Author Interview – Lisa Richesson

Welcome to another great week of Author Interviews! Today we have Non-Fiction author Lisa Richesson visiting with us to answer our 10 questions. Let’s get started!

1)    What name do you write under? Is this a pseudonym?   Do you use more than one name when you write?

Lisa Richesson. (This is not a pseudonym, nor does she use any other names in her writing career)

2) Tell us about the first time you realized that you were an author or were going to be an author. 

I was fourteen and had just finished reading John Lennon’s In His Own Write.  I suddenly knew deep down to my bones that I was a writer deep in my soul.

3)  What genre(s) do you write in, and why? 

Non-fiction and memoir because, as Christopher Isherwood said, “Why invent when life is so prodigious?”  For me, the lives and memories of people are much more interesting than fiction.  You can’t make this stuff up, right?

4)    What genres are your favorites to read? Why? 

I enjoy reading memoirs, history, oral histories.   Because for me, reading memoirs and history helps to ground me in the present.  By knowing how the world has evolved and how historic events have shaped our lives today, everything makes a bit more sense.

5)  Tell us about your two all-time favorite characters: 1 that you wrote and 1 that someone else wrote. 

This a hard one to answer as any favorite character I have will be a real person or entity of some sort.  Given that train of thought, my favorite character/entity is London.  As far as a character that I’ve written, I’m still working on it!

6)  There is a lot of controversy about allowing books to be made into movies (especially when they cut or change large portions of the plot). Would you be willing for your books/stories to become a movie? Why or why not?

Sure.   A movie would get my work out to a lot of people who don’t necessarily look at books to buy on Amazon!

7)    How do you handle writer’s block? 

I set a goal of writing 1,000 words a day.  If the words just won’t materialize I either go for a walk or read or plop in front of the TV until I feel refreshed.

8)  What inspires you? 

Reading.  Movies.  Talking with folks.  Reading.  Art.  Museums.  Reading.  Travel.  Reading.

9) How do you respond when people ask what you do, then make that face if you say “I’m an author”? 

I’ve never gotten that face.  Rather I get, “Oh really?  What do you write?” or “Published yet?” or “How nice.”  “Or I’m (or my cousin, aunt, uncle, mother, father, best friend) is a writer too.”  “Oh wow!  Are you in a writer’s group?  Wanna start one?”  My response would be:  I write memoir and non-fiction.  I just published my first book on CreateSpace.  How nice you (or a relative/friend) is also a writer.  And thanks, but I’m not entirely interested in a writer’s group; however, I’d like to hear your ideas about one.”

10)  Finally, tell us where to go to find you:

My book, White Lady, Black Sons: a memoir of adoption, abuse and awakening is available on Amazon and Kindle. 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LRichesson. 

Twitter @LisaRichesson. 

Blog at  www.lisarichesson@wordpress.com.

Thank you Lisa for those insightful answers, and thank you everyone for joining us today. If you would like to be featured in your own interview (author, illustrator, agent, publisher, etc) please contact me and we’ll get you set up! Have a fabulous weekend!