Ciao a tutti! Hi, everybody! Welcome back for another Thursday Thirteen! This week, I'm featuring an interview with another friend and former member of the Authonomy elite, Cameron Chapman. Cameron is one of those multi-talented types you hear about, an honest-to-goodness triple-threat: Writer, Blogger and Filmmaker/Director. She's got some interesting projects on the go right now, and I thought you might enjoy meeting her, too.

So now, without further ado, please allow me to share

1) First, the usual sort of thing: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m an author, blogger, and aspiring filmmaker from northern New England. I’ve been writing professionally for more than five years now (it’s my primary source of income), and really got into filmmaking a couple years ago. I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember, though.

2) Since you live in a somewhat rural area, do you find this affects your creativity? Is your work influenced by your surroundings, or do you create solely from a universe in your head?

A little of both, actually. I take a lot of inspiration from my environment, so I need to live somewhere interesting, whether that’s a rural area or the city (the suburbs and I do not get along). The slower pace of life where I live makes it easier to find time to create. And I also live in an area with a ton of creative people, which is nice. There’s a real sense of support and community. People don’t look at you like you’re an alien when you tell them you write or you make films. Okay, some do, but they’re the minority.

3) What was your first creative effort you shared with others?

The first thing I shared with people outside of immediate family was a novel that eventually became the inspiration for The Steam and Steel Chronicles, my steampunk novella series. That was shared on Authonomy, at the behest of a couple of other writers (who I’m still friends with even though I’m no longer active on the site).

(note: The Steam and Steel Chronicles include the novellas Aboard the Unstoppable Aerostat Fenris, The Great Healion Race, and The Quest for the Demon Disconcerter. They are also available on BarnesandNoble.com.)

4) What are you focusing on more, now? Articles? Novels? Films?

All of the above! I can’t just have one project going. I’m currently working on edits for the final novella in The Steam and Steel Chronicles. After that I have another novel I wrote a couple years ago that’s in desperate need of some editing. I just signed a book deal for another non-fiction design book, so that’s going to be taking up a chunk of my time for the next few months. I’m working on a music video for a friend’s band, as well as a script for a no-budget feature film. And I’m writing articles and blogging full-time, still.

5) What project are you most proud of, today?

That’s a tough one! I’m pretty proud of the short film I just released, This is all you left me. I’m also really proud of the women’s fiction novel I wrote a couple years ago, Hold My Hand. But really, I’m proud of pretty much everything I’ve put out there.

6) Do you listen to music when you're working?

Always. I create playlists for different projects (you can find some of them on my YouTube channel). It’s been interesting working on this music video, because it means I’m listening to that one song sometimes ten or fifteen (or more) times a day when I’m brainstorming. I think my ability to listen to songs on repeat for hours is just a sign that I’m meant to make music videos! For other projects, I find songs that fit the mood of the story and listen to them when I want to get into the right mood.

7) Who do you consider your influences in each field?

Neil Gaiman is probably the biggest inspiration to me in terms of writing. He’s done a little of everything: novels, comics, children’s books, TV and movies, etc. I’d love a career that has that kind of breadth. His novel Neverwhere was a huge influence on me as a teenager. I’m also a big Stephen King fan, and I love Jeffrey Lent, too. In terms of filmmaking, I have a ton of influences. I love Rob Zombie’s directing, particular The Devil’s Rejects, which is funny since I have no interest in directing horror. I love Kevin Smith, Joss Whedon, Sophia Coppola, Christopher Nolan, Peter Jackson, and plenty of others.

8) Do you ever try to "shut down" to recharge your creative batteries, so to speak? Or do you just keep going 24/7?

Very, very rarely I have to take a break from doing creative things and unplug. But that’s only every few months. Otherwise, I’m creating every day. It’s just how I operate. I’m not happy if I’m not doing something productive.

9) Which of your projects was the most difficult to produce? Why?  

The Steam and Steel Chronicles has been challenging, mostly because of the time commitment. I’d never done a series before, so taking on a project that is literally taking years to complete has been a little daunting. But I try to push the envelope and challenge myself with each new thing I take on, so each new project is more difficult than the last (at least in theory).

10) How valuable is peer evaluation to you?

It’s a bell curve for me. When I first start out with a new creative endeavor or project, I tend to keep it hidden from everyone. Once I get more comfortable with it, then I embrace feedback from peers. I rarely get my feelings hurt by constructive criticism (okay, there was a person on Authonomy who once made me cry, but not intentionally). Once I get toward the end of a particular project, or once I get more confident in my own abilities in a particular field, then I don’t seek out peer review as much. I have a few key people I value feedback from, but other than that, I go with my own instincts about whether something is good or not.

11) If you could do any project over again, which one would it be, and how would you change it?

I’m not big on revisiting old projects. Once it’s done, it’s done in my mind. I release it into the world and honestly try to forget about it as much as possible. I do have some unreleased manuscripts sitting on my hard-drive that I’d like to rewrite and publish at some point, but other than that, there aren’t really any projects I’d like a do-over on.

12) What is your dream project?

I would love to do a feature film with recognizable talent. I would love to work with someone like Johnny Depp or Jennifer Lawrence or Rachel Weisz or Hugh Jackman. On a slightly more realistic level, I have a script I would love to produce and direct that could be done on a very small budget, and there’s a particular person (Shannon Leto) I would love to star in it. Not sure if that one’s ever going to happen either, but a girl can dream!

13) What's on the horizon for you?

I’ve got a ton of projects coming up. Filmmaking has really become my passion. But I love writing, too. I’m a storyteller at heart, and regardless of the medium, I’m going to keep telling stories.

Hello, all! This week, I thought I'd continue the bookish themes from previous weeks and give you another glimpse into the creative mind of an indie writer. This time around, I've interviewed my new friend Jill Pennington, author of the slightly unusual ex-pat memoir The Diary of a Single Parent Abroad.

So, here are:

1) First, please tell us a little about yourself.

I am a ‘Britalian’ Originally from Yorkshire (England) I have been living in Italy for 8 years, I have three teenage children and far too many animals. We live in the Apennine mountains and love it.

2) Could you sum up your book in one sentence for us?

An expat story with a difference.

3) Had you ever considered being/Were you a writer prior to writing this?

I have always written about my life and observations since childhood. I thought everyone did it but apparently not.

4) What was the hardest thing about writing the book?

Re-living the hard times.

5) Since The Diary of a Single Parent Abroad is a memoir, did you have to resist the urge to fictionalize any of it?

Oh no, the material just piled up in a corner, in fact there is still so much that I didn’t capture. My friends say that more things happen to me in a week than happen to most people in a year!

6) Have you considered writing fiction? Why/Why not?

Yes, I am currently considering this idea.

7) Is this book traditionally published or self-published?

I self-published.

8) Why did you choose that route to publication?

It appears in the current publishing climate, that unless you are a celebrity or already published there is very little chance of being taken on by a traditional publisher, so I decided to try going it alone.

9) What has been the most challenging part of publication for you?

Marketing, the hard work starts after you publish.

10) Are you considering writing another book yet?

Yes, I hope to write many more.

11) What will it be about?

Probably a sequel to the first but I have other ideas to explore as well.

12) What is your favorite book you've read this year?

Ooh I would have to say ‘Ask Me if I’m Happy’ by Kimberly Menozzi (sorry I am biased due to living in Bella Italia)

13) What is your favorite book ever?

Stig of the Dump by Clive King –My favourite book as a child, I read it over and over, then got the chance to enjoy it again as a parent.

Or use the following links:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Paperback
You can also follow Jill on Twitter (@jillipen) and Facebook. Her promo for the book can be found on Youtube.

Ciao for now! :)