Author Q&A with Erin Cisney

​If you could cook dinner for any author, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you make?  
Joyce Carol Oates and I’d cook garlic parmesan fettuccine since it’s one of the few meals I’m confident I can’t mess up.

What scares you the most about the writing process? How do you combat your fears?
Writer’s block, the feeling that I’m losing my motivation to write.  I combat my fears by not forcing it when I have nothing to say and reading as much as possible, knowing that the work of others has been my biggest inspiration to be a writer.

Who is your biggest literary crush, author or character? 
Difficult to decide between Erik from the Phantom of the Opera and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, because I read those books when I was a young romantic and apparently have a thing for troubled men.

What books are on your nightstand? 
I am admittedly a kindle user.  So all of them.

Where do you get your ideas? What inspires you?
My ideas come from a mash up of personal experience and the stories of others. I’m inspired by the work of other writers and the emotions their words trigger in me.

Favorite punctuation mark? Why?  
“.” It’s not that exciting, but it’s important and should never be taken for granted.

What book were you supposed to read in high school, but never did? 
I feel like I should have been made to read “Animal Farm” at some point, but it was never assigned and I never took it upon myself to read it.

What inanimate object would you thank in your acknowledgements? 
My favorite coffee mug for delivering much needed motivation in times of need.

Why do you write? The first 5 words that come to mind. Go. 
I don’t know, do you?

If you could write an inspirational quote on the mirrors of aspiring writers, what would you write? 
“The world is quicksand.  Find the straight path and stick to it.” -John Updike, Rabbit Redux