Since you asked...
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I can only speak for myself, but it's discipline. Discipline to write a set word count everyday. Discipline to keep at it when "the muse" isn't particularly generous. Along with the discipline of writing even when you don't feel like it, comes the discipline of exercising each day, after those long hours of sitting (not good for the hips!). Then the discipline to "turn off the story" (or at least mute it) when you're with family and friends. Again, sometimes easier to do than others, especially when I'm on deadline.
What is an average workday like for you?
In a perfect world, I get up at 6:00 AM, get ready, do breakfast, etc… I'm at my computer no later than 8:00 AM. I answer emails, then turn email OFF and write until noon. At noon, I eat a lunch of yogurt and a lean piece of chicken, run two miles, then back at my laptop by 1:30 PM to write until 4:30 PM.
In the real world, every day is different. I'll get started writing about 8:00 and then Jack (our silky terrier) will want to go for a walk, or one of my kids will call to chat or needing something and—zing!—I'm off track, just like that!
But I DO try to follow the above routine in some form, every weekday. Unless I'm on deadline, then I write close to 24/7. And survive on DOTS, Peanut M&Ms, and Diet Dr. Pepper.
What is your most memorable moment as a published author?
So far, it would have to be a moment that happened just a few weeks ago. My husband and I were having some landscaping done, and one afternoon the landscaper asked me what I did for a living since I was "always home." I told him I was a writer, and he shared that his wife loved to read. And that she was currently on bed rest, due in three weeks with their fourth child.
I gave him a set of Fountain Creek Chronicles (Rekindled, Revealed, Remembered) for his wife. Well, I got an email the next night saying that his wife was loving Rekindled and was telling him every single scene when he got home from work, so he wouldn't have to read the book—his wife had already told him everything.
The next day he arrived. I met him in the backyard to discuss some details and he said, "Before we start, I just want to thank you for writing that book."
"Rekindled?" I asked.
He nodded. "My wife finished it last night. She loved it." He got a little quiet. "She came up to me and told me, after reading finishing and said that it made her love me more, and that she was more committed to our marriage now than she had been."
There are moments in your life when you wonder if you're doing what God made you to do. While I have no clue whether I'll be writing ten years from now, I have no doubt that I'm doing what God designed me to do…for now. And I'm grateful to share the hope in Christ that He's entrusted to us.
What types of books do you like to read for pleasure, when you're not doing research for your current manuscript?
Right now, I'm reading Leif Enger's So Brave, Young and Handsome, and Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far by Amy Grant. I recently finished Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks, Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury, and The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher. I read a wide variety of genres, and something that may be a bit surprising… I've long enjoyed Dean Koontz and Stephen King! Go figure… For a list of what I'm currently reading (or have read), hop over to my blog.
Do you work in a designated office or in various places? What spot is your favorite writing area and do you have a set time you go there?
I have a designated office in our home and write in there most mornings. You can see pictures of that here ( ). Then around noon, I'll grab something to eat and move out to the deck with my laptop, weather permitting, of course. I also love sneaking off to Chili's, Panera Bread or Starbucks and writing there for a couple of hours. Yum!
What did you do before you became a writer?
I worked in business in banking and overseeing monetary transfers of corporate banking accounts in Atlanta. Later, I provided support in hardware and software for managing traffic in Radio and T.V. stations like WTBS across the U.S., and also wrote customer service manuals (which, believe it or not, really did help my writing skills!), and I coordinated corporate conferences (which I loved doing). Though I've enjoyed my business background, I'm enjoying what I'm doing now very much and have quickly discovered that a business background comes in handy when marketing a published novel.
When did you first decide to write a novel?
Very unexpectedly, Claudette died that same year from a brain aneurysm. Weeks passed, and as I was cleaning bookshelves downstairs, I happened across that little volume and immediately sat down and read it. Claudette was right! I felt an immediate connection with the thread of hope woven through that gentle love story—Love Comes Softly, by Janette Oke, originally published by Bethany House Publishers in 1979. That sent me searching for more inspirational fiction published not only by Bethany House, but elsewhere in the Christian Booksellers Association market (CBA). I devoured it, and developed a strong interest then in historical fiction.
A few years later my husband and I were driving back to Colorado from Texas late one night. I finished a novel, turned to him and said (only joking at the time), "I think I could write one of those." Without blinking, he said, "Well, do it." Competitive at heart, I nodded and said, "Okay."
My first novel made it to the review board at Bethany House Publishers in 2000, after which I received a very nice rejection letter. Writing that first story was a learning experience for me that I took to heart. I then determined to set about seriously studying the craft of writing.
And a quick update on my first novel—I've recently written that story "afresh" and it will be released by Thomas Nelson as their first historical in their WOMEN OF FAITH fiction line! Even after all these years, I still love that story and am thrilled it found it's way out of my desk drawer! The Inheritance—the WOMEN OF FAITH novel—releases in March 2009.
When did you sign your first contract?
Do you read all your reader mail?
Writing is a solitary activity, and I'm a very social person and enjoy interacting with people. So the hours on end spent in my make-believe world, while enjoyable most days, can be lonely at times. Like most other writers, when I'm in the middle of writing a novel I get caught up in the story, swept up in the plot or character emotions or conflict. But during the course of writing a novel, over months and months of working on the story, it's easy for a writer's confidence to lose its footing. I start questioning if the story is really okay. Or not. That's why it means so much for authors to hear from readers.
I always try to keep in mind that I write for an Audience of One—for the Lord Jesus Christ. And while that doesn't ever change, it's nice to occasionally hear from readers that they have been encouraged or have connected with a character or situation in some way. That's even better than chocolate! ;)
I want to write a book. What should I do?
My first advice is to write, write, write! Then study the craft! I've listed several books below that are part of my library and that I keep close at hand. I'd also encourage would-be writers to check out American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) at www.americanchristianfictionwriters.com. ACFW is a professional writers organization dedicated to equipping authors in the craft of writing Christian fiction. Their affordable annual membership offers online classes, critique groups, and an annual conference that's among the best in the industry. The knowledge I've gained through my affiliation with ACFW, along with the relationships I've made there with other writers, have made all the difference!
Suggested Reading for Writers:
- Stein on Writing by Sol Stein
- How to Grow a Novel by Sol Stein
- Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell
- Getting Into Character by Brandilyn Collins
- Goal, Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon
- Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
- Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain
- Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan
- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
Will you read my manuscript?
Did you study writing in high school or college?
What do you hope to leave with readers after they read your books?
What is your goal or mission as a Christian writer?
When is your Women of Faith Fiction book, The Inheritance, releasing?
When is the next book in the Timber Ridge Reflections series going to be released?
What do you do when you need to get away from it all?
Do you travel much?
Are there things you haven't accomplished yet that you still would like to accomplish?
What motivates you?
What aspects of your work do you enjoy the most?
The next best thing is typing "THE END" on a first draft.
