Author Interview: Q&A With Tinthia Clemant
Please welcome Tinthia Clemant to our Featured Author Q&A series at Writer’s Fun Zone. Enjoy!
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About Tinthia Clemant
Tinthia Clemant is the author of several women’s fiction novels and My Immortal Beloved, a collection of poems about grieving and loss. She lives on the Concord River with her rescue pets: a black Lab named Harlee and two cats; plus, an assortment of wildlife.
On to Our Interview!
Q: Tell us who you are and what inspires you to write.
A: I am a woman in her late sixties who believes in the power of magic.
I weave my magic by writing, whether I am working on a book of poems or fiction.
My writing soothes the ragged edges of my soul and helps me find the joy that is sometimes hidden in the world around me.
Q: How did you get to this place in your life? Share your story!
A: My desire to write started at a young age but I never felt I was good enough to pursue a career as an author. It wasn’t until after my second divorce, from the same man, (Now, there’s a story!) that I decided to follow my dream.
I had stories to tell and I didn’t want to leave this earth with my stories still bottled up inside of me.
Q: What are you most passionate about?
A: Passion comes in all shapes and sizes.
I am passionate about sunrises and sunsets, the songbirds at the bird feeders outside my windows, a new hydrangea cultivar, my son and my dog, good coffee and warm muffins, the scent of the earth in early spring, the warmth of the earth on an August afternoon, the smell of a wood fire and baking bread, the sound of ducklings as they follow their mother hen, the cry of an eagle and the hoot of an owl, and the laughter that comes from deep within one’s soul.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process, routine, and/or rituals around your writing?
A: My day starts early, typically around 5.
I make coffee and sit at a table that faces the river outside my house. As the sun rises I write.
Sometimes fiction, sometimes poetry, sometimes a blog post, sometimes just random thoughts.
I drink coffee and write. No music except for the sounds of the birds outside at the feeders.
They sing and I write.
Q: What are a few challenges you faced in creating, marketing, or publishing your creative work? And your solutions to them.
A: The biggest challenge I face when creating a book of fiction is plotting.
I am what is called a panster, someone who writes freely, allowing the characters to go wherever they want to go.
Sometimes they take me places that make sense and sometimes they have me all turned around.
That’s when I have to face the reality that I need a plan.
Q: What do you wish you had known before you started writing fiction?
A: What do I wish I had known before? Oh dear, there is so much.
For example, I wish I had known how lonely one can get while writing. Establishing a support network is vital, in my humble opinion, to a writer’s mental health.
I also wish I had known how to toughen up my skin to withstand the negative reviews.
Overall, though, I enjoy writing and the process of allowing my mind to fly across the page.
Q: What’s next for you in your creative work?
A: My next project is a third book of poetry and a new women’s fiction novel.
Q: Is there anything else you wished I’d asked? Please share!
A: I wished you had asked me if depression gets in the way of writing.
The short answer is: it can.
As someone who has suffered with depression for many, many (far too many) years, I have found little ways of pulling myself out of the rabbit hole and staying creative.
One such way is to set a timer for five minutes. In those five minutes I write about anything I want. Silly stuff, serious stuff, my grocery list — anything.
Sometimes that’s all it takes to get me on track and happily writing again.
My Immortal Beloved by Tinthia Clemant
On November 23, 2019, my sister lost her battle with ovarian cancer. She had fought valiantly for three years but, alas, the cancer proved a formidable opponent.
Over the past twelve months I have compiled a series of musings that I hoped would help me gather the pieces of my shattered soul. I humbly present this collection to you, dear reader.
Connect with Tinthia Clemant
Website: tinthiaclemant.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinthiaclemant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tinthiaclemant
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tinthiaclemant/_created
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