Louise Sorensen

Posted On October 3, 2019

• What led you to write?

Hi Aaron. I’m a visual person, and sketched and painted all my life. Until early January, 1998. We had an ice storm that coated everything in an inch and a half of ice and took out the power for five million people. For us it lasted nine days. When it ended, I couldn’t paint anymore. A couple of years passed, I needed a creative outlet, and started taking writing classes.

• Was there a particular person that influenced you to pursue writing?

My son invited me to join a Creative Writing course with him. I did, and never looked back.

• What is your preferred genre to write?

I write short stories, SciFi, Fantasy, and Horror. I don’t have a preferred genre, they just turn out to be one or the other.

• What is your favorite genre to read?

I love SciFi, but I read anything and everything, as long as it’s not extreme gore or erotica.

• What are your favorite activities or hobbies outside of work/writing?

I read a lot, exercise daily by walking, or in the winter, cross country skiing. We live in the country with cats, dogs, and horses, so we spend a lot of time with them. I grow all kinds of houseplants, especially orchids, and to relax, I play Sudoku.

• Who is your favorite author and what do you enjoy about their writing style?

I have many favourite authors, but the top of the list is Stephen King. His writing is clear, flows beautifully, and is easy to understand.

• What is one major struggle you have with writing?

One major struggle, huge biggie, getting enough uninterrupted time to write.

• Out of all of your stories, which one did you most enjoy writing?

I enjoyed writing them all. Because I write short stories, I’ve written many. They’re all different. Fantasy takes me to many strange worlds. SciFi explores realistic what ifs. Horror lets me explore fear.

• What projects are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a Quantum Mechanics sort of SciFi short story. I have a number of books on the subject to check in order to anchor it in current theory. I have an accepted short story that will need editing, a beta read, and a collaboration project in the wings.

• What has been one of your strongest inspirations for a story?

My stories are inspired by what ifs, injustices, and dreams.

• Do you place any of your life experiences into your stories?

Yes. I tap into my life experiences and especially the emotions I felt during them.

• If your story could be made into a play or movie, what actor/actress do you think would be the perfect fit to play your MC?

Meryl Streep would be the perfect actress to play the MC in my Quantum Mechanics WIP (work in progress).

• If you had enough money to travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I really hate traveling, especially with all the security you have to go through. And where I am is very nice. So I probably wouldn’t travel anywhere.

• What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

The best writing advice I ever received was from two people, Stephen King, and Check Wendig. Finish your shit. It means don’t keep starting a story and then abandoning it when you come to a problem, and start a new one. At some point, I started finishing most or every story I began. This is how you learn the magic trick of writing, by persevering until you have a whole story.

• What is your dream car?

One that doesn’t need fossil fuel, and flies.

• What part of your writing is the most complimented?

Editors have mentioned my clean copy. That means it doesn’t need much editing. My workshop group might say I usually entertain, and always surprise them.

• What part of your writing, do you feel, needs strengthening?

The part where I sit down to write.

• What is your favorite mixed drink?

I don’t drink much alcohol, so I’d have to go with a mix of 1/3 water, 1/3 cranberry juice, and 1/3 Mountain Dew. Really great for sweltering summer days.

• What is one of your most cherished items in your writing space?

My laptop. Second would be my zip drives where many of my stories are stored.

• What is one thing in anything you’ve read that stood out to you? (Could be meaning or even just sentence structure.)

Finish your shit.

• What advice would you give to someone trying to start building their platform and market their work?

Have fun with it. No one wants to see a site with nothing but “Buy My Book” on it. Get to know people. Follow interesting people. The world is a smorgasbord. Feast.

• What is your favorite food?

I don’t have one. But I don’t like hot spicy. Or any spicy. My Canadian palate is tame.

• What is your favorite show/movie?

TV show, The Big Bang Theory. I don’t have a favourite movie, though I do like the Ghostbusters, Aliens, and MIB’s.

Website: None.

Facebook: No Author page.

Twitter: louise3anne

BookBub: No.

Goodreads: I have a page there and have tried to put my book and published stories there, but no success, haven’t been able to figure it out.

Amazon Page: No. You can find my Anthology of short stories by searching Amazon for Duel Visions, and short stories published in other anthologies, by searching my name.

My preferred social media is Twitter. There you can find anything you want to know about me, pics, opinions, comments, and suggestions. I don’t spend a lot of time on social media, I’m too busy with Life, and Writing.