Georgia Campbell Abernathy: Author & Artist
Tell us a little about yourself and your background?
All of my life, I have loved to write, and I have loved to read. I have been fascinated with the English language, and the flexibility of wordsmithing. I am one of these quiet, creative types, and I very much appreciate originality and talent.
You created the cover art for my book of poetry (thank you!). What else have you written/created?
I have a novel published: Toxic Ties: Final Escape from a Deadly Danger, available on Amazon for Kindle and paperback.
Are you currently working on anything?
Yes. I have two more books that I am working on that are different from the first one. One is quite gruesome - I thought I would try that. The other one has a twisted plot that requires a lot of attention. I have to work on it when I am able to give it the attention it needs. I also have a lot of blank canvases that are just waiting for inspiration.
What inspires you?
Beauty. Especially nature. Just the miracle of trees and beautiful scenery is enough to inspire anybody. And I do respond to the chaos of nature, the tangles and lines, instead of the structure of cities and man-made architecture. Life isn't comprised of 90-degree angles. Life is random. It is controlled chaos, which makes it exciting. Everyone's life is different because of that.
How and when did you first get interested in your artistic field?
I was in the first grade when my mama taught me to knit. I thought that was the most fascinating thing, to take one long string of thread and two needles and make a garment! Just the way that one thread could weave itself in and out to create something beautiful. Our lives are like that one piece of thread, twisting ourselves and weaving into something that we call, Georgia {or whomever}. And if we pull hard enough, we get back to that basic single thread of who we are.
My first set of finger paints, with some butcher paper, became a masterpiece to me. That I could put that paint in a certain order and make it remind me of what I was trying to envision. Even later, it brought back that same image in my mind. The ability to do that was fascinating. So I ended up doodling on all of my school notes and journals, trying to capture the essence of that moment and what I thought and felt then.
Would you rather be good at what you do and unrecognized, or terrible at what you do but widely celebrated?
I would rather be good, very good, at what I do. Celebrity has never been appealing to me. In fact, it's been a bit of an issue in my life that I care so little about what the masses think. It is far more important to me what a few individuals think and feel, because the tastes of the general public can be so benign, for most consumers want to engage in something passively, where they can pass a few minutes while in the waiting room or at lunch. It takes a similar sense of creativity to understand someone who strives for stimulation, education and/or emotion.
What was your favorite story when you were growing up?
Stories about animals were always my favorite. Albert Payson Terhune wrote dog stories that could make you laugh out loud or sob yourself to sleep. It was then that I realized the power of the written word, and how a well-turned phrase could evoke such violent emotion from a person. And I was hooked.
What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?
Everyone has a mental bucket list, whether they admit or not. On my list was to publish a book. It didn't have to be some grand masterpiece, and I didn't want it to be an autobiography, which would take more courage than I have. I was actually inspired by you, truthfully, and your brave attempt of just laying it bare and publishing something that was meaningful and poignant. I read your poetry when I created your cover art, and I devoured your poems, one by one. I realized how powerful your words were, and that ignited a spark inside me to check that particular item off my bucket list.
Do you have any strange writing habits/rituals?
Not strange, exactly. I start out with a pencil and paper, and I think of a plot. I briefly write down where I think the plot will take me. Then, I insert my characters, and I keep them on a separate piece of paper. Once I have my plot and my people firmly in my mind, then I start at the beginning and commence telling the story. I try to write it the way I would like to read it. I keep extra places or ideas on my spare sheet of paper, just waiting for their debut.
What's more important: characters or plot?
I think characters are extremely important, but the plot itself is what moves the story. The characters are just things. The story itself is the engine, and the characters are the cars.
Any last thoughts?
I am honored to be interviewed. I would never put myself in the category of a great writer, but I am a great appreciator of great writers.
Georgia's book is available here:
