Really fun 3Q’s today for all of you who’re still reading these! Thanks for your continued interest in this series, it’s been a blast! Today’s guest is someone that I connected with over on Twitter a few years back and it’s been great interacting with her and supporting each other as we go!
Please welcome Ruth!
Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?
Ruth: I almost immediately shoot it off to beta readers, which forces me to take a break. Once they get their comments back to me, I usually dive right in and start nipping and tucking and fixing it up. If it’s big changes, I often let it sit for a bit while my brain works out how to incorporate the changes without ruining the whole story. I edit as I write, so I don’t usually have a ton of editing to do that is obvious to me, so that’s why I always, always use as many beta readers as I can.
Steve: Do you believe cryptozoological creatures exist? If so, which one do you think has the best chance of being proven to exist?
Ruth: Hmmm…I think that there are definitely some sea creatures that are outside of what has been confirmed. Like some crazy alien shit with superpowers the likes of what we haven’t imagined. So I totally think there is some fantastic giant squid with, like, mind control powers or something, lurking in the deepest of trenches.
Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?
Ruth: My collection No One Can Help You: Tales of Lost Children and Other Nightmares has some really deeply disturbing stories in it. It isn’t just stories to me; it’s my fears brought to life and then turned up to eleven. I love the supernatural elements, but it’s the really-could-happen aspect of the stories that frightens me the most. I think it’s a really scary book.
Steve: Bonus Fun Question – What was the best practical joke you’ve ever been involved in?
Ruth: Omg, this was terrible, but when I was a kid, we lived next door to our landlord. He was the nicest old man, always fixing things and teaching us stuff and generally being great. On April Fool’s Day one year, we decided to get him, so we ran over to his house screaming that the ceiling in the kitchen had fallen down onto the kitchen table. That man 100% believed us, and his face—I’m just glad he didn’t have a heart attack. So, it was a terrible prank, but so believable, because it was a shitty little house. That’s the only one I can remember, so it’s going to have to be the best ;).
Steve: Haha, that is amazing! And I think it’s a solid prank because nothing bad had actually happened to the house!
Thank you so much for doing this, Ruth!
To find more of her work – check the links!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ruth-Anna-Evans/author/B09J21ZQB7
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ruthannaevans
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