I’d like to welcome the wonderful Susan Drew to the blog today for #WriterWednesday.

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: My favorite thing to do is to read. Even when I’m supposed to be working, or writing, or cooking dinner. Sometimes I have to put on a timer so that I don’t read all day.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Cleaning my house. I can always find something else to do.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: I really only need quiet to write. I’m not one of those people who can write with music on in the background.

Things that distract you from writing: I’m very easily distracted, so almost anything can stop me. Why is the dog barking? Do I hear water dripping somewhere? Ow, a hangnail!

Hardest thing about being a writer: I think the hardest thing about being a writer is the waiting. Publishing is a slow business and I’m an antsy person.

Easiest thing about being a writer: I love a good game of make-pretend so I can find lots of things to write about. They may not be good, or go into a book, but I have little scraps of scenes or dialog all over the place.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Unfortunately I live in a place with no midnight grocery stores. If I’m starving in the middle of the night, and there’s no cheese in my fridge, I just have to tough it out until morning. It’s also at least 20 minutes to a Dunks. I have to plan ahead.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Liver is about the only thing I don’t cook. Liverwurst is fine, but no liver.

Favorite snacks: My favorite snacks are cheese and crackers. Or cheese and apples. Or cheese and pretzels. Okay, it’s just cheese. I love cheese.

Things that make you want to gag: Almost nothing makes me gag. It’s unfortunate really, but I can eat everything. Oh wait, liver. I won’t eat liver, but I don’t if it will make me gag because I’m not going to test the theory.

Something you’re really good at: I’m really good at being a weirdo. I can’t help it and I’m not even sorry. I like silly jokes, bright colors, cornball movies, and goofy socks.

Something you’re really bad at: I’m really bad at being quiet. I was that kid in church who got the evil eyes from a grandparent trying to be serious. I don’t know why they did that because it only made me be weirder. And louder.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: I wanted to be a whole lot of things when I was little. A truck driver with a monkey (Okay, maybe I was influenced by a ‘70s tv show), a teacher, a singer, and a lawyer (probably to put one of my sisters in jail).

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: I never thought I’d live in Vermont and get used to snow.

Something you wish you could do: I wish I was a better athlete but I’m not all that coordinated and I’m a chicken. The fear of falling keeps me from doing a surprising amount of things.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: I was going to say I wish I’d never learned to clean the house because then I’d have an excuse not to do it. But I really like a clean house and I’m too cheap to hire someone else to do it, so I just have to do it myself.

Things to say to an author: I’d tell an author my favorite line in their book. We’re secretly always wanting to know if people like us, if they really like us. Or is that just me being insecure?

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Did you get AI to help you with that?

The most exciting thing about your writing life: The most exciting thing for me has been finding out my book is going to be published. I have one published picture book, and I’m working through edits with another publisher for a middle grade book.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: I wish I could do my book launch party again. I was so nervous that I didn’t enjoy it. My stomach was in knots, I don’t think I properly thanked the people in my life for supporting me and I forgot to read from the book. Live and learn. I know what to do for my next launch.

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: I go to writer’s prompts when I can’t figure out what to write. Or I make a list of things that could happen to my character. Usually one of those things will “prime the pump” and I’ll be able to get back into the book I’m writing.

Things you do to avoid writing: I read to avoid writing. But if I’m really, REALLY desperate, I’ll clean the bathrooms. I’m sensing a theme in this interview.

About Susan:

Susan Drew is a kidlit writer and the author of Sadie Does Not Like Sorries. She lives in Vermont with her husband and dog but grew up all over the world as a military brat. Her favorite place to live was Heilbronn, Germany. Susan loves British baking shows, and doodling.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: Susan Drew Writes

Art shop: susandrewart.myshopify.com – Susan Drew Art

Newsletter: www.substack.com/@susandrew

Intagram: www.instagram.com/_susandrew/

Bluesky: @susandrewwrites.com — Bluesky