I think I have read every book Sherryl has written…. 
spanning two or three decades. It is such a pleasure to have this opportunity to interview her; hearing about her rituals, her work space and what keeps her writing over the years.
Q. Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, special space for your writing?
A. I have two spaces for writing, since I split my life between two states. In Florida, I have an official office in a condo separate from the one in which I live. I actually walk to work…across a parking garage, which isn’t exactly scenic, but gets me there under the “shortest distance” theory. My view includes a tiny glimpse of the ocean, a slightly better view of Biscayne Bay and a snippet of the Miami skyline. That said, I rarely look up from my computer long enough to see any of it!
Sorry, but I don’t have an pictures of me in my work space. Sherryl
In my Virginia office, which amounts only to a desk in a guest bedroom, I look straight out at a beautiful crepe myrtle tree, which is filled with pink blossoms in late summer. I also have a glimpse of my vegetable garden and enjoy the company of a slew of noisy birds!
Q. Do you have any special rituals when you sit down to write? (a neat work space, sharpened #2 pencils, legal pad, cup of tea, glass of brandy, favorite pajamas, etc.)
A. I head out at 6:30 a.m. daily in Florida, pick up my iced mocha at Starbucks, then plant myself in front of the computer till my pages for the day are written. In Virginia — where the closest Starbucks is almost an hour away — I just plant myself in front of the computer. I do think that iced mocha makes me writer faster!
Q. What is your mode of writing?
A. My brain connects directly to the computer, which is ironic, since years ago when I still worked for newspaper, they had to drag my old-fashioned standard typewriter away from me as I kicked and screamed. It’s taken a lot of years but I have — mostly, anyway — adapted to modern technology.
Q. Do you have a set time each day to write or do you write only when you are feeling creative?
A. I don’t have time to wait for my muse to turn up. I’m at the computer every day by seven and write until I’ve met my page count — 10-15 pages.
Q. What’s your best advice to other writers for overcoming procrastination?
A. I don’t really have any advice. Every writer has to find the creative process and motivation that works for them. I came out of journalism, where deadlines were an essential part of my life. They still are and I’m compulsive about meeting them.
Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing and for how long?
A. I certainly hit wonderful moments in my story when the characters take over and speak to me at odd times of the day or night, but in terms of actual writing, I stick to the schedule.
Q. Who or what is your “Muse” at the moment?
A. I’ve always joked that the threat of starvation was an excellent motivator. I don’t know that it sparks creativity, but in the early days of low advances and no other income, it certainly kept me in my chair in front of the computer.
Q. When did you begin to write seriously?
A. I left the newspaper business in 1980 and started trying to write romances during a lull before I went in search of another job. I’d just started a new career at a medical center when my first book was published in 1982. I kept working and writing till 1986, when I decided to take the plunge and write full-time. Thank goodness it worked out.
Don’t Miss Part 2 this thursday, March 20th! Click here to read my REVIEW of Sherryl’s “Home to Seaview Key”
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DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS!
In addition to my twice weekly blog I also feature an interview with another author once a month. So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers’ special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create! Dean Koontz just granted me an interview and will be featured here this spring!
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