Hello Beautiful People,
We first fell in love with Hemingway’s Girl earlier this year, and we just KNEW that we needed to know more about the fabulous wordsmith behind the story, Erika Robuck. So, we contacted Erika, asking her if she’d be interested in participating in our latest interview for the School Time Author Q&A Series. Check out what she has to say:
TWT: When you were younger, did you always know that you wanted to be a writer?
ER: Yes, I’ve always written poetry, plays, and novels. Writing is my favorite form of creative expression, and I knew I would always do it. I just can’t believe it has turned into a career. I’m so fortunate!
TWT: You have said that much of your inspiration comes from history, where else do you get your inspiration for your stories?
ER: Places have always influenced me to write. Whether I take a trip to a Caribbean island, walk through Hemingway’s Key West house, or climb a hill in upstate New York, the physical act of visiting locations never fails to plant seeds for plot and character in my mind.
TWT: Did you ever read Hemingway in high school? And if so, did you enjoy it as much as you did when you first read A Farewell to Arms?
ER: To my recollection, I didn’t read Hemingway until college, where I took a class on his major works. It was there where I fell in love with him at first read.
TWT: You’re a successful author, and you have a husband and three sons. How do you find time to do it all?
ER: My husband, sons, and extended family are the reason I’m able to do so much. They are so supportive and accommodating, and I am so thankful for all they do to allow me to research, write, and promote my books. I also don’t need a lot of sleep.
TWT: Do you prefer to write at a specific time of day?
ER: When the moon rises, the night falls, and the house is asleep—that is when I weave my tales…
TWT: Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring authors?
ER: I once heard somewhere that writing is a marriage, and I find that to be accurate. If you want to be commercially successful with writing, you must approach it as a long-term commitment, realize that there will be difficult times, look forward to milestones and celebrate anniversaries, and most of all make time for it. Relationships thrive with careful time and attention.
TWT: Do you have any advice for students who struggle with reading and writing?
ER: Find a writer with whom you can connect. When we meet people, we either feel a bond or feel repelled. It is the same with reading and writing. Find an author with whom you bond, who you get, who would get you if he or she ever met you. Hemingway said there is no friend as loyal as a book. You must find the right books.
TWT: What can readers expect from Call Me Zelda?
ER: Call Me Zelda takes place in the time after the mad flapper party years for F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. It is told from the point of view of Zelda’s fictional psychiatric nurse, and explores themes of loyalty, friendship, and love.
TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
ER: I’ve had so many wonderful teachers, I can’t pick just one. There was my elementary school English teacher who taught me to love books and how to sing the preposition song; there was my middle school writing teacher who critiqued my terrible novel with the patience and enthusiasm of a stellar New York editor; there was my high school religion and philosophy teacher who showed me how to think; my college literature professor who gave me a great love for words read aloud; the humanities teacher who expanded my world view… I have been blessed with incredible teachers my entire life.
ER: Yes, I’ve always written poetry, plays, and novels. Writing is my favorite form of creative expression, and I knew I would always do it. I just can’t believe it has turned into a career. I’m so fortunate!
TWT: You have said that much of your inspiration comes from history, where else do you get your inspiration for your stories?
ER: Places have always influenced me to write. Whether I take a trip to a Caribbean island, walk through Hemingway’s Key West house, or climb a hill in upstate New York, the physical act of visiting locations never fails to plant seeds for plot and character in my mind.
TWT: Did you ever read Hemingway in high school? And if so, did you enjoy it as much as you did when you first read A Farewell to Arms?
ER: To my recollection, I didn’t read Hemingway until college, where I took a class on his major works. It was there where I fell in love with him at first read.
TWT: You’re a successful author, and you have a husband and three sons. How do you find time to do it all?
ER: My husband, sons, and extended family are the reason I’m able to do so much. They are so supportive and accommodating, and I am so thankful for all they do to allow me to research, write, and promote my books. I also don’t need a lot of sleep.
TWT: Do you prefer to write at a specific time of day?
ER: When the moon rises, the night falls, and the house is asleep—that is when I weave my tales…
TWT: Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring authors?
ER: I once heard somewhere that writing is a marriage, and I find that to be accurate. If you want to be commercially successful with writing, you must approach it as a long-term commitment, realize that there will be difficult times, look forward to milestones and celebrate anniversaries, and most of all make time for it. Relationships thrive with careful time and attention.
TWT: Do you have any advice for students who struggle with reading and writing?
ER: Find a writer with whom you can connect. When we meet people, we either feel a bond or feel repelled. It is the same with reading and writing. Find an author with whom you bond, who you get, who would get you if he or she ever met you. Hemingway said there is no friend as loyal as a book. You must find the right books.
TWT: What can readers expect from Call Me Zelda?
ER: Call Me Zelda takes place in the time after the mad flapper party years for F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. It is told from the point of view of Zelda’s fictional psychiatric nurse, and explores themes of loyalty, friendship, and love.
TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
ER: I’ve had so many wonderful teachers, I can’t pick just one. There was my elementary school English teacher who taught me to love books and how to sing the preposition song; there was my middle school writing teacher who critiqued my terrible novel with the patience and enthusiasm of a stellar New York editor; there was my high school religion and philosophy teacher who showed me how to think; my college literature professor who gave me a great love for words read aloud; the humanities teacher who expanded my world view… I have been blessed with incredible teachers my entire life.
We cannot wait to get ourself a copy of Call Me Zelda, and we know you all are right there with us! And, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to pick yourself up a copy of Hemingway’s Girl TODAY. You know we’d never steer you wrong!
Live, Love, Learn,
The Write Teacher(s)