Author Nancy O. Greene

How long have you been writing, and what influenced you to get into it?

I started writing at the age of nine. To make a long story short, that summer my parents thought it would be a good idea for me to stay inside and get a head start on school studies, so to speak. So I spent most of the season inside the house. I was already a voracious reader by then, so I occupied my down time by creating stories. I wrote shorts, created mini-magazines and comic books--you name it. But primarily it was short stories. Anything written I would read to my parents and anyone else that would listen. But I almost didn't continue writing; in the 5th grade, a student teacher made me feel horrible about a story/composition I had written because she said it was too long. The assignment was 5 pages or more. I turned in something like 20 pages of a story, ahead of the deadline. Once we turned them in, they were to be posted on a board. Instead, she held it up without reading it and said, in front of everybody, something like: "I can't accept this. How will it make the other students feel to see your story up there, that's so long, when their stories are only 5 pages" So she made me do it over and I ended up turning in the new story late. I was so upset that when I went home, I took that story and a number of others I had written, ripped them up, and threw them in the trash. My parents may have salvaged them though. Luckily, I kept writing even after that.


How many books have you published?

One book to date, which is Portraits in the Dark: A Collection of Short Stories. It was released in August of 2006. It's a collection of nine short stories that delve into the darker side of human existence. Mostly speculative fiction, but there are one or two "everyday occurrence" stories in there as well.


Have any of them been national releases, if so through which publisher?

It's a worldwide release, through iUniverse. It's available online through all the major sellers, like amazon.com, as well as for order at bookstores. It's currently at two local B&N stores--White Marsh,Maryland at the Avenue and Towson, Maryland at the Towson Circle.


What projects do you have coming up in the future?

I have a few projects in the works. I normally don't talk about them extensively until they're finished. As for my current book, I'm still actively promoting it. It's doing well so far. Great reviews and such. I think the summer has also presented another jump in sales, so that's always a good thing! I've also been working on adding some promotions for the book, so we'll see how those turn out.


What author/authors influenced you to start a writing career for yourself?

Throughout my life I feel I've been most influenced by great teachers, some of them writers themselves. Especially in high school, good teachers encourage skills, and having such instruction that was mentally stimulating helped to keep me motivated. My parents were also a big help. I wouldn't say that any particular author inspired me to start a career in writing. That came from elsewhere. But authors that I admire include Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Octavia E. Butler, T. C. Boyle, Edgar Allan Poe, and J. K. Rowling, among many, many others.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Certainly there are styles I'm more inclined to lean towards, but overall it doesn't matter to me as long as it's good writing, as long as it's something I want to write and would enjoy reading myself. I read a wide variety of work and hope to write stories that are interesting and diverse too, that contribute something useful in my own way. My current book is most easily categorized as horror fiction. But I balk at the idea that a writer has to stick to a particular genre, or even style. I also balk at the idea that genre fiction can't be literary, or that if it's not literary it's not worth an intelligent person's time. There's some value to be found in almost any type of literature--it all boils down to good, engaging writing, one way or the other. Horror, science fiction, fantasy, literary works--I've written it all in one form or another and continue to do so.

What are some of your favorite hobbies other than writing?

There are many. I'm very active in the local literary community. I also volunteer, read, spend time with people whose company I enjoy. The list goes on...


Has "The Authors of Myspace"/or Myspace itself helped you out with sales or networking/friends?

Yes, I've met several other authors on Myspace. I think it's helped to a certain extent, but I'm not sure if it's been huge. If you notice, some of the advantages that Myspace offers seem to be limited, partially due to the large number of people on here. Also, I think to make a larger number of the connections necessary you have to spend a great amount of time here, and while I think Myspace is an innovative site, I'm not addicted to it like some people I've read about. I have no desire (thankfully) to spend hours on end here posting messages and the like. Plus, you have to be careful about who you accept onto your page/friends list. However, it can be a great avenue for meeting people, and most of the people I have "met" on Myspace are interesting and I'm glad we've connected.

What tips do you have for beginning writers?

Writers write and read, a lot. I know this is the typical answer, but it's true. Try to find something worthwhile that you like doing, and do it. Also try to help your fellow writers when you're able--everybody starts somewhere, and it's worth your time to get to know people with similar interests. And truly, be grateful for any help you receive in return. Ungrateful people, users, are a real pain.

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