Have you always wanted to be a “writer?” How did you get started writing?

I never intended to become a writer, though as I look back, I’ve had many teachers and pastors suggest the idea. I studied physical therapy in college, and loved the field. It was only after a long bout with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that I turned to writing. I simply didn’t have the energy to run stairs and lift patients any more. That was when I felt the Lord begin to push me toward writing. To tell the truth, I was afraid to obey. I knew that rejection and competition were part of the writing world, and I didn’t think I could handle either.

How did you develop your writing skills?       

I volunteered. My first project was a little book for Cannon Beach Conference Center, called Evangeline, A Woman of Faith. I spent six years on the book, and had much wise help from professional editors and writers.  I consider it my apprenticeship and though it was hard, it was a gift from the Lord. I learned so much in the process; amazingly, the book continues to bless the Conference Center. Since then, I’ve volunteered to write for my church, and my children’s school, and anyone else who would have me.

How much time do you spend writing every day?

For almost fifteen years now, I’ve walked early in the morning, four days a week. (I play tennis and bike on the other three). When I get home, even before I shower, I plunk myself down in my chair and go to work. Most weekdays, I write for about four hours straight. This is my prime writing time; I try never to use it for any other purpose. Four hours translates into about five to ten double spaced pages. Nearly every day I nap after lunch. Sounds pretty lazy, eh? Then later, I may do some editing, or telephoning, emailing, or marketing. I’m able to use my time this way, because I don’t have to earn a living from my writing. My husband is the primary breadwinner at our house! And though I am a writer, I’m a wife and mother first! 

Where do you get your ideas?

Some of them seem to arrive out of nowhere. Season of Grace is one of those stories. I don’t remember getting the idea for that book. Other stories come from a conversation with a stranger – like the ambulance driver in Chicago who gave me the idea for Thin Air. Others come from a moving story in the newspaper. Those stories often make me wonder what might have happened if someone had the courage to bring God into the lives of those around them. Speaking of pictures, once in a while I’ll find a visual image – a photo in a newspaper or magazine – so moving that I have to write about that face, or that location. I can’t leave it alone. At other times, a vacation or car trip will put me in a location that needs a story. On one of our favorite bike rides, I pass a house that needs a novel. It will surely show up in a book some day!

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

There’s nothing like a looming deadline to blast away any writer’s block! Honestly though, I’ve never experienced a significant block, perhaps because I do a few things to prevent it from happening:  I do pray about every project before I ever open a new document on the computer. After all, why write a story without the Lord’s inspiration and help? Whenever I hit a bump in the story, I pray again, and then I trust the Lord to help me past the problem. As soon as I pray, I type! I also plan a break between novels. I find that letting my mind do other things – like sewing, or decorating, or volunteering – gives me the fresh air I need to compost new ideas. When I’m in the middle of a project, I never quit writing without knowing what will come next in the story. I may even quit in the middle of a sentence – but never at the end of a chapter. Every morning, I start by re-reading and tweaking the work I did the day before. That works like climbing the ladder to the diving board at the swimming pool. After I’ve read what I’ve written the day before, I find myself standing at the edge of the board, ready to dive into today’s writing. It works for me.

If all else fails, I go ride my bike, trying not to think about the problem. Often, the solution presents itself, without any consternation on my part! 

How did you sell your first novel?

That’s a long story. Actually, I had a non-fiction work that I brought to a writer’s conference where I met an editor who loved my work. Though her company ultimately chose not to publish the book, that same editor didn’t want to lose our relationship. She asked me to send all my future ideas to her. It was through that contact that I sold Serenity Bay. This often happens to beginning writers. I can’t over emphasize the importance of a writer’s conference as the place to begin the selling process!

(Check out the helpful links page to find out more about Christian Writers Conferences
held in various places across the United States. Click HERE to go there now.)

If I want to write, do I need an agent?

Probably not in the CBA market. Many beginning writers continue to make sales via contacts made at conference events. However without conference events, these contacts are very difficult to make, and sales outside of these events become rarer every day. In the periodical market, (magazine stories etc) very few sales are made via agent representation. As you grow your ability to sell your work, you may find that an agent becomes a necessary part of your writing team. Not only do they find homes for your work, but they may also guide you through the maze of contract negotiations, and help you with your career planning and goal setting.

What is the CBA?

In the publishing industry, there are two primary associations of booksellers. One, the Christian Booksellers Association, is an association of bookstores whose primary focus lies with selling the work of those publishers and artists dedicated to Christian Values. These works tend to have clear moral values, they tend to avoid graphic violence or sexual references. They exclude offensive language. This is the smaller of the two United States markets. The larger market is the American Booksellers Association. As you might expect, with this group of booksellers anything goes. In the ABA, almost no books are sold without an agent!

How do I know if I’m good enough to write for publication?

The truth is, none of us can know without outside help. I've found that most writers are a little confused about the quality of their own work. All of us have something more to learn about writing. For that reason, I highly recommend joining or forming a critique group for writers. Only when you see your work through the eyes of a dispassionate reader, will you find out how much you need to improve. A good critique group doesn’t just tear down your work. Instead they praise what works, and offer valuable suggestions about what doesn’t. At the same time, you will learn as you try to help other writers grow in skill. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned as I’ve let others read and reflect on my work!

How does a book get from manuscript idea to the sales floor?

In the normal progression of things, a writer presents an editor at a publishing house with a proposal, which includes sample chapters, an outline, and other critical elements. The proposal may be rejected by the first editor who sees it. (One editor friend tells me he is paid to reject ideas. “The company only lets me accept enough books so that I don’t get discouraged and quit!”) If the editor likes the proposal, it will go to a publication committee meeting where other editors and marketing people will try to find the company’s next projects. Many books are normally rejected at the committee stage. With some companies, the book may have to pass several committee meetings – a process which can easily take six months. The editor may obtain provisional approval and return to the author with a request for changes, or for more of the book. Or, the editor may gain full approval and begin the process of contract negotiations. Once the publishing company and author agree on a contract, the author is responsible to deliver the book on deadline. The entire process can take as long as eighteen months.

How do you feel about the editing process? Have you had your work cut up into tiny pieces?

Not really. Once I turn in the manuscript, the company generally sends me a document with several pages of suggestions. After reading through the ideas, I think about them for several days, and talk with my editor about them. Together, we come up with ideas to solve the problems indicated by the suggestions. Most problems can be solved by an additional word or sentence. Often, the careful reading of an editor spots a scene that needs a great deal of embellishing, or clarification, or a character that needs a stronger motivation for the action of the novel. I have to admit that over the years, nearly every suggestion given to my work has served to make the novel stronger and much better. These days, I wish I’d seen the problems myself!

By the way, before it was published, Serenity Bay had three different endings!

What about the production process?    

Once the book is edited, it enters the page design process. The company assigns someone to do the cover design, and the marketing people begin planning their release promotion. (The author rarely chooses the title or cover for her own book.) My last opportunity for input occurs at the galley stage, where I will re-read the entire manuscript printed exactly as it will appear on the printed page. Then, about three months later, the finished project hits the stores!

For a list of helpful books for writers, click here