7 Questions For: Author Ally Malinenko

Ally Malinenko, a self-proclaimed Bardolator, took her first pilgrimage to Stratford-Upon-Avon in 2009 and hasn’t been the same since. Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb is her first children's book. Her poetry book, The Wanting Bone, was published by Six Gallery Press. She blogs at allymalinenko.com. Ally lives in Brooklyn with her husband.

Click here to read my review of Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb.

And now Ally Malinenko faces the 7 Questions:

Question Seven: What are your top three favorite books?

Really? Just three? You know how hard that is? Ugh. Okay, first off my apologies to all the amazing books who are left off this list. Like Han says, "It's not my fault." 

1. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger - because it's beautiful and perfect.

2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - it's the reason I wanted to write.

3. Wrinkle in Time - I love Meg Murray. 

Question Six: How much time do you spend each week writing? Reading?

I read most weeknights, Sunday nights and my lunches reading so probably in a week I read about 15 hours. I write weekday mornings starting at 5 am so I probably write about 8-10 hours a week. 

Question Five: What was the path that led you to publication?

It was strange but sort of typical. I got an agent and then I got a small press publisher. In between those two was a ton of joy and heartache and a lot of revision.

Question Four: Do you believe writers are born, taught or both? Which was true for you?

I think both. I think someone has a talent that is cultivated and groomed and through their own determination molded into something worthwhile. That said, I don't necessary believe in the MFA. I think it's great for some people, terrible for others and really is up to the writer. I learned how to write by reading. That's really the only teacher that I think anyone needs.

Question Three: What is your favorite thing about writing? What is your least favorite thing?

My favorite is the pure total creation. I write fantasy so I love world building. My least favorite is revision. I suck at it and it's time consuming and I have trouble deciding what should stay or go. Hence my current WIP being 550 pages long. 

Question Two: What one bit of wisdom would you impart to an aspiring writer? (feel free to include as many other bits of wisdom as you like)

Read. Read. Read. Read everything you can get your hands on. The only way to learn how to write is to read. And then when you do start writing, don't give up. Just write. Keep writing. When it's good keep writing. When it's bad keep writing. When someone tells you it's terrible and you should stop - keep writing. When someone tells you it's perfect don't change it, keep writing. One day you'll wake up and you'll have found your voice. But it takes work. Be ready to do the work.

Question One: If you could have lunch with any writer, living or dead, who would it be? Why?

William Shakespeare. Definitely. Why? Because he's the greatest writer that ever lived. If it weren't for William Shakespeare we wouldn't have 90% of the plot devices we have now. No Shakespeare, no love triangle, no Three's Company. And really, who wants to live in a world without a character like Jack Tripper?

www.allymalinenko.com