What has been the most surprising aspect of this project? The sheer volume of responses! Initially I thought we were going to have to work hard to find the stories, but we ended up with way more people wanting to help out than I ever imagined. It's been humbling, and amazing just how many people were supportive of the idea.
The most taxing? The time line, without a doubt! I wouldn't recommend putting together an anthology as quickly as we did. From the day of the earthquake, to the day we stopped taking submissions it was maybe one month? All up, less than 3, and the last four weeks or so have mostly been the smaller, finicky stuff that needs to be done to ensure a good quality product. Anna and I are both busy people - she works full time, and studies. I have three small kids and a proof reading job. There were moments when we wondered if we'd bitten off more than we could chew.
The most rewarding? Any time I spotted a comment or blog post from someone which mentioned the project and how it made them feel. It was lovely stumbling across these from time to time, knowing that what we were doing had touched someone, had let them know that people were still thinking about those in Canterbury, doing what they could to help. It really brought home to me that it's not just the dollar figure that counts to those in need, its the thoughts, the desire to make a difference that really touches them, and to think that I could be part of making people feel better was really rewarding.
How do you feel your writing has been/might be affected by such a gamut of tales read in a short space of time? Firstly, my writing time has taken a huge hit over the last few months. It's been totally worth it, but I am looking forward to getting back in touch with my own words on a more regular basis over the next month as things return to normal. I've read such a huge variety of stories since starting this, learned more about style and substance, seen ways in which story telling is different from author to author, and looked for the things which make a story strong and ways which weaken it. I have no doubt that this will impact positively on my own writing, but I won't know for sure until I knuckle down and actually finish a story ;-) Hopefully I can get to that in the near future.
All I can say is thanks to Cassie and Anna for taking time out their busy lives to put this great collection together for such a worthy cause. If you want to support those affected by the Christchurch quake, just pop to this site and order either an ebook or a print copy.
1 comments:
Thank you for interviewing me, Anna! And for being so supportive, and spreading the word :-) Glad you're enjoying the anthology so far!
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