I have the pleasure and honor of getting to know authors, writers and poets. I get to share a bit about these lovely people I meet with you, my blog readers.

Interview with Author Christine Rice – author of Freelance Writing Guide

1) Please share a bit of your background (where you were born, where you were raised, sibling information, what your career was before you became a writer, where you live now, etc)
I was born and raised in various states and towns in New England. My parents divorced when I was six years old. I have two younger half-brothers. I now live in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts with my husband and our cat. I worked in retail, fashion, banking, and finance before becoming a writer.

2) When did you begin your writing journey?
I wrote poetry and journal entries throughout childhood and adolescence. But getting my own computer in 2005 is when I consider my writing journey began. In 2006, I began writing poetry again (it had been numerous years since I dabbled in it). I also wrote essays about the craft of writing and what writing meant to me. I published my first book in 2007, Poetry for the Heart, which included all the poems I wrote in 2006 and 2007. I then published Essays for the Soul in 2008, which is a compilation of essays I wrote from 2006-2008 (the second edition, published in 2012, includes essays up through 2009). In 2009, I published My Not-So-Ordinary Life, which is an autobiography about my childhood, adolescence, and adult years – up to age 28. I became a freelance writer and editor in 2011. In August 2012, I published Freelance Writing Guide, which is a reference book for freelance writers.

3) What is the best writing advice you have ever received?
When I first started my freelance writing career, I was spending more time editing articles than I was writing them, because I wanted them to come out perfectly. Someone told me not to be obsessed with editing, that I should only spend half an hour editing each article, and should spend more time writing new articles. The advice really put things in perspective for me. I realized that, just like no person is perfect, writing can’t be perfect. So I gave myself some slack and was more productive from that point forward.

4) What is your advice to beginning writers?
Read all that you can about writing and write a lot. To be a good writer you need to learn how to write well, and then practice what you have learned. You also need to learn how to be creative and only the act of writing can bring that to the surface. You must edit too, and that also takes practice.

5) Please share about your latest book, The Freelance Writing Guide.
My latest book is Freelance Writing Guide: What to Expect in Your First Year as a Freelance Writer. It is a book meant to educate writers on what freelance writers do and what the career is like. The purpose is to take away the fear of the unknown that writers have before they begin a new career. It talks about all the different writing tasks a freelance writer does in the first year of their career, and gives additional information about business finances, home office supplies, the lifestyle of a freelance writer, and a little about my background and experiences as a writer. It is available at Amazon, Lulu, and Smashwords.

6) How did you decide to publish this book? Why?
I was inspired to write it when I had been a full-time freelance writer for nine months, because I had gained a lot of knowledge and experience during that time. Also, I had lots of questions and a bit of trepidation about becoming a freelance writer before I started, so I knew a book about it would ease some people’s minds and answer their questions. Basically, I wanted to educate writers about freelance writing and share my experiences.

7) Most writers are readers. What books do you have on your nightstand or on your “must read” list?
I’m about to start reading Anywhere but Here by Sherri Fulmer Moorer. Then I’ll be reading Blood Faerie by India Drummond, ’59 and Valiant by Anthony Sunderland, The Smolder by Kathryn Judson, Lipsi’s Daughter by Patty Apolsolides, The Sound and the Echoes by Dew Pellucid, and others. They are all books I’ve agreed to read and review, and they look really good.

8) What are your writing plans for the rest of the year into 2013?
At the end of 2012, I will be publishing Chronicles of a Troubled Girl, which is a compilation of all of my personal journal entries from age 9 until age 30, and Articles for the Mind, which is a compilation of all the articles I published as a freelance writer in 2011. In mid 2013, I plan to publish Freedom from Fat, which will be a compilation of online journal entries and blog posts about my weight loss journey from 2010-2013. I would also like to put out a third edition of my poetry book to include poems I wrote during my teen years, likely in 2013.

9) Where can others find out more you and your book?My blog is called, Christine Rice, Author: All About Writing and Books.
On Amazon:

10)Question for fun sake—what was your favorite cartoon or kid’s show when you were little and why?
Scooby Doo, because as a child I was inquisitive and liked figuring things out. I liked how the characters solved mysteries, which made the show a bit of a challenge when watching. I also liked reading mysteries, like the Nancy Drew series. I read many of those books.

Thanks Christine!

Author Bio:

Christine Rice is a professional writer, an editor, and an author. She has been publishing her writing since 2007. She is the author of four books – Poetry for the Heart, Essays for the Soul, My Not-So-Ordinary Life, and Freelance Writing Guide – and is planning on publishing two more books by the end of 2012. She has been a freelance writer and an editor since 2011. She enjoys writing, reading, computers, the Internet, family, exercising, animals, shopping, and dining out. She resides in Worcester, MA USA with her husband and cat.