Gina Rae Mitchell

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing as long as I can remember. Even as far back as third grade, I wrote a story about what was going on in the classroom during Graham Cracker Day. I guess that’s where my passion for wanting to capture life before it slipped away began.

How do you choose your character names?

I think this is one of the fun things about creating characters. You kind of feel like God in the sense of creating a person from nothing except what exists in your head.

I also think a character’s name can be as important as describing their height, eye color, or some of their mannerisms since you tend to identify with a name and associate it with a character. In Redhead, I chose the name Sarah because it is a British name and she is from London, so it’s easy to see the character in your mind when you read her name. If I named her Helga Stiglets, it might be tougher to imagine what she looks like when her name is read…haha

What inspired you to write in this genre?

I have always had an interest in the way life works when it comes to romance. Not just romance between people, but romance for a time, place, or a moment. I remember in The Old Man and the Sea, when Hemingway wrote about Santiago and how he used to be the best fisherman in his village but now he was old, and he wanted one last day in the sun.

As I have grown older, I see a lot of myself in Santiago since as I can not do the things I was once able to do but wanting that one last moment of greatness. When I think about the story, I know what Hemingway was feeling, and it was the same thing I was. Maybe one day I can write something someone will read and think, “Wow, I get it! That’s exactly how I feel!”

If an author fictionalized your life, in which genre would the story belong?

In the humor section! Seriously, that’s a great question, Gina, since I never thought about it before. I would go back to the Romance genre since that is where my passion for life and my interactions with people come from.

Do you have a set writing schedule?

I do not, but try to write at specific times like waking up early, or after dinner. I will write during my lunch hour at work as well. If an inspiration or a story idea comes to me, I have a small pad I can write down the idea, and then type it up when I have the time to write. There are other times I get in some writing, like waiting for in the doctor’s office, or while getting the car serviced. The funny thing about that is when I know I have that time, I can really get in some great work, and the words flow easily.

Do you need silence to write, or can you work in any environment?

I can write in any environment. In fact, in some situations, like being on a rooftop, or at an outdoor restaurant by the street, the stimulation of the colors, sounds, and action can be a good thing for the creative process.

If you could set up your perfect writing scenario, what would it involve?

I included a picture of my Writing Room, which is both a workspace and a place of inspiration. I have all my tools to write there, as well as being surrounded by books, which makes me think, “If they can do this, I can too. One day I am going to put my book on the shelf,” and eventually, I was fortunate to get to do that.

Nothing like having a desk full of pens and pencils, the manuscript, notebooks, and some room sound to get the words flowing. When I saw my book for the first time and looked at the pages, I thought, “Wow, this book was created in this spot right here, on this laptop, with that notebook, those printed pages, and those pens I used to make edits on the manuscript.”

What is your most unusual writing quirk?

I have to write the first draft with pen and paper. Silly, I know, but there is something about holding a pen and seeing the words on paper that I need when I create the story. I also like to be able to write notes in the margins in different colored ink, plus I like to use different colored highlighters to help with specific points, or show characters. If I wrote on a laptop, I could probably have twenty novels completed by now. 🙂

Do you usually arrive early, on time, or late?

I’m usually on time. Now that I type that, Gina is probably looking at her watch, wondering, “When is this guy going to finish this darn interview?” 😉

If you could form the ultimate writer’s group, which authors past or present would you invite to join you?

Oh yeah, I love this question, Gina! The author’s group I would love to create would meet in Heaven every night (due to all of them being deceased, so I have to be creative here) to discuss books and kick-off happy hour. It would be Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe. I would also invite their agent/editor Max Perkins. Can you imagine all the stories they would tell, in addition to listening to their strategies and experience in writing fiction? I would have to remember to write everything down since the Bourbon would be flowing, and I worry about getting hammered before I forgot what they were talking about.

Do you have a favorite snack or beverage while you are writing?

Every now and then, I will have a Four Roses or a Tullamore Dew, but more often or not, it is ice water. It’s difficult to have a snack when writing since when I get into a writing mood, I have to keep both hands on the laptop, or at the beginning, a hand on my pen and the other on the notebook.

Which three words best describe you?

Passionate, Sentimental and Competitive

Is there anything you would like my readers to know about you and your book?

Let’s see, where should I begin? OK, the book first. Redhead in a Blue Convertible is the story of a Redheaded doctor named Sarah Farnsworth whose life spirals out of control, and there is no bottom in sight. Then she meets the mysterious Billy Caldwell, who has 24 hours to get all his affairs in order before having to leave Atlanta and needs her help. Together they find peace and possibly, each other…

My story is one I hope inspires your readers, Gina. I have a family, and that takes up a lot of time. I am also Dyslexic, so combining those two things leaves writing a challenge. But with any passion, you find time instead of excuses. I would sometimes get up at four or five in the morning since that was the only time the house was quiet and write or research what I needed. I also learned as much as I could about the publishing and self-publishing industry.

After finishing Redhead in a Blue Convertible, I sent it out to 303 agents and got 303 rejections.

On my spreadsheet, I would highlight the rejections in red, so I joked that every time I got a rejection, I was being visited by the Communist Party. Each rejection hurt, but I was determined not to give up, and I was going to get the book published. I was able to do that through Amazon and Barnes and Noble, so the day it went live was a dream come true, and it made all those nights and early mornings, so worth it.

I hope when your readers see this, it will inspire them to find their passion and go for their dreams with everything they have. The only person holding you back is you. If you want something bad enough, you’ll figure out a way to make it happen.

Thanks for reading. I hope you pick up a copy of Redhead in a Blue Convertible today. I am sure you will enjoy it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~