.::Spitting Ink::.

Last month, we reviewed Polly Horvath’s novel The Vacation. Today, we bring you an exclusive interview with Ms. Horvath, whose many writing credits include The Trolls, Everything on a Waffle, and The Pepins and Their Problems.
Polly Horvath currently lives in Vancouver, B.C., with her husband Arnie, two daughters named Emily and Rebecca (who both also wanted to start school newspapers!), a horse called Zayda, and a smooth collie, Keena.
1. What inspires you to write? (Ex: do you find it impossible to write without a mug of coffee by your side, or do you always write in red ink?)
Well, as much as I like the idea of being inspired by a beverage or writing implement, I usually have some sort of idea I am interested in when I sit down. Or at least a character or a voice.
2. Of all the books you've written, which is your favourite?
The one I am working on at the time.
3. Who are your favourite authors? What are your favourite books?
Bill Bryson. I just read Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and I read it four times, I liked it so much. She's terrific. I read lots of non-fiction. I like Robertson Davies and Louisa May Alcott and Edward Eager and Anne Lamott.
4. Have you felt a passion for writing ever since childhood? Who, or what, made you want to write?
I have always written. I used to play with cans and jars of spice in our kitchen cabinet when I was about five and make intricate villages and characters and stories. I just hadn't learned how to print yet. After that, instead of moving cans around I wrote things down.
5. In your books, characters often find themselves in bleak (and sometimes absurdly so) situations, which usually turn out well in the end. Do you write from past experiences?
I suppose I've had my share of bleak and absurd situations but I don't think about it much and to be honest I don't like thinking about such things. I prefer to write without sitting on my own shoulder watching myself write.
6. What's it like being a famous author? Is there any pressure you deal with, or awkward topics people bring up on the subject of your writing?
Sometimes people ask me about bleak and absurd situations. JUST KIDDING. I don't think of myself as a famous author. But I am a working author, meaning I can make a living from it and that is a huge luxury. I hope you all find something you love to do passionately and get to do your whole life. It is a great blessing.

Next month we bring you another exclusive interview, this time with author P. B. KERR of the CHILDREN OF THE LAMP series!