Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

An Interview with Author Jody Hedlund

(I'm republishing this interview with Jody Hedlund, as her newest YA is on the cusp of publication.)




Today, I am interviewing author Jody Hedlund 
about the release of Book #1 of her new Orphan Train Series.
(You can read my review of the book here.)

 
Congratulations on the release of With You Always! This first book of your new series is the third book you’ve released in 2017.  Most of my writer friends (myself included) say they have trouble making time to write. How do you find time to write so many books?

I keep a very rigorous writing schedule, usually writing six days a week. I give myself a challenging word count goal—a certain number of words to write every day. Then, in the morning, I sit down and write until I meet my goals. It’s as simple . . . and as hard as that!

I like to compare being an author to a marathon runner. The person training to run a marathon doesn’t start off running twenty-six miles the first time she runs. Instead she begins with just a few miles, strengthens her muscles, builds her endurance, and slowly adds more miles.

Writing is the same way. Over the years, I’ve strengthened my writing muscles and built up my endurance so that now I can write faster and for longer stretches.

You make it sound easy, but I know it takes commitment. What is your inspiration to write?

I write because I love telling stories. I love the quote by Toni Morrison because it sums up part of why I write: "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." Essentially, I write the stories that I LOVE to read! Of course there are other, deeper reasons I write too. But mostly I just really enjoy the process of creating imaginary people and places.

I’ve heard you use that Morrison quote before. 
I’m moving into a new home right now—perhaps that
quote should go on the wall above my computer desk.  

Is there something you tell yourself before writing?

Usually I tell myself to sit down, put my hands to the keyboard, and get to work. I don't wait for inspiration or magical fairy dust to hit me before writing. I just do it.

 But I also always ask myself, what could make this story better? How can I increase the tension? How can add more excitement? What can I do to make my characters more likeable? I'm constantly challenging myself to make my story more vibrant and alive.

I think too many of us wait for the inspiration to come before setting down to the keyboard.

It’s quite obvious that you put a lot of research in all your books. What special research did you do in writing With You Always?

In the beginning phases of writing this series, I did a great deal of reading about the orphan train movement. In particular, I really loved Stephen O’Conor’s book, Orphan Trains, because he includes so many personal stories and details about real orphans, which are heart wrenching.

I also read, A History of New York City to 1898, by Burrows and Wallace, which gave me great insights into the lives of immigrants, particularly immigrant women. Masses of foreigners were arriving into New York City on a daily basis, and the book gave a detailed look into their pathetic housing situation, the difficult working conditions, as well as gang problems and the underworld.

Finally, another important aspect of the story that required a concentrated amount of research was the development of railroads. The mid-1800’s was an incredible period of growth for the railroad industry in the Mid-West. The new railroads aided the orphan train movement but also brought about the settlement of the Midwestern states, including Illinois, which is one of the settings of the book.

You certainly painted a picture of horrid living conditions for these New York City women. I feel quite blessed to be born into a better situation. Speaking of blessings, what role does faith play in your novels?

While I try not to preach at my readers, I do weave faith themes through my books. My faith also motivates me to keep my stories "clean." I believe Christian fiction is a much needed alternative, especially Christian romance.

I just recently got an email from a reader telling me she that she'd picked up several books and been really turned off by the explicitness within them, but that she didn't realize the books contained such content until she started reading them. She wanted to know if there was a rating system or some way that she could tell if the book would be "clean" before she started reading. I was glad that I could point her to inspirational Christian fiction, that she would be guaranteed the sweet romance she desired.

I can certainly relate to her experience. It’s another reason I want to write suspense. I would love a rating system like that. It would surely make book shopping an easier experience.


Is there anything particular that you hope readers take away from With You Always?

One of my hopes in telling this story is to leave readers with the reminder that God is walking with us in whatever dark valley we’re going through. Often, like Elise, we tend to pull away from God and let the bitterness of our circumstances drive us into a cave of isolation and self-blame and heartache. But God wants us to realize that even if we pull away from Him, He’s still there walking by our side, waiting for us to reach out our hand and grab hold of Him. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He’s there waiting.

Amen! Well, I think you have achieved that with this story.

I want to thank you for answering some questions for my readers. Do you have any parting words for them?
I love hearing from readers! Make sure you stop by one of these places and say hello!
I hang out on Facebook here: Author Jody Hedlund
I also love to chat on Twitter: @JodyHedlund
My home base is at my website: jodyhedlund.com
Find me on Instagram: instagram.com/jodyhedlund/
Come pin with me on Pinterest: pinterest.com/jodyhedlund/pins/

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Brown Shoes VS Black Shoes

Aspiring writer friends, I know we want people to love our writing, and subsequently buy our books—hopefully more than a few people—but what about those who don’t? How much does that matter to you?

If you’re writing a psychological thriller, and a friend only reads western romance novels with hunky cowboys, chances are, she won’t like your book. Understandable, right?  I won’t bother purchasing your cowboy romance, nor will I buy your newly published book about aliens invading San Francisco. Okay, if we know each other well, I will buy them. I’ve read many books out of my normal interests because I know the author, but I will never buy a book like “Fifty Shades of Grey”—even if my daughter writes it!  I will wish you the best of luck, but don’t expect me to read it. And that should be okay. It doesn’t reflect on your ability to write a good book. It only says my interests are different.

 I recently pinned some photos of plants that I hope to add to the landscape of our soon-to-be home. A friend commented that a couple of the plants I liked would "grow ugly". I knew what she meant, but that feature was one of the things that I liked about the plant. She conceded that people have different tastes with a comment something like, "That's why we have brown shoes and black shoes." 

No matter where your talent lies, there will be someone who doesn’t appreciate it. I don’t think many would say Barbra Streisand can’t sing, but there are many who would not pay to own her albums.

I say all this to encourage you. And as writers, we all need encouragement. There are enough stumbling blocks in this process without raising our expectations beyond realistic heights—that everyone in the world would fall in love with our book and give it raving five-star reviews. Not. Gonna. Happen.

This afternoon, I finished reading TheNight Bird by Brian Freeman.I LOVED this book! Psychological thriller is one of my favorite genres. However, I find many authors can’t tell a tale without excessive foul language and sex. I’d rather not read it. This author had enough talent that he could fill a book without the need for graphic sex and bad talk. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. 

I went on Amazon to post a review, and as always, there were numerous one-star reviews. I read through them to see what it was that people disliked about this book. One reviewer wrote that it would desensitize people to violence. Well, that is debatable for sure. But wouldn’t that hold true for all psychological thrillers? Is it fair to rate a book so low because you don’t like the genre? More than one said the plot wasn’t believable. I often read reviews criticizing an author for writing exactly the way the genre should be written!

Okay, it wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read. The author had a habit of using the “grocery list” method of describing characters. In a couple of places, it harshly interrupted the flow of the story. (If I were his editor, this is an area I would have asked him to chop.) And although the storyline was crazy, it’s supposed to be! It’s a psychological thriller. That means it’s also fiction. I don’t think the events in this book could really happen. I don’t care. It was entertaining and had me turning pages on the edge of my seat!

I’m glad Mr. Freeman isn’t going to stop writing because a few people don’t like his books. I plan on reading many more from this author. I’m sure that the bestselling authors have had more than their share of bad reviews. So when you finish that manuscript and throw it out there to the world, don’t dwell on that reader who says your book bored him, or she didn’t care for your style, or your story isn’t feasible. Dwell on the fact that you did it! Dwell on all the times people told you it was good. Dwell on the enjoyment you got when you typed The End. Dwell on being called a published author.

By the way, I prefer brown shoes...but I often wear black.



Friday, March 11, 2016

An Interview with Jody Hedlund about Writing and A Daring Sacrifice



My main purpose for this blog is to share the journey of a beginner, from first picking up the pen to become a published author. With that in mind, I’m sharing this Q&A with one of my favorite authors, Jody Hedlund.


Jody, as a beginner, I’m always looking for tips from successful writers. What three tips do you have for beginning writers? 

1. Write the first book for yourself without worrying about rules or publication. There’s something about that first book (or first few) that helps unleash the creative side of story-telling. 

2. Finish a book. There’s nothing like the experience of completing a book from first page to the last to help a writer move out of the wannabe category. 

3. Study basic fiction-writing techniques. Check out fiction “how-to” books from a local library. Take lots of notes. Then put it all into practice by writing another book or two.

I think I struggle most with number one. Maybe that’s why I haven’t arrived at number two! The third is enjoyable for me. When other writers suggest a particular craft book, I purchase the eBook and highlight like crazy.

My biggest hurdle is staying focused on my WIP with all the interruptions of daily life pulling me away. You have five children, so you must have plenty of interruptions when you’re writing. How do you handle the interruptions?

Yes, I DO have MANY interruptions each time I sit down to write. If I waited for perfect conditions, however, I’d never write. I’ve simply made up my mind to work under the circumstances I’ve been given, even if they’re less than ideal at times. 

One thing that helps is that I give myself daily word count goals. I block in work time as best I can every day, and then I stick to it. I also let my family know my schedule. And while I try to minimize the interruptions, I’ve learned that I just need to attend to whatever the need is (whether it’s a child needing a snack or the dog getting into the garbage, etc.) and then get back to my writing as soon as possible. In other words, I don’t let the interruptions paralyze me.

That’s great advice. Perhaps my mistake is closing the file and shutting my laptop. (Note to self…) 

Now let's talk about your latest YA release, A Daring Sacrifice.

My current WIP is my first attempt at first person, so I paid particular attention to the fact that A Daring Sacrifice is written in first person. How do you determine what voice to use, and why did you want Juliana and Collin to tell their story? 

I write all of my adult novels in third person. But in the young adult genre, first person is very popular. I think first person appeals to teens because it allows them to relate a little more intimately with the main character. They feel as if they're one step closer and on the adventure right along with the characters, getting inside their heads and bodies and emotions. And let’s face it, teens are in an especially emotional time of life. Being able to connect emotionally to a character is important. 

For all those reasons and more, I decided to write my YA series in first person as well. It's a little tricky when switching between the hero and heroine's POV. So my publisher decided to do different fonts to designate between the hero and the heroine's POV. So when you see that in the book, it's not a mistake. It's intentional!

I loved how you used the different fonts! It made it so much easier to distinguish the POV. I’ve not read a lot in first person, so now I’m curious as to how other authors might handle that switch.

As a Christian, I want my faith to show through my writing, but not so much it takes center stage over the story. How do you keep a faith focus in A Daring Sacrifice without becoming “preachy”? 

It’s definitely tricky to keep a faith focus without becoming preachy. 

One of things I try to do is intertwine the characters’ emotional and spiritual arcs, so that they are closely related. I start off by giving my characters flaws or weaknesses that they must work through as the story progresses. As they wrestle through issues, they don’t end up perfect. But by the end I try to bring about some emotional and spiritual growth with their story flaw.

For example, in A Daring Sacrifice, Juliana harbors a great deal of bitterness toward those who’ve hurt her family and her people. She’s resorted to stealing from wealthy nobles and justifies what she’s doing. Obviously, this is her flaw. As the story unfolds, she must learn some lessons about acting with integrity, even if it requires great sacrifice. 

Another way that I add in the faith aspect to my stories without being preachy is by having the characters pray, go to chapel, and or draw comfort from God in a historical context. People during the Middle Ages were extremely religious and so it’s only natural to add this aspect into the story to remain true to the times.

Having a culture of religious activity would certainly make it easier to sprinkle in the prayers.
I write for a mature audience. How is writing for a YA audience different than writing for an adult audience? What are the similarities? 

The Differences: 

While many of my adult readers have enjoyed my YA books just as much if not more than my adult novels, I do get adult readers now and then who are surprised, maybe even disgruntled, with the fact that my YA books are slightly different than my adult novels. And I try to gently remind them, that they’re supposed to be different. 

First, my YA books are shorter, crisper, and less historically detailed. In fact, I’d almost go as far as saying that my YA are more fairy-tale world than true historicals. They contain enough detail to give a “flavor” of another place, but not too much to bog down younger readers. 

Secondly, my YA books are more plot driven than character driven. I’ve included battle scenes as well as some of the seat-of-your pants danger that appeals to the modern teen reader. I plunge my characters into desperate, life-threatening situations which, in the era of books like The Hunger Games, is appealing to modern readers. 

A third difference is in how I'm approaching the heroine and the romance. My YA heroines are a bit younger and so they are more of a coming of age story where the heroine must grapple with some “growing up” issues. I’ve also tried to keep the romance very sweet and tender (as opposed to my adult novels that while clean, are more passionate in nature). 

The Similarities: 

Whether my adult novels or YA, I simply want to tell a compelling story. I hope that I’ve been able to entertain and perhaps even inspire in both of my markets.

I expected your foray into YA to be quite different from your usual genre, but I’ve heard other authors say the same thing when they write a book for a different audience. Faithful readers have an expectation…

Speaking of different writing styles, in the past, I’ve shared bits from writing I did in my childhood—mostly poems. I know that you have been writing all your life as well. What was the very first story you ever wrote? Was it ever published? 

The first story I wrote was probably in first grade in a spiral notebook. And of course, it’s long gone in the trash! But as far as my adulthood writing career, I wrote five novels that are collecting dust in a closet. They were my practice books, the books that helped me grow and become the writer I am today. 

I think you said that Luther and Katharina was a book that you pulled off a dusty shelf. Maybe someday you will dust off one of those books and tweak it for publication as well.

As we wrap up this interview, let me ask the BIG question: Why do you write? 

I write because I love telling stories. I love the quote by Toni Morrison because it sums up part of why I write: "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." Essentially I write the stories that I LOVE to read! Of course there are other, deeper reasons I write too. But that's one of the main ones.

That’s a great quote. Thank you, Jody, for sharing with us. I’m sure I speak for all your fans when I say we’re glad you write.

How about you? Why do you write?

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Here we go again...

Didn't I sound oh so motivated in this post? That's because I was. I really put a priority on writning. I was picking up momentum. And then...

Life. Others. Obligations. Shoe boxes. Holidays. The list of excuses goes on and on. At first, they seemed valid. I was leading an in-depth ladies Bible study on top of my regular obligations of preparing for my Sunday school class with elemetary kids, mentoring a local teen, doing paperwork for my husband's club board, and holding down the Mrs fort. And then came OCC!

Operation Christmas Child--the shoe box ministry of Samaritan's Purse--is near and dear to my heart.
I volunteer everyday during OCC collection week, which always falls the week before Thanksgiving. There is very little time involved before collection week starts, and nothing after it ends. So on the Monday before Thanksgiving, we packed up the displays, labels, refreshments, tables & chairs, cartons, and balloons. We finished and triple-checked our paperwork. We said our goodbyes and drove back into our regular lives.

That's been over a week. I haven't opened my manuscript.

Sure, Thanksgiving was in there, but Ray and I took a day trip out of town that didn't require any cooking, cleaning, or rearranging of furniture. Black Friday brought another family dinner in another town, to which I only had to bring a sweet potato casserole I prepared that morning. So Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday I had no excuse.

And truthfully, my volunteer work wasn't all-day-long work--so not really an excuse there, either. Nothing I do fills my entire day. I always have free time. But I say things to myself like, "I've only got an hour until I have to leave," and "It's almost time to start dinner, now."

Do you know how many words I could have typed in all those chunks of minutes here and there? Well, I don't know either, but I do know that any amount is a lot more than zero.

While it's true for me that it's hard to just pick up and write without a little refreshing on the previous day's work, why didn't I make notes or worked on some problem areas in those bits of free time? Time Management. I could probably learn a few things about that from author Jody Hedlund.

On these pages, I often promote Jody's books. Her historical novels require much research.  Yet, she finds time for a few other things, according to the 'about' tab on her website:

"Together we have five children ranging in ages from a senior in high school down to fourth grade, with a set of twin daughters in the mix to make things more lively. I spend the major part of each day teaching my children at home. And then I spend the major part of each evening running my kids to all of their many and varied activities!"
Yes, you read that right. She home-schools five kids! And puts out books at a regular pace.



I am now going to put on my
'cone of shame
and open that manuscript. 


What keeps you from your WIP? 










Disclosure: No animals were 
harmed in the making of this post.