Christina Consolino
Christina Consolino is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in multiple online and print outlets. Her debut novel, Rewrite the Stars, was named one of ten finalists for the Ohio Writers' Association Great Novel Contest 2020, and she is the co-author of Historic Photos of University of Michigan. She serves as senior editor at the online journal Literary Mama, freelance edits both fiction and nonfiction, and teaches writing classes at Word's Worth Writing Center. Christina lives in Kettering, Ohio, with her family and pets.
Twitter: @cmconsolino
Instagram: @cmconsolino
Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?
I don’t usually listen to music while I write, but songs come to mind as I write different scenes in my books. These songs represent something in those scenes—the moods, the emotions, the events, anything really. And the most important part isn’t which type of music necessarily but the lyrics and what’s being said. (Imagine that—a writer gravitating toward words!) Sometimes songs will get me thinking, at which time I stop what I’m doing, scribble a few lines, and go back to whatever task I was immersed in. And songs do crop up in my work. For example, in Rewrite the Stars, the songs on the radio when Sadie and Andrew are babysitting reflect Sadie’s thoughts and emotions.
What’s your favorite comic strip or graphic novel?
As time has passed, I’ve moved away from reading comics, and my experience with graphic novels is limited to the Real Friends series by Shannon Hale (fabulous series, by the way!).So I’m reaching back in time to the comic strip that still makes me laugh: Calvin and Hobbes. We have the entire box set, and all my children (I have four, ages thirteen to nineteen) read those still. When they say, “Mom! Look at this!” I do, and I still laugh.
Favorite non-reading activity?
Does anything else exist? I say that in a joking manner, and yet, I don’t. If left alone, I’d read and write all day. But running is extremely important to me. I’ve always said (and this is no joke), that I could either run or find a therapist. And it’s true. I’m able to manage mild depression with exercise, so I run twenty-five miles a week and walk in the evenings. Both practices help keep me going, but I also enjoy spending time with my family, and that can be anything from a quiet vacation to a picnic to a short hike to a movie.
Is your go to comfort food sweet or savory? Is it something you make yourself? Does food inspire your writing?
My sweet tooth can be a problem if I let it (especially because I’m prediabetic), but my go-to for comfort is ice cream. It can be below zero outside, and if I’ve had a bad day, I’ll pull out the ice cream. And while I have a favorite flavor (raspberry cheesecake from Stucchi’s in Ann Arbor, MI), I’m not usually picky.
As for inspiring my writing? I’ll say maybe. I have a few personal essays drafted that involve food (one that revolves around cookies, the other scrambled eggs), but food doesn’t really feature in my fiction.
Not all books are for all readers… when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?
I used to slog through an entire book because I tend to pride myself in finishing what I start. Then, a dear friend and fellow author reminded me that even with a goal of 100 books a year, we’d only be able to read 3000 to 4000 more books in our lifetimes, and that’s if we’re really lucky! Only 4000 at the most? With all those incredible books out there? That made my mind up. If I don’t get hooked within the first chapter or two, I’ll put the book down. Sometimes I go back and try again, but I don’t always finish. And that’s okay.
