#myvoiceis Interview with Author Suzanne Rindell
Editors note: Here at Vital Voice Training, we believe in empowering all voices. With #myvoiceis we want to talk about what you are PROUD of about your voice and the people who have contributed to who you are.
Meet Suzanne Rindell, author of The Other Typist and Three Martini Lunch. (both of which we highly recommend) Suzanne is brilliant, perceptive, and has found her voice in her writing. Take it away, Suzanne!
The thing I love most about my voice is…
I need to work on this! There's a reason I'm a writer... (Can I say I feel the power of my voice the most in my writing?)
The thing i hate most about my voice is….
I have a music teacher for a mom, and as the fates would have it, I'm not terribly musically inclined. So I was always aware of how unmusical my voice is, hah.
When is a time you felt really proud about speaking up?
Public speaking or speaking up for/against something? When it comes to public speaking, conquering my nerves on a book tour has been my greatest challenge -- so I often feel proud when I make it through that without bombing. When it comes to advocating, it was probably in high school, when some co-workers at my part-time job were gay bashing. I remember jumping into the conversation and effectively shutting them down. I was surprised that I jumped into the conversation so swiftly, and that I didn't just avoid confrontation. It made me realize, sometimes it's OK not to just mind your own business.
What other languages do you speak (This can be an actual language, or used more metaphorically).
French, I suppose. And definitely fluent in the wine and cheese that goes with it.
Who is the person who has most influenced your voice?
I wish I knew! Vocally, I haven't thought about this much! I can answer this question in spades when it comes to "writing voice," and name ten-plus writers! Clearly, I need to understand my *actual* voice better as an instrument I also use daily.
If you could speak to your younger self about her voice, what would you tell her?
Hmm. I used to have a horror of what my voice sounded like "out of control." (This obviously stems from a broader fear of being out of control). So, I would probably tell her not to be so afraid of that. A lot of the fun stuff in theater class (and in life!) can only be reached once you pass through the "out of control phase" and come out the other side.
Suzanne Rindell is a doctoral student in American modernist literature at Rice University. Her first novel, THE OTHER TYPIST, debuted on May 7, 2013. It has been translated into 15 languages and optioned for film by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Her second novel, THREE-MARTINI LUNCH, debuted from Putnam on April 5, 2016. She lives in New York City and is currently working on a third novel. Read more from and about her at suzannerindell.com
Public speaking, failure, public speaking coaches, public speaking coaching, authenticity, Vital Voice Training, Casey Erin Clark, Julie Fogh, communication specialists