Today we have author Jana Richards telling us a little bit about her writing life. I hope you enjoy her knowledge and humor as much as I did!
Welcome Jana!
Thanks for inviting me. I’m glad to be here.
Let’s get started. What is your brainstorming process for a new book?
I usually start with a situation or a question like, what if an old man is given the opportunity to go back in time to find his lost love? I’ll catch a snippet of conversation, or perhaps I’ll read a story the newspaper that sparks an idea. Then I think about the kind of people who will inhabit my story and what motivates them. I do what I call a “synopsis” that lays down the plot, although it’s nothing I’d ever show to an editor! It’s more me telling myself the story, getting down key scenes, and even bits of dialogue. And of course, I’ll run ideas past writing friends for their input.
Can you explain your typical work week day?
Well, once I walk my dog, I lock myself in my writing cave (aka the spare bedroom) and work till about noon. I take a short break for lunch and then go back at it until about three. After that I check emails and maybe participate in chats or do some promotion-type work. Of course, there are very few “typical” days. I work part-time about three days a weeks and then there’s always things like going to the gym and laundry that I have to fit in somewhere. I do so like clean underwear!
Tell us about when you made the decision to write.
I’m not sure it was actually a conscious decision. I read some romance novels and they really spoke to me. I thought “I could write that”. Famous last words. The best writers make it look easy, but it’s anything but. Writing just sort of took over my life after that and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?
Don’t do it! No, just kidding. But seriously, unless you feel really strongly about writing and you can’t not write, think about another profession, because this is not an easy one. If you really want, no, need to write, take the time to learn your craft by taking classes, joining writing groups and reading books on the subject. And write everyday. You learn to write by writing.
Tell us about what you’re working on right now and what we can expect from you in the near future.
In the near future my novella “Burning Love” will be released from The Wild Rose Press. Here’s a blurb:
After causing three cooking fires in her apartment, Iris Jensen finds herself homeless. She lands on Riley Benson’s doorstep, looking to rent a room in the beautiful old home he’s restoring. It’s
only for six weeks until Iris leaves Portland, Oregon for her new job on a cruise ship. Firefighter Riley knows exactly what a bad tenant she can be. But he needs money to finish the work on the house he loves. And something about Iris pulls at his heart…
Meanwhile, in Heaven, two angels watch over the young lovers. Angelica and Hildegard work in Heaven’s Relationship Division, where angels match mortals with their soul mates. The angels believe so strongly in Iris and Riley’s love that they break Heaven’s rules to help them. Can the the angels convince them their love will last a lifetime before time runs out?
At the moment I’m hard at work on the further adventures of Angelica the angel. Student Angel Angelica’s class project is to give a mortal a second chance at love. She chooses Frank Brennen, a survivor of World War II, who, through misunderstandings and jealousy, lost Claire, the love of his life in England in 1944. Angelica takes him back more than sixty years to uncover the secrets that tore them apart.
Great answers, Jana! Thank you again for being a part of my blog! For those of you who want to know more about Jana and her work, as well as where you can pick up a copy of her books, check out http://www.janarichards.net
http://www.myspace.com/jana_richards
http://prairiechickswriteromance.blogspot.com
Tags: writers on writing
