Susan Ziggy
Susan, is that your real name?
No. Susan Ziggy is my pen name.
It's very catchy. And where does Susan Ziggy call home?
I am from Hamburg, NY (a suburb outside of Buffalo, where it rarely snows and is hot in the summer, just had to clear that up :) )
What have you written?
I am the author of "What To Do Before You Say I Do" for my two adult children on the verge of getting married. I ended up getting it published so I could share my life and education with everyone who wants to know what to expect from marriage or, how to refresh the one you have.
Sounds wonderful We all need help in that area. What is your favorite genre to write?
My favorite genre is Self-help (I love to learn being an ex teacher) and Humor. When they are combined it's a real winner for me!
Favorite food.
My favorite food is chocolate. I live on it and it has been scientifically proven that women need it to produce serotonin in their brains.......so I eat it all day and am very happy and thin.
Favorite musical artist.
My favorite music artist ranges from Country to Evanescence and everything in between. Right now I love the group, "FUN".
Where would you like to visit?
The world would be a good start, then move out to the moon and beyond. I have been all over Europe when I was younger and loved the history that the U.S. is sorely lacking. I loved skiing out west. I am no longer able to travel due to an injury that left me unable to walk without pain. I do enjoy the Discovery channel so I can pretend to travel all over the world.
What makes me laugh?
I can find humor in almost anything. I create my own humor in order to make unhappy people happy. My publicist put it the best way, "When God gave me a lemon, I built an orchard and shared my lemons with everyone."
When did you start writing?
I first started writing I was in first grade. My teacher said it was mandatory. There is that humor. I was a special Education teacher and thought that's what I would do until I retired. When I got hurt and had a lot of free time, I thought about my children who are getting married and how I could help them learn from my mistakes and what I learned in my life. I started writing, learned I had something to share that was helpful while funny. I ended up getting it published. Now I am writing a comical story, then another book on children. I have gotten out of control with my writing and I can't stop typing. If only they had a book about that!
Where do you get your inspiration?
I draw my inspiration from people I know and have met in passing. Everyone has a story, you just have to open to listening. I have a large Irish family and a psychologist for a father. We are a crazy, fun family so there was a lot of inspiration drawn from them. We are all in the field of helping people so that part is instilled in my genetics. My humor comes from situations I faced that I turned around using humor. Now that too is ingrained in my personality.
How d you deal with writer's block?
When I get writer's block? Does that really happen? If I get writers block I walk away for a while. I will talk to people, especially strangers in store lines, and my humor comes pouring out of me again. I will also garden to slow my brain down from overthinking stories. If it is something I have to research, like my current book, I get stories from people who are affiliated with my current topic, albeit a job, college, married people...etc
Who is your favorite author?
My favorite author, I thinking trick question! I am my favorite author :) I love that my book helps people without preaching and it has funny stories in it that everyone can relate to and laugh about. I do like Rick Castle too, does he count?!
Yes, and I hear Carol Ann Kauffman can weave a good story, too!
What's the best book you ever read?
The best book I ever read is another tough one. I remember my first book, Flowers in the Attic and the sequel. I read that when I was young and enjoyed it. It made me want to read more. Then college came along and I enjoyed reading all my college books. I love to read about history too. It all fascinates me. Again, I just love to learn and laugh.
Who is the one person who has had the most influence in your personal life and why?
My mother and father were a large influence on my childhood. Ellen DeGeneres and my sisters were and still are a huge influence on my adult life. I love Ellen for her humor, kindness and her super generosity in helping others.
What one person, living or dead, real or fictitious, would you like to sit down and have a conversation with, and why?
If I could sit and talk to someone it would be Ellen. We share similar history and have the same personality.
What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
My advice to aspiring writers is: Have an original idea worth writing about. Please know your grammatical rules, tenses and spelling. Don't assume because you work from home the job doesn't require just 40 hours. It's a lot of work that can be frustrating, exciting, frustrating (oh, I mentioned that one!) and be prepared to work very hard to write it over and over until you can almost memorize what you wrote. There is a great deal of editing! Make sure you know how to promote your book with marketing if you self-publish. If you get a publisher who promotes for you, it will cost you. Make sure you also believe in what you are doing. You will have days where you can't stop writing and other days where you can't think anymore!
Do you have a book cover to share with us?
Any links to share with us?
Here are a list of sites I can be found on:
http://www.susanziggy.com/ website and blog
or just google susan ziggy on google (not ask) and I am everywhere
Thank you, Susan, this has been fun. Good luck to you.
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