Christine Rose is an author, artist, and filmmaker. She has produced two documentary films and has credits on IMDB.com. The first film enjoyed a theatrical premiere in Paris and a considerable amount of international press. In addition, she has had articles appear in several magazines, including MovieMaker Magazine and IndieSlate Magazine discussing her career as an independent filmmaker. She's the author of the middle grade novel, Rowan of the Wood, a Finalist for the 2008 National Best Books Award in the Young Adult Fiction category.
Thanks for this interview, Christine. Who is your target audience?
When asked that question at events, my husband quips, "9-99"! We have a 12-year-old protagonist who's possessed by a 1400 year old wizard (aged about 40), so it's truly a crossover book. The content is appropriate for all ages, and the reading level starts around nine years old. That said, we've had someone as young as 4 read it! That's one advanced reader! At the same time, many, many adults have enjoyed Rowan of the Wood as well! There is a wonderful tragic love story mixed with ancient Celtic lore all woven into a modern-day, magical adventure tale.
What type of writer are you — the one who experiences before writing, like Hemingway, or the one who mostly daydreams and fantasizes?
A little of both. I definitely write from actual experiences, especially feelings. It's how I work through some emotional things, especially hard things like betrayal and feelings of worthlessness, or existential thought. If I'm hurting or stressed, I find it helpful to work through it by giving it to my characters. It makes their experiences very real.
Agatha Christie got her best ideas while eating green apples in the bathtub. Steven Spielberg says he gets his best ideas while driving on the highway. When do you get your best ideas and why do you think this is?
Some of my best ideas come to me just as I'm about to fall asleep, which can be rather annoying! I then have to get up and write them down. I can't just keep a notebook by the bed because I would forget to look at it the next day. The notes have to be by the computer, because that's where I live most of the time. I think I get these ideas just as I'm about to fall asleep because I'm the most relaxed then. I often kid my husband that I don't know how to relax, which isn't far from the truth. I'm rather a workaholic, and I think it's learned behavior from being self-employed for so long. There are so many different hats you have to wear on any given day. Author is just one of them.
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