Suzanne Palmer
Who are you, and what did you write?
I’m Suzanne Palmer, and I write primarily space-opera style Science Fiction, with occasional dips into Hard SF, Fantasy, and horror. My latest book is the third in the Finder Chronicles, THE SCAVENGER DOOR, which came out on Aug. 17th 2021 from DAW Books.
What hardware and software do you write with?
I primarily write on a Mac using MS Word, because it’s just simpler to write in manuscript format from the get-go and I’m used to it. That said, I’ve been known to be desperate enough to tinker with short excerpts in vi (I don’t recommend this.) I write fairly linearly, at least with first drafts, so the simpler the tool the better. I also tend to do a lot of adjacent diagrams, maps, and other visual stuff in Visio, and I run my own private wiki for worldbuilding info.
When and where do you write?
The actual physical act of writing I do mostly at home, especially since the pandemic started, though I used to occasionally gather with writer friends in coffee shops and cafes to write and toss ideas around. But, being very ADHD, a lot of the mental processes of writing just sort of run in the background all day long, and I solve a lot of plot problems while doing completely unrelated things. I have a full-time day job and kids, so I tend to write mostly in the evenings after dinner on weekdays, and whenever I can catch a few minutes on weekends. I function better with a certain amount of distraction, so I’m not dependent upon having long blocks of dedicated time or a fixed schedule.
What's your dream writing setup?
I would like a Star Trek-style replicator next to my desk that can give me hot tea and cupcakes at will. Also, a small robot that sighs louder and louder the longer I have social media open instead of writing, and throws things at me if I get into arguments on facebook. Failing all that, I really should just invest in a water cooler.