Rebecca Benston interview

Rebecca Benston is the author of Under Lock and Key: The Rona Shively Stories and In the Wash: The Rona Shively Stories. This interview was first published in December 2007.

Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Springfield, OH. I have lived in several different parts of Ohio, but always seemed to end up right back in Springfield.

What was it that first got you into writing and when did you start writing?

Actually, my love for reading is what prompted me to write. I have written ever since I can remember. Mostly, I started out writing songs and poems. I started writing stories in high school, but was always afraid to send them anywhere to be published. After I had my daughter in 2003, I developed a different perspective on devoting time to the things I love. It took me a few years, but I finally got my first book published in 2006.

Which writers have influenced you the most?

I have to say Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich, and Lisa Scottoline. They all inspired me to write a strong female character. My earliest influences include Laura Ingalls Wilder, Judy Blume, and Beverly Cleary for their ability to make characters and places real in my mind.

What kind of things do you write?

I write mystery and romance, but not in the typical style of either genre. I like to write about possibilities and to give my characters a matter-of-fact voice that allows them to speak their minds. I have also written horror, science fiction and even non-fiction.

What are you working on now?

I am working on the third book in my Rona Shively mystery series, a science fiction story called The End of Eternity, and my first non-fiction book on Women's Self-Esteem. I just finished a horror story for an anthology that is due out in February called From the Shadows. My story, Eleven is one of those included in the collection.

What is your writing day like?

Generally, I check e-mail, blog, and post bulletins every day. I try to write whenever I have time, but prefer to sit for several hours and write whatever I can get on the page. Some days it's five sentences, some days it's fifteen pages. It just depends on what's going on around me that day.

What’s the most exciting thing about writing for you?

Getting my characters to play out situations I come up with. I often don't know exactly how something is going to turn out until I am writing. I might have the overall idea, but how the event occurs is often developed as I go.

What’s the most frustrating thing about writing for you?

I am most frustrated by my lack of creativity in the area of promotion and marketing. I seem to run out of ideas for this. This probably comes from being such a picky consumer. I'm not easily impressed by gimmicks, so it's hard for me to think of ways to draw people to my work if they aren't already compelled to pick it up.

What’s the best piece of feedback that you’ve had from your audience?

I'm not sure, I've had good feedback on most of my work so I would have to say that anything my audience tells me is valuable. If it's important enough for them to tell me, then it goes in my things to remember file.

Do you write for a particular audience, or is your first priority to satisfy your own creativity?

I write for people who are just like me. I am also an avid mystery reader, so I try to deliver the best possible stories I can write.

Do you have a homepage? Do you have any short stories or poems published online? (If so, please provide the URLs):

My websites are at http://www.rebeccabenstonwrites.com/, http://www.theronashivelystories.com/, http://www.myspace.com/rebeccabenston. My short story is available on Amazon.com under Amazon Shorts. It is called Hearts and Flowers.

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