Manning Wolfe has been a member of WLT since it was the Austin Writer’s League. Her book, Texas Lady Lawyer vs. Boots King is the winner of the 2014 Manuscript Contest in the Mystery Category. She will be attending the 2014 Agents & Editors Conference and lives in Austin, Texas.
Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?
Manning Wolfe: Texas Lady Lawyer vs. Boots King is the first book in a mystery/legal thriller series set in Austin. I also have a coming of age golf tale, Green Fees, and a non-fiction book on PTSD that are in process. I have written screenplays, as well, including The Life of Buckminster Fuller.
Scribe: What authors would you like to have coffee or a beer with and which beverage?
MW: If I had to choose one, it would be John Grisham. I’d like to have a beer and a burger with Michael Connelly, Robert B. Parker, Dashiell Hammett, Ernest Hemingway, Patricia Cornwell, Sue Grafton, Scott Turow, and Bill Rodgers. I’d like to have a glass of wine and cheese with Joan Didion, Patricia Highsmith, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, Thomas Hardy, John Fowles, H. Scott Beazley, and Jennifer Ziegler.
Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?
MW: Maybe something by the Dalai Lama or Maya Angelou to keep my mind calm and serene. Since I’m an extrovert most of the time, I might go crazy with no one to talk to. Maybe I’d get lucky and find a “Wilson” volleyball – it worked for Tom Hanks in Castaway.
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers League?
MW: Since it was the Austin Writer’s League, I’ve seen the WLT go through so many changes that I’ve often wondered if it would survive. I’m so glad it did because the ongoing level of offerings in terms of classes and conferences is very high quality and much-needed by the writing community. I’ve seen many agents and editors, as well as everyday heroes, give a lot of themselves to the organization over the years. As for what I’ve learned from associating with other authors, persistence is really the essential quality required. It seems that those who don’t give up find their place in the writing world in one way or another.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
MW: If I’m dreaming big, I’d like to see Brad Pitt being directed as Boots King by Clint Eastwood or Michael Mann. In my heart, I’d just like to tell some good stories and have people enjoy reading them.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
MW: The best writers I know have had some life experiences that make their stories real and special. My time as an attorney exposed me to a lot of interesting characters which I borrow from every day as I write. Now that I consult on a part-time basis, writing is at the top of my list in terms of time and effort. Check out my website for more on my story and my books www.manningwolfe.com. Happy Writing!
