AB Riddle and I met Ann Garvin in New York City at the Algonkian Pitch Conference. Ann was our instructor, our mentor, the voice that hammered into each of her l7 ‘pupils’ that we would, by God, be published.
Ann’s humor, laced in with a whole lot of persistence, helped us perfect a one-on-one ‘pitch’ we presented to four editors. She somehow brought l7 strangers together as a group, encouraged us to interact, get to know each other personally and inspired us to come together as real people with one common goal. She is the definition of a leader. Author, nurse, teacher, mother, Ann approaches everything she attempts with optimistic enthusiasm.
Kimberly: You have had many careers in your life. Which one is the best fit for you and why?
Ms. Garvin: My best career is the one I have now: professor. I get to be a bossy know-it-all, talk about the thing I am most passionate about which is health. I don’t have a boss (so to speak) so my issues with authority go un-perturbed. The schedule is flexible, meaning I can work when I am most productive and not on a nine-to-five schedule and I get to use both my left and right brain together. I love my job and teaching. I am so lucky.
Kimberly: The main characters in your novel, On Maggie’s Watch, along with other short stories and your novelette, Must Like Working With Cows are strong women. Are these characters that you bring to life based on women you know?
Ms. Garvin: I’m sure that bits and pieces of my characters come from people that I know, along with parts of my personality intertwined. Having said that, I don’t actually have someone in mind when I’m writing the characters. They live in my mind and on the page completely and if they come from a flesh and blood person, I’m not entirely aware of it. But, I hang with some made-of-steel women—I’m sure they are alive in my work.
Kimberly: At what point in life did you absolutely know you were going to be a writer? That you were not going to take ‘no’ for an answer?
Ms. Garvin: When I started, it was on a lark. When I won the contest that started me writing it became a possibility. When I wrote the first chapter of my book, it became my life.
Kimberly: Can you tell us a little about your new book? And when will they be coming out?
Ms. Garvin: I have two new books almost completed. Ask me this question again in a month.
Kimberly: You have an outgoing personality and have the ability to share yourself with others. In return, they feel comfortable opening up to you. Could you be content in the role of a full-time writer -- someone who many times isolates themselves from the outside world?
Ann’s humor, laced in with a whole lot of persistence, helped us perfect a one-on-one ‘pitch’ we presented to four editors. She somehow brought l7 strangers together as a group, encouraged us to interact, get to know each other personally and inspired us to come together as real people with one common goal. She is the definition of a leader. Author, nurse, teacher, mother, Ann approaches everything she attempts with optimistic enthusiasm.
Kimberly: You have had many careers in your life. Which one is the best fit for you and why?
Ms. Garvin: My best career is the one I have now: professor. I get to be a bossy know-it-all, talk about the thing I am most passionate about which is health. I don’t have a boss (so to speak) so my issues with authority go un-perturbed. The schedule is flexible, meaning I can work when I am most productive and not on a nine-to-five schedule and I get to use both my left and right brain together. I love my job and teaching. I am so lucky.
Kimberly: The main characters in your novel, On Maggie’s Watch, along with other short stories and your novelette, Must Like Working With Cows are strong women. Are these characters that you bring to life based on women you know?
Ms. Garvin: I’m sure that bits and pieces of my characters come from people that I know, along with parts of my personality intertwined. Having said that, I don’t actually have someone in mind when I’m writing the characters. They live in my mind and on the page completely and if they come from a flesh and blood person, I’m not entirely aware of it. But, I hang with some made-of-steel women—I’m sure they are alive in my work.
Kimberly: At what point in life did you absolutely know you were going to be a writer? That you were not going to take ‘no’ for an answer?
Ms. Garvin: When I started, it was on a lark. When I won the contest that started me writing it became a possibility. When I wrote the first chapter of my book, it became my life.
Kimberly: Can you tell us a little about your new book? And when will they be coming out?
Ms. Garvin: I have two new books almost completed. Ask me this question again in a month.
Kimberly: You have an outgoing personality and have the ability to share yourself with others. In return, they feel comfortable opening up to you. Could you be content in the role of a full-time writer -- someone who many times isolates themselves from the outside world?
Ms. Garvin: I don’t think I could do that. I thrive on people and interactions. I went on sabbatical one semester and drove myself crazy with my own voice. I got word-build-up and talked to everyone I encountered to the point of supreme embarrassment on my children’s part. My perfect job would be a little less at my University and a little more writing. Right now, I’m trying to eek out writing in the margins of life and nearly killing myself in the process.
Kimberly: Are there other venues you hope to write in the near future? A screen play? A play? You have performed in the ‘Vagina Monologues,’ so are there any hopes of performing in more plays? Maybe a musical?
Ms. Garvin: I did a lot of theater—plays and musicals. Even learned to tap dance and sing. I’d love to do more but it is really time consuming. I might like to write a screenplay as well, but I’m pretty thinly spread these days so I’m trying to calm down and focus.
I do want to write a non-fiction handbook on health. I’m interested in writing 500 word essays in my voice based on my 25 years of teaching and working in the health field. I’m working on that next, I hope.
Kimberly: AB, Brian, Katie and I started this blog for aspiring writers. What is one important piece of advice you could give each of us?
Ms. Garvin: No excuses. Sit and Write.
Kimberly: You raise your two daughters, are a professor and have written two novels. How do you find time to write? Do you have a set period each day that you devote to writing?
Ms. Garvin: I write in the margins. Early in the morning, during breaks, any time I have a chunk of time. My best strategy is to wake-up, get coffee, do not touch email, and write for an hour (repeat as necessary).
Kimberly: How did you treat your rejection letters? Did you view them as a challenge?
Ms. Garvin: I just ignored them and moved forward. I’m good with rejection; sometimes I’m better with rejection than with praise. Praise is harder. I know what to do with rejection… I reject it.
Kimberly: What lies in the future for Ann Garvin? The plans you hope will happen before life gets in the way?
Ms. Garvin: I want to build a career as a writer and take that into my future. Writing is my spa visit, my vacation, my chocolate sundae. I want to buy out some of my University time and spend more time writing and teaching writing. Travel with writers and generally embrace this life more fully. I want to see some of my writing on the big (or small) screen. I’m very greedy.
Links:
Visit Anne's website
Buy the book on Amazon
Video: Berkley Penguin Announces new novelist Ann Wertz Garvin
Video: Ann talks about On Maggie's Watch
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