Whitney Scharer
Author Interview - Whitney Scharer
This weekend was supposed to be the Unbound Book Festival in Columbia, MO and there were a few authors I was really looking forward to meeting. In lieu of meeting them in person, I’m sharing their author interviews today. Happy social distancing everyone, hope you’re all staying healthy!
Author I draw inspiration from: I love Ann Patchett’s writing so much and have read all of her books. But perhaps even more than I admire her prose, I admire her work ethic. I have heard her speak a few times, and I love how she talks about writing not being magic. Writing is work. Writing is about sitting your butt in the chair and treating writing like a full-time job, putting in the hours, and not expecting to be amazing the moment you begin a project. It’s very inspiring to me!
Author Interview - Whitney Scharer
Favorite place to read a book: In a cozy chair, in shearling slippers, in front of a roaring fire. With a cup of coffee by my side.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: I’d love to be stuck in an elevator with one of John Cheever’s characters. I feel like he’d have a martini kit stashed away in his briefcase, and we’d end up geting drunk and not minding that we were trapped.
Author Interview - Whitney Scharer
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: Oh, I’ve always known I wanted to be an author. The moment I remember was when my family stayed with some friends at their cabin, and I spent the entire day writing poetry (while everyone else was being sporty, no doubt), and then forced everyone to endure a live reading of my work at the end of the day. That was pure joy for me (less so for them)!
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Anything but ebook. When I read an ebook, it goes right out of my brain. I literally can’t even recall the titles of ebooks I’ve read without looking at my digital library. Totally pointless for me!
The last book I read: I just finished Susan Choi’s Trust Exercise. It’s a book that elicits strong reactions from readers, but I’m squarely in the love camp. I thought it was structurally very interesting, and I loved all the risks she took in telling the story.
Author Interview - Whitney Scharer
Pen & paper or computer: Both. I usually start a scene by writing it on paper, and then if/when I really get going, I switch over to Scrivener on my laptop.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: I don’t know if I’d be best friends with her, but I’ve always loved Jordan Baker from The Great Gatsby. She’s so cynical and self-assured. I think she’d be really fun to hang out with.
Author Interview - Whitney Scharer
If I wasn’t an author, I’d be a: If I wasn’t a writer, I’d be a graphic designer. I actually have my own freelance graphic design business, and love designing book covers, logos, and marketing materials for writers and publishers. If I wasn’t a writer, I’d go to art school and make design my full-time gig.
Favorite decade in fashion history: Absolutely, 100% the 1920s. Absolutely love those drop-waist dresses, cool hats, low-heeled shoes. Everything about it is just so fabulous.
Place I’d most like to travel: Right now, traveling anywhere beyond my front porch sounds like a dream come true…but before the pandemic hit, the Faroe Islands topped my list of places I wanted to visit. Those gorgeous green hills and moss-topped houses! It looks like a fairy tale.
My signature drink: Must I choose one? My go-to drink is a Manhattan, made with rye whiskey, Carpano Antica vermouth, and a fat strip of orange peel for garnish instead of a cherry. My friend Chip Cheek (who wrote Cape May, which came out in 2019), finetuned this drink, and we often used to enjoy them together at one of our local bars. We call them Chiphattans, but it’s become my signature drink as well!
Favorite artist: I love black and white photography, and really admire Sally Mann’s work. I love all the phases of her career and how bold she is.
Number one on my bucket list: I think because we’re all trapped inside our houses, my bucket list has become very hobby-centered. I want to be able to knit well enough to knit a sweater. I want to learn to play the banjo. I want to learn how to actually grow vegetables and not have all my plants die. These don’t really feel like “bucket-list” goals, but they’re what are in my mind right now.
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wscharer/
Twitter: @wscharer
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Author Interview - Whitney Scharer
