Thanks to our latest Wordsmith Interviewee, who allows us a glimpse into her process…
Alyssa Hubbard
Age 19
A very, very small town in the armpit of Alabama.
Currently attending the University of Alabama for a BA in English.
The Writer
Do you see writing as a career?
As of right now, no. It’s something I love doing because it is just dang fun, but hopefully, one day, I can call it a career.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment as a writer?
Not many would be proud to say this, much less call it an accomplishment, but I’ve had my work rejected approximately one hundred times. Yep. Proud of that statistic.
The Work
Tell us about your work in Crack the Spine.
“Daily Life and Other Oddities” is a Gertrude Stein-inspired piece, taking ordinary objects of daily life and ripping them apart using language.
What inspired “Daily Life and Other Oddities?”
I had read Gertrude Stein’s “Tender Buttons” and her use of concrete imagery to create wonderful nonsense was just breath-taking. I had to try for myself.
How long did it take you to complete this piece?
About a day. I emptied out my wallet and found all those items in my purse. I put them on my desk and just sat there repeating words until I liked the way they sounded together. You’d have thought I was going mad.
Tell us about another project you have published or are currently working on.
I’ve published a short story collecting titled “Humans and Their Creations.” It’s a group of short stories which question what being human truly means. Through the eyes of a character in a novel, a metal soldier, a painting, a group of mannequins, the forest, a wolf boy, a creation lost in an ended world, and a living instrument, humans and their never-ending trials with friendship, acceptance, love, and survival come into the forefront. What will you think when at the heart of every creature, the love and hate for humanity grows?
Where can we find this work?
You can find all of my work on my website.
The Methods
How often do you write?
Every single day. I may only write a word, but I’m writing at least a word a day.
How many drafts do you generally go through before you consider a piece to be complete?
My record, thus far, is three. I’m hoping to hit four on my next big project.
What are your thoughts on writing at a computer vs. writing longhand?
I write everything in a notebook first. I’m easily distracted, and computers are my weakness. If I wrote my first drafts on a computer first, I’d have finished my ice castle in Minecraft by now.
What is your best piece of advice on how to stay sane as a writer?
You can be sane?
The Madness
What is your favorite book?
“Frozen Fire” by Tim Bowler. Surreal commentary on real life. Doesn’t get much better than that.
Who is your favorite author?
Aprilynne Pike. I love fairies.
What is your favorite word?
Bubbles. Take a minute and say it out loud. It’s my goal to slip that in to a phonic poem like “Daily Life and Other Oddities.” I just think it would be funny.
What’s in that cup on your desk?
Depends on the cup. A red solo cup, then it’s probably coffee. A coffee cup, then I’m using it to hold pens.
“No Thanks” or “I’ll have another”?
One’s never enough.
Pen or Pencil?
Pens. I like them.
Shakespeare or Tennessee Williams?
Shakespeare, I chooseth you.
Additional Reading on Alyssa
Personal website
Facebook
Twitter
Nice interview. By the way, I think this site can be helpful: favoritewords.com, I am new to it but I believe it has a great potential to move forward in the future as a new wave in social networking.