for a publisher without an agent, then make certain the publisher actually publishes the kind of books you write. Nothing says amateur like sending in a men's action novel to a regency romance house.

10. Do you feel a calling toward a specific genre or style of writing?

Obviously, that's why I write almost exclusively first person narratives set in modern settings with fantastical elements. I was writing mixed genre when it didn't sell, and I'm still writing it now that it sells like hot cakes.

11. You also have begun working on a comic strip. Would you like to tell us about it?

I am working on a comic book, not a comic strip. Very different media. The first Anita Blake book, GUILTY PLEASURES, is being adapted into a comic book. It has been amazing watching the art come across my desk. The script is following very close to the book, which is also very cool. There are now six issues out, with those six being gathered into a hardback addition with an extra new piece scripted by myself and my husband, Jonathon, in the book as an added value. He is a comic book geek from way back, and understood the medium better than I did. We weren't sure we could collaborate. I don't share well. But it went quickly and smoothly. So smoothly we wrote a prequel to GUILTY PLEASURES in comic form. The first time Anita and Jean-Claude meet. Anita's first serial killer case. One of the first times Anita and Edward meet. It was fun and we learned a lot about scripts on the job. I love script writing. It's just dialogue. Which is the quickest and easiest thing I write. I've had people that do script as their main job say we are very fast. But after writing thousand page novel, a hundred or so pages of script just doesn't take that long.

12. There is a rumor that a movie may also be in the works. Do you have any comments on it?

Not true. Sorry, but the rumor mill is again wrong on this one.

13. You mention your grandmother and husband quite frequently. Would you like to take a moment and say anything to them?

My grandmother died a little more than a year ago. I don't wish to say more than that right now.

I am so sorry to hear that; you have our deepest sympathies. I want to thank you for your time today and hope to get the opportunity to review more work from you in the near future. Thank you for choosing Enchanting Reviews.

Interviewed by Dee
July 2007lL