Hello Diane

Me – Interesting collection of books and I look forward to seeing more of your stories soon.

Which aspect of the writing process do you enjoy the most? And why?

Diane -I love building characters. When I work on a novel, the characters become like family and friends to me. I know them as intimately as I know the other members of my family or my best friends – sometimes better. When my novel is released, and there is nothing more for me to do on it, other than the marketing, I definitely go through a grieving process.

Me – That’s a good point, there is a sadness mixed with joy when your book is released, after all the time you have spent with it.

What distracts you when you are in writing flow? Is there anything you do to counter this?

Diane - I used to write sitting on the couch in my living room. That was a problem because every time I looked up, I would see that the dishwasher needed to be run or that the living room needed to be vacuumed or the shelves needed to be dusted… Even if I didn’t get up and do those things, they still interrupted the flow. To counteract these distractions, I would go to a coffee shop, however COVID made that impossible, certainly early in the pandemic. Then I created an office for myself in the house. That helped but because the doors to my office are French doors, everyone else can see that I am in there and, even though my husband is also a writer, and my daughter knows I am working, they would still come and knock on the door to ask… “Can you pick up lettuce for the guinea pigs today? Did you call the appliance repair place about the washing machine? Do you want me to leave you the leftovers for lunch? (All actual questions I’ve been asked while trying to write.) So, now I get up at 5am when I know no one else will be up for at least three hours and do the bulk of my writing then. I also made a sign for the door with a picture of a big vicious dog saying, “Writer is busy. Do not disturb.”

Me – Ha, I love the idea of a sign on the door.

When writing fiction, what part pushes itself into your imagination first? Story premise, character, setting, plot, ending?

Diane -I usually find some crazy kernel of an idea which is different each time. My first novel, Greenwich List came from an image of a London phone box. That one image, which interestingly does not appear anywhere in the novel, opened the door to the rest of the story for me. My second novel, The Bastard of Saint Genevra came to me as my husband and my daughter and I drove around Sicily with our TomTom giving us very bad directions. We were driving through little villages, each of which would have at least two patron saints. The thought crossed my mind, what if someone were driving around Sicily and someone was talking to them through their GPS and what if that person was a long dead saint? My novel, 1821 Haven Street, which will be released, I’m hoping either later this year or early next year, came from a writing exercise that I was doing with a group of teens – what if? We all made a list of the craziest ‘what if’ scenerios. ‘What if we could speak to trees telepathically?’ ‘What if the sky were really purple?’ While doing this exercise, I wrote ‘What if a man’s beard came off his face and went on a killing spree?’ This idea sat in my head for about five years before I said to my brain, ‘All right, all right, I’ll write it.’ Other ideas have come to me in less abstract ways as well. My vampire novel, The Gris-Gris Bag, which will be coming out by the end of the summer, came from an historical event in New Orleans that I found fascinating and which was related to a similar historical event in early Canadian history. In my earlier life, I taught Canadian history in high school so historical events have always interested me.

Me – The Gris- Gris Bag sounds like a chilling story.

How do you decide which book to write next?

Diane - This is hard because I usually have at least half a dozen books in my head waiting to be written. At the moment, I actually have 18 books floating about, calling to me. It’s generally the one that is kicking the inside of my skull most insistently that I pick up next.

Me – Oh yes, I have the problem of too many to choose from. But it’s a good problem to have I think.

Of the genres you have written in, which did you find the hardest to write and why?

Diane - So far, I have published a travelogue/cookbook, a ‘chicklit’ novel, a novel of magical realism, and a book of poetry. Of my unpublished work, I have written or am working on a horror novel, a paranormal romance, and a Viking romance trilogy. I also have written short stories of various genres. None of these is more difficult than any other. As I mentioned already, it is my characters that draw me into my tales. My close relationships with my characters are what make or break the story for me. If I have a character to whom I am struggling to relate, that is when I find it the hardest, and usually is a sign for me to scrap the character and start again.

Me – I find your relationship with your characters fascinating, but I agree you do need to be invested in them to write their story.

What is the strangest observation from the real world that has made it into one of your books?

Diane - One day I was sitting in a coffee shop early on in the process of writing the first draft for my horror novel. I was trying to come up with an image for the monster. I was gazing out the window and a business across the street had one of those crazy floppy inflatable tube men car lots will often use for advertising. That was the exact image I needed. My monster became like a hairy, floppy tube-guy who would enter people’s apartments at night and rip them apart from the inside out. Not exactly what the car lots had in mind, I think.

Me – Oh my, that sounds terrifying and very gory.

Which one of your fictional stories reflects your life experiences the most?

Diane - Probably Greenwich List. The story begins with the main character believing that she must find a way to get her abusive partner to come back to her. Sadly, that was an experience that I repeated a few times. Fortunately, I’m a lot smarter now, and my husband is much kinder.

Me – Sadly it is something many people experience and it’s great you wrote a book for people to relate to.

What aspect of your personality have you explored through writing?

Diane - In the past I tended to choose partners that were not so good for me. That certainly came through in Greenwich List. There was some of that in The Bastard of Saint Genevra, however, my love for Sicily, where I now spend half my life, and the relationship with my daughter came through much more clearly in that novel. My book of poetry, Gratitude & Betrayal | Betrayal & Gratitude, explores my relationships with my husband, my daughter, and my friends, my sexuality, my humour, and my attitudes towards aging.

Me – I think writing is a brilliant way to explore ourselves and our beliefs and you are brave to admit the connection.

Of all the books you have written, which have you learnt the most from?

Diane - In terms of learning about myself, I would have to say The Bastard of Saint Genevra. In terms of learning about writing, 1821 Haven Street taught me the most.

Me – Learning about writing is a never-ending task, I think.

This last question is purely because I’m curious as to how author’s kickstart their brains and fuel their writing.  What do you like to eat for breakfast?

Diane - I often don’t eat breakfast – or at least not when I’m up at 5am to write – so at that time I just have black coffee. A great big mug of espresso to kick start me into my morning process. Later, when I have finished my 2000-ish words for the day, I will take a break and have rice crackers and peanut butter, or rice crackers with melted cheese. I used to have toast until I discovered that it was gluten that was making me sick as a dog.

Me - I rarely see 5am and wouldn’t want to eat then either! Rice crackers with melted cheese sounds like something I will have to try. 

 Thank you for you interesting answers, it’s been fun getting to know you.

For more information about Diane and her books please check out the links below.



Mancia di Sanu: A Canadian Expat’s Take on Sicilian Life and Cuisine

The Bastard of Saint Genevra

Gratitude & Betrayal | Betrayal & Gratitude

website and social media

https://dianegallagherwritings.com/

https://www.facebook.com/dianegallagherwritings

Twitter - @diane_writes

Instagram - @dianegallagherwritings