*Are you originally from the west coast ?
I’m originally from Michigan, but moved to Seattle right after college. After a few years there I took off for San Francisco. I had never visited the west coast at all before moving to Seattle, and I had never been to California before I moved to San Francisco. I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl!
I hear you! Me too!
*When did you decide to be a writer?
Wow, this might be the toughest question I’ve ever been asked about writing! I don’t think I ever “decided.” I started writing stories and poems from a young age and it was just always something I did. I never had to think about it or choose it. However, I did choose to stop writing, right after my senior year in college when a professor told me I wasn’t very good at it and I should find something else to do with my life.
That’s awesome it feels very natural and instinctive to you, or at least until you encountered a negative influence in college. Sorry to hear that. You’d be surprised how many writers I’ve talked to that had the same experience. I find that very perplexing.
*Who or what influenced you the most in your decision?
There are too many names to list so, in the interest of brevity, I’ll just say: Other writers. Every book I read that spoke to me had a writer behind it who encouraged me to start writing again, and then to keep going.
It’s great to receive encouragement and motivation from other writers isn’t it?
*Besides nonfiction, what else do you write?
I’ve written three memoirs and two novels. The first memoir is scheduled for release in Spring 2017.
Oh nice! Yippee! Another book release! Drop me line and I’ll help you with some promotion if you’d like.
*Why did you decide to become a story coach?
After I started writing again in my mid 20’s I formed a writing group in Seattle and then one in San Francisco. These writing groups were based off of the Alcoholics Anonymous format, meaning: you came and you shared your struggle with writing, but you didn’t have to participate if you didn’t want to, you could always remain just an observer. After the sharing, we settled down to do an hour of silent writing together. I found myself working one-on-one with a lot of the writers in the group, and pretty soon it was eating up so much of my free time that I decided to open a business doing this work.
Nice. I like how those begin. Organically and spontaneously. So glad you started writing again.
*Can you name a few benefits from helping others in their writing?
Holy cow, there are so many benefits I don’t know that I could even begin to cover them all! My first and favorite probably is that I get to hear about and share in other people’s lives. Whatever story someone is writing, it always has everything to do with them. I find human beings to be the most fascinating magical creatures, and the fact that other people trust me enough to let me try to help them with their creative process, and sometimes all their inner emotional “stuff” too, is such an honor.
There’s definitely a rewarding social aspect to helping others. Human beings are definitely fascinating magical creatures! Especially the intuitive, artistic types!
*Tell us about your book, The INFJ Writer.
The INFJ Writer is a writing guide based on the real-world experiences of my writing clients. After a year or two of doing coaching work with writers, I noticed that almost every blocked writer that showed up on my doorstep (that is, in my email inbox) was an INFJ or INFP personality type. These writers were highly sensitive introverts who had A LOT to say about the world but no way to get the words out. I saw immediately that they were the same kind of writers who had shown up to the writing groups I formed based on the AA format—scared, creatively paralyzed idealists who were also thoughtful, compassionate, and invested with a deep sense of purpose and passion about art and writing.
They were intuitive writers. And traditional methods don’t work for intuitive writers, as I had found out through my own personal experience, and as I saw my clients finding out, over and over and over again. Outlining, plotting the entire arc of the story in advance, using checklists for character development—none of this stuff worked for intuitive writers. In fact, it blocked them even more from their own inner creative light. That’s when I knew I had to write The INFJ Writer. It’s for intuitive writers who are experiencing blocks and don’t have the money or the time to hire a coach like myself who specializes in working with intuitive introverts. The book contains exercises in every chapter to get the blocked writer’s creative energy moving again.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a book. Although my personality type if not INFJ, I can relate to all of the points that you make here. We’re not too different!
*What led you to discover your personality type and what bearings did it have on you as a writer?
I had a desk job for a while where I had a ton of free time and unlimited access to the internet. I had always been interested in psychology so I started taking a lot of online personality tests. Most of them were just for fun, but when I read the description of the INFJ personality type it was like my whole world cracked wide open. Suddenly I realized there was a chance that I wasn’t a completely weird alien (which is how I had felt for most of my life). Finding out I was an INFJ bolstered my self esteem in a thousand ways, one of those being that I finally had the confidence to start putting my writing out into the world.
I could never have a desk job, although I’ve been blogging a lot these days, lol! Wow. You’re story sounds strikingly similar to mine. I’ve only discovered my personality type earlier this year after suffering from a long bout of depression and low self-esteem. But when I read Heidi Priebe’s book, The Comprehensive ENFP Survival Guide, It opened up mines of life changing revelations.
*How much does our personality type affect our ability to learn the craft of writing?
Hmmm…this is an interesting question. I would say that our personality type doesn’t affect our ability at all, but it does affect the way we view ourselves and how adequately we are measuring up to what we consider “ability.” For instance, most INFP writers do not do well with linear structure. When they’re writing, they tend to write in scattered pieces. There IS an order there, but the order usually has to do with a hidden beautiful pattern that the INFP writer follows almost solely according to intuition. From the outside, it might look like a mess. And many, many INFP writers have internalized the assumptions of mainstream writing culture, which says writers should be very concerned with the coherence of the storyline, even in the very first draft. So the INFP writer will see that he’s writing in pieces and get very down on himself for it, and then the negative self-talk comes in and the INFP writer berates himself for not having any writing “ability.” Well, this writer does have ability. His ability just shows up in a different way (especially in that first draft) than it does for most other people.
I should’ve phrased this question differently, but your response is perfect! I can totally relate to this one.
*How can not knowing our personality type inadvertently affect our writing?
Just like in the world at large, an intuitive who does not know she’s an intuitive will tend to feel crazy or like something is wrong with her most of the time. It’s exactly the same thing in writing. If you write in scattered pieces, or you have a lot of trouble finishing things, or you go through huge amounts of anxiety and emotional turmoil whenever your stories are critiqued, and you don’t know you’re a highly sensitive intuitive writer, the first thing you’ll do is blame yourself. The second thing you’ll do is try to “toughen up” and introduce some sort of harsh discipline into your writing life, which will make you feel worse. Until you learn about your true makeup as a person and an artist—and accept that makeup—you’ll always be caught in this vicious cycle that swings between the inner critic and writer’s block.
This is all very helpful and therapeutic information. Thanks for sharing.
*Have words of encouragement to all the intuitive types?
Almost every intuitive person I’ve ever met undervalues their own intuition and their own strong intelligence. Use that mind that’s so strong in you! Read everything you can about what you are, and learn everything you can about other people and what makes them tick. The more deeply you know yourself, the easier everything becomes.
I love this statement! I find it very uplifting. Do you have any reading recommendations for personality type? How about your book!
According to Goodreads
After years of coaching writers who struggled with procrastination issues, high sensitivity to criticism, and crippling self doubt, Lauren Sapala realized that almost every one of her clients was an INFJ or INFP. Using the insights gleaned from these clients, as well as her own personal story, Sapala shows us how the experience of the intuitive writer can be radically different from the norm.
INFJ writers don’t think like anyone else, and their highly creative brains take a toll on them that they rarely share with the outside world. The INFJ Writer discusses such topics as:
How an INFJ writer’s physical health is tied to their creative output
Why INFJ writers are more likely to fall prey to addictions
When an INFJ writer should use their natural psychic ability to do their best creative work
Whether looking to start writing again or to finish the novel/memoir they started so long ago, any writer with the self-awareness to identify themselves as highly sensitive and intuitive will benefit from this book that helps them to find their own magic, and to finally use it to build the creative life that actually works for them.
*I’m an ENFP writer. What 3-5 things would you say to this kind of writer?
Oh, one of my best friends is an ENFP! You guys are truly bubbling fountains of light and inspiration…who can very quickly turn into avenging angels when someone has been unfairly wronged. ENFPs tend to experience a lot of guilt because they are driven so strongly by their curiosity that it makes them sometimes abandon projects they cared about a lot or befriend people who can be unhealthy for them in different ways. ENFPs are very, very hard on themselves inwardly and, like all intuitives, they struggle with giving too much to others and not letting themselves receive.
Oh good, make that two of your best friends are ENFP! Tell her I said hi and give her a big high five! Thanks for sharing this. It all rings so true. Never realized how hard I was on myself either. I’m totally Curious George on steroids.
I always advise ENFPs:
To follow your curiosity wherever it takes you. It doesn’t matter if no one else understands why you’re drawn to that person or thing. If you’re drawn to it, it’s got something for you.
You’re way more intelligent than you give yourself credit for. ENFPs can come off as bouncy and happy and even a little spacey, but under the surface they are extremely astute observers and very quick studies. Science, math, foreign languages—all of these subjects come naturally to ENFPs who find some emotional reason to get invested in them.
It’s okay to work on a bunch of different writing projects at once. And it’s okay to abandon a writing project if the spark is gone for you. ENFPs are true artisans. They’re like sculptors with words—they like to have their hands on many different textures at once. Let yourself play and explore. ENFPs need to do that.
WOW. I love this. I want to print this out and plaster it on my forehead!
*If you could change yourself which personality type would you pick? Or perhaps, what would change in your cognitive stack?
A few years ago I probably would have said that I wished I was an ENTJ or an ENFJ, some type that still had the intuitive piece but perhaps didn’t share the constant companion of introverted anxiety I’ve experienced for so much of my life. But now, in my late 30s, I’m actually pretty happy with what I was born with, anxiety and all.
What a great answer. I love it. Sometimes I want to be an ENFJ, but I would be a completely different bird. Having that “P” Perceiving function is a huge part of my personality. Thank for sharing.
*Favorite quotes?
One of my very favorites is from Napoleon Hill:
Isn’t that the truth.
*Favorite writing books?
I love, love, LOVE Stephen King’s Memoirs on Writing. That man is a genius.
That he is. Haven’t read it yet but looking forward to it.
Are you fluent in Spanish?
No, I speak Spanish poorly but with a Canadian accent and say “eh” at the end of the sentence.
I’ve never heard a Canadian accent before.
Can you share some pictures of Mexico with us?
Lynda dwells in the lovely land of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
Why did you chose to start writing?
I’ve been writing all my life. Poetry in my twenties and my first novel. I tossed it by accident last year preparing for a hurricane!
Oh no! That’s too bad, but it’s understandable given the circumstances! Glad you’re OK.
How has bestselling author Russell Blake influenced your career?
Now that’s a great question. I think RB personalised the process for me. Because of his invitation I started writing JET Exposed in Kindle Worlds. The story was super fun and seemed to take on a life of it’s own. I have three novellas for his World, and two for Toby Neal. As a matter of fact, I may have to write another this year.
Wow. It’s not everyday you have a bestselling author invite you to write books!
According to Goodreads
Jet: Exposed (Jet World #) Book 1
JET EXPOSED, A SUSPENSE THRILLER, UNCOVERS A DARK AND DANGEROUS WORLD OF HIGH-LEVEL INTRIGUE, PASSION, POWER AND GREED
The US government is in the throes of cyberwarfare with China. Luke Raven, a high-tech billionaire, is the only man that can save America from the deadly fallout. Jet, a highly trained operative, returns from Kosovo to retrieve two hundred and fifty million dollars in diamonds safely stored in Uruguay. Spotted by a drug cartel, she is chased up the Pacific coast of Mexico where she is saved by ex-Navy Seal Zach, a member of ‘Raven’s Group’.
Luke and his team recruit Jet to help execute a dangerous, highly classified special operations mission that is crucial to national security…Jet completes the critical Team Profile. They take their high-paced adventure across the USA and over the ocean to Paris. The action culminates in Shanghai, China where an ultra-wealthy and ruthless business tycoon possesses highly sensitive information that would have catastrophic results in the wrong hands. But will they get there soon enough to secure the information from their enemies?
– New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Russell Blake
What is your goal in becoming a writer?
My goal is creative expression. I want to tell stories that entertain, inspire, create wonder and border on magic. I want my readers to be transported to a place they’ve never been and feel the story as it enfolds.
YES. That encapsulates it perfectly. I love it. I don’t think I could’ve said any better. Creativity unbound.
Did you write poetry before fiction?
I think I did but I started writing so many years ago that it all blends in for me. I published poetry first The Love Fix in 2009, then Love Rehab 2011 and I (Spy) Love in 2013. Poetry for me is prose in short bursts, sometimes rhyming, more than often stream of consciousness. I wish there was another word for what I’ve written so more people would be inspired to read it. I know they would enjoy my sometimes senseless or emotional or erotic writings.
I began with poetry as well, then progressed to fiction.
Share two of your favorite poems.
Someone Forgot
someone forgot
to rewind my clock
instead my time
is time/warped/locked
is cut in half
is set to explode
when all I asked
was time to reload
the memories
the mistakes to fix
time to love deeply
time to mix
what is soul
important
what is naught
mundane
money chased
now seems so lame
someone forgot
to rewind my clock
Tick
Tock
The Love Fix
too many have come before you
and left before you
and promised nothing
and in the past, nothing was enough
I love these two poems. They really say a lot, especially the second. Words can be very powerful when used to convey meaning, experience or the past. Well done.
What motivates you?
Love. Love of life, and the amazing men I’ve loved. The Creative Process for creation itself.
Wonderful. You can’t beat love of life! There’s something about the ability to create that’s so exhilarating isn’t’ it?
What’s your antagonist? Or what’s in the way of achieving your dream?
Time. Never enough time for all I want to create on so many levels.
Ah yes, father time. They say time and tide wait for no man.
Name three of the most difficult things as a writer.
These are all great opportunities to learn throughout our writing life. You have a great beginning!
What is it about thrillers that you enjoy?
Oh the fun and the mystery and the thrill of the unknown. When I write I have no idea, even when I plot, where the story is really going to go! Thrillers are only limited in your mind.
I love thrillers too! The fun, mystery, intrigue, action and suspense all wrapped into one.
Have you learned to write from the heart?
Absolutely. My poetry is totally from the heart. And that is both the strength and weakness in my writing, it’s from the heart. If I don’t cry at some point in my story I didn’t get it right.
That’s amazing. I’ve heard several authors say they cry when they write. I’ve definitely been there. It must be the release of passion from us to the page. Sweet isn’t it?
Why do writers give up?
Lazy. In it for the wrong reasons.
Tough love.
What would you say to them?
I especially appreciate your last statement. It definitely rings a bell. Art is beautiful; you never know where it might take you.
What’s your next project or book release?
Thanks for asking. My novel TARGET in the SUN is amazing. Great reviews. I thought it was a one-off but favourite readers have been asking me what happens to Carlos and Mia. And what about Sofia and Lucia. Without giving any of the story away, I’ve been surprised by events in several of the chapters. I started with a newspaper story and moved on from there. I LOVE this book VANISHED in the SUN. Pub date expect December 1st.
Can’t wait! Drop us a line when it’s ready!
According to Goodreads
Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?
Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.
With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn’t offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.
First I wanted to thank Jodi Picoult for taking the time to write such a tremendous book. Jodi, if I ever get the chance to meet you I’ll give you a double high five. This great book is no small thing!
MY IMPRESSION
First it took me awhile to get use to the multiple point of views, but once that happened it became the strength of the story. I commend the author for taking head on things that most people try to avoid. Racism. Prejudice. Bias. I certainly try to avoid these topics like the plague instead of facing them.
Small Great Things employs a heavy theme throughout the book. Jodi makes no attempt to skate around the subjects at hand. Honestly, at first I thought it was a little bit over the top; but then I thought about the interaction between Kennedy McQuarrie and Ruth Jefferson. Kennedy a defense lawyer, did not think it was appropriate, necessary, or wise to bring race into the courtroom. Eventually she fully embraces the matter of race in her own life, both personally and professionally. This helped me to embrace the story more on a thematic level. It’ll never be easy to discuss matters of race, but I’m glad somebody did!
I will always reserve a place in my heart for the great story of Ruth, Kennedy, Edison and Turk Bauer. The embody the real life struggles, challenges, and transformation that we all need.
I greatly appreciate Jodi’s ability to capture the reality of each character and reveal them on the page. Weaving together so many elements is not easy for an author.
Each character is symbolic of something deeply rooted in our society. But love overcomes all things.
*All verses are taken from the New Testament Recovery version Bible*
Please welcome Jennifer Irwin author of A Dress the Color of the Sky. The film rights have been sold and the book isn’t even published yet! Wowsers! That’s pretty impressive if I say so myself.
Have you written anything before this book?
No. This is my first novel.
Very impressive!
How did you come to teach Pilates?
I retired from working in advertising after my third son was born but still wanted to work part time. I enjoy helping women feel better about themselves and teaching Pilates was a great avenue to fulfill that desire. I have really enjoyed getting to know all sorts of women through being a Pilates teacher.
There is something very fulfilling being able to help others. I’m glad found something that works for you!
How has writing this book help you heal?
Writing is a great creative outlet. I found that the more I put my characters into difficult situations the better I felt. I also enjoyed creating wonderful female friendships for my protagonist, Prudence Aldrich. Women bond through sharing life experiences and it was healing for me to develop female characters who were super supportive of each other.
I find that very interesting. That does sound very healing, in a creative kind of way. Love it.
How can this book help others heal?
A Dress the Color of the Sky is the story of a woman healing from a traumatic childhood. After seeing the astounding response to Kelly Oxford’s tweet about her sexual assault experience I am confident that this story will speak to many women. We are all stronger than we believe and we can’t let difficult experiences ruin our lives. It’s important to heal from the past in order to move forward and lead a healthy, happy life. Healing takes work but with the help of a professional it is possible. Prudence had not dealt with her traumatic childhood and as a result she could not seek out healthy relationships nor could she respect herself.
Several of these statements really resonate on many levels. I believe healing is critical to our going forward in life. There are a few things I’m still healing from myself. Thank you!
What was your response when you realized the story resonated with women?
Over the past few years I have sought input from test readers. I searched for women whom I believed might not choose a novel like mine. One woman in particular was a senior in college and a pre-professional zoology major. I can honestly say that her review is one of my favorites because I was so surprised by how much my book affected her. She not only couldn’t put it down but the story really spoke to her. Honestly, I can’t wait to share it with the world!
That’s awesome! It has to be the most rewarding experience knowing that your words have affected someone the way it did. I’m jealous 🙂
Is it true the rights have been sold for movie production?
Yes! I have sold the feature film rights and A Dress the color of the sky will be made into a major motion picture.
SWEEEEEEETTTT!!!!! I’m so happy for you. You must’ve been thrilled to hear that. I’m thrilled myself and it isn’t even my book!
Tell us about your motivation to get your book published.
When I first started querying agents I literally had no idea what I was doing. I do believe that there are a lot of people out there who will take advantage of an author who is chasing their dream. I encourage all authors to be very careful. My first conundrum was writing the perfect query letter. I was fortunate enough to have my query letter chosen to be critiqued on the blog Query Shark. Although I took a bit of a beating I am grateful for the shark’s input and advise. Once I felt I had the perfect query letter I realized that my book needed work so I halted sending out query’s until I felt more confident in my book. Writer’s Digest has a ice little program where you can pay to have your first few pages critiqued by an agent. I got some great input through this program. All the while, I continued to seek input from test readers to improve my novel. I received some lovely responses from literary agents. Although agents are very intimidating and the publishing business is closed, some are very helpful and nice. I ended up entering a publishing contest in which your book idea is voted on.When you meet certain voting platforms you have to complete homework and get a certain grade to move to the next level. my book ended up being the most voted on book idea in the history of the contest and I was offered a publishing contract. It was right then that I received the film rights offer. i will say that through the publishing contest I learned that most of books marketing falls on the author’s shoulders and how important it is to market your book before it gets published. Entering the publishing contest was one of my best moves towards getting published because I learned a tremendous amount from the publisher about social media and how to market on various platforms. It was really valuable to me. Once I sold the film rights I invested in a writing coach and tore my book apart and rebuilt it. Since then, I have signed with a literary agent and have also received a contract offer from a small indie publisher. I guess this is my long answer to your question and the short answer is never give up!
I love your determination and what you’ve learned of the marketing and publishing experience. This is food for encouragement for us all. Hip-hip hooray!! Keep learning.
How did the sample readers relate to the main character?
Since seeking out test readers, I have only received one negative critique and i was from a woman my writing coach chose who never reads fiction. Other than that, every single test reader has related to my book and to the protagonist. I would say the man connection is that pretty much every single human on earth has endured some form of child abuse whether it be something small or big. There’s a scene in my book where Prudence is told to eat everything on her plate. I think most people can relate to having to eat something displeasing when they were a child. I think the other way people relate to Prudence is by reading what she’s thinking in her head which I do a lot in the book. That voice we all have in our head that can be a little mean at times. Everyone seems to relate to that.
I can understand and relate to the statements here. Everyone has some form of abuse, wound, or pain of some sort. Sometimes it’s very obvious, sometimes it’s well hidden. In my childhood we were “spanked” pretty heavily; which would be easily considered child abuse by today’s standards. You also mentioned the point of view that we would relate to. I always find this aspect of a character the most rewarding experience. To feel, experience, see as they do. I recently heard an interesting statement from a sign at my son’s school. It read: “be careful how you speak to your child, because it will become their inner voice.”. What a statement! So true. That becomes the voice that we tend to hear in our heads.
How has conducting research affected your understanding of the main character?
Although I can’t really understand exactly how it feels to be an addict I have learned a lot about how addicts recover and heal. There is a saying,”once an addict always an addict” so the work is there every single day which is why AA follows the motto, “one day at a time.” I read every book on sex addiction by Patrick Carnes who is an expert in the field. His assistant recently asked me for an advanced copy of my book which is very exciting. I attended a variety of meetings through the AA program and spoke to many people in recovery. I’d say the best research I did was by accident because my father was a drug addict and alcoholic. I learned through experience how his addiction affected myself, my family and my father.
I appreciate the research you’ve put into this project. It’ll definitely show when people begin to read your work.
When you saw people being rehabilitated what was your experience?
Recovering from an addiction takes a tremendous amount of work. it appears to me that success happens when there is a large community of sober people helping. The relapse rate for recovered addicts who stay longer in after care is less than those who try to white knuckle it alone after a ninety day inpatient treatment program. I tried to be careful with all of this and to respect the recovery process in my book. The best results happen with complete immersion in the program. There needs to be a total lifestyle shift and that takes time and commitment. I also learned that addiction does not discriminate and affects a wide cross section of genders, ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. I doubt that you will meet anyone who has not either directly or indirectly been affected by addiction.
May many people read and find the stubborn wings of hope through the message you send through this book.
Speak about the power of addiction and the concepts about rehabilitation.
Since I do not have a degree in addiction recovery, nor am I a therapist, I am not comfortable speaking in depth about the concept of rehabilitating an addict. I am simply an author who has been affected by addiction and wrote a novel about an addict. I really can’t give sage professional advice to anyone because I am not trained to do so. From a laymen point of view, addiction is a very powerful thing that I cannot personally understand because I am not an addict. It does seem to be very, very powerful to those who are in recovery.
Well said. I think of all the people who are under the relentless power of addiction. May they really find the help that they need.
What message is sent through the main character?
The message sent through the main character is that traumatic childhood experiences can change how you feel about yourself. Because Prudence was abused she viewed herself as a victim. As a result, she was not equipped to choose a healthy partner to share her life with and she didn’t have the strength to endure difficult situations that can arise in relationships. Prudence needed to let go of the shame put on her during her childhood in order to heal and find self love. If a person does not heal from their past they cannot seek out healthy relationships because they are not healthy themselves.
I love this! Very therapeutic.
When will your book be published?
I should be making a decision on who will be publishing my book within the next few months. Once I sign the publishing contract I will have a release date which I can’t wait to announce!
We’ll be desperately waiting.
What’s your next writing project?
I am pitching to write the screenplay with the help of a very accomplished television writer who believes that I have the talent to be a strong contender. Writing the screenplay would be a dream come true! I am also putting together an outline for my next novel which will be a stand alone sequel to A Dress the Color of the Sky.
That sounds really fun. Keep us posted on your progress, we’d love to hear about it.
Connect with Jennifer: Jenniferirwinauthor.com | @jenirwinauthor
GOODREADS
Story Genius is a foolproof program that saves writers from penning hundreds of pages only to realize that something’s not working and they have to start again. Informed by story consultant Lisa Cron’s science-based insights into how story structure is built into the architecture of the brain, this guide shows writers how to plumb the nitty-gritty details of their raw idea to organically generate a story scene by scene. Once writers reach the end of Cron’s program, they will have both a blueprint that works and plenty of compelling writing suitable for their finished novel–allowing them to write forward with confidence.
Lisa Cron starts off by asking “What’s the biggest mistake writers make?…The answer is easy: they don’t know what a story is.” What an epic statement!
This is one writing craft book that’ll really keep you thinking on your toes. What am I really writing about? How does this affect my protagonists inner journey? Time after time, again and again, Lisa brings us through a case study of a real manuscript by writer Jenny Nash. Skillfully causing us to ask ourselves what is it that I’m actually writing about? What is my story? How does this affect my story?
Put this one on your TBR list to read and reread. High fives to Lisa Cron for pulling this one out of the hat.
How long have you lived in the Silicon Valley?
I moved to Mountain View in 1982 and lived in the area for 34 years. My husband and I recently relocated about 50 miles south to live at the beach.
Sounds inviting. Haven’t been that far north in California just yet.
How has living there affected your writing?
Silicon Valley is a unique area that changes quickly. It’s an incredibly gorgeous setting with a mild climate, but it’s also crowded with lots of traffic. The tech companies that originally created the area did so because of its proximity to Stanford University and a number of other large educational institutions, and education is highly valued. Movies, television, and newspaper articles have focused on some of the regions flashiest characters, but I don’t think they capture what the day to day life is like for ordinary people. I’ve tried to do that in my mysteries.
Nice touch. It would be good to get an inside scoop of what life is like inside the valley!
How long have you been writing fiction?
In the late 90s, I wrote two young adult historical novels about a young Latina woman who was a refugee in Monterey following the Mexican American war. I wasn’t able to attract a publisher and self-publishing wasn’t as prevalent as it is now, so I put them away and focused on writing communication materials for schools and other local programs. I’ve learned a lot about narrative structure since then and plan to go back and re-edit them. A few years ago, I decided to try again, and chose to write mysteries because I love them, and I knew I’d have fun writing the stories even if no one else saw them.
Oh great! I would love to hear more of the stories you wrote back then. I’m curious how you came to writing mysteries though. What made you switch?
What other kinds of professional writing have you done?
I’ve worked in Corporate Communications and Public Relations for financial and high-tech companies, and did a lot of community relations writing for the schools and programs my children were involved in.
Wow, you’ve lived a writing life. In my experience writing professionally and writing fiction have been mutually beneficial, however I definitely prefer fiction!
Tell us about some of the short stories you’ve written.
I’ve written a grand total of ONE short story. It won a few contests, which was fun. I have the greatest admiration for short story writers — one false move and the story crashes and burns — they are incredibly difficult to craft. But I find it easier and more enjoyable to write novels.
Sounds like it was fun, especially if it won contests. I had no idea about the difficulty in crafting short stories.
How did you craft Maggie Mcdonald?
The series began because I wanted to do something new in the cozy mystery genre. At the time I started writing series, most of the amateur women sleuths were young single women or recently divorced women who were caterers or crafters. But I wanted to write about an older character who was happily married and juggling a career and kids. Raising a family is hard work and doing it while you’re trying to catch bad buys and launch a successful business is probably only possible in fiction, but I wanted Maggie to try. I felt that making her a personal organizer would give her access to the places people keep secret — their closets and underwear drawers.
I love her already! She sounds adorable, witty, and very capable. It takes a lot of skill to the potter of a great character.
How do you relate to Maggie personally?
Maggie shares part of my world view, but she’s thinner, fitter, braver and younger.
Do she have a sidekick?
Maggie’s permanent sidekick is her golden retriever, Belle. In each of the books, a different character takes precedence as her primary helper. But her sons and her husband Max are always helping out.
I like it. You gotta love a good sidekick!
Tell us a little about the setting for Address to Die For.
The book takes place in Orchard View, a fictional compilation of Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Mountain View. The McDonalds move into a large 100-year old craftsman home Maggie’s husband inherits from his great aunt. The house is based on an actual home, The Griffin House, which is now part of the Foothill College campus and is awaiting renovation. Griffin House was designed by a prolific Bay Area architect Frank Delos Wolfe in 1903.
I’ve been thinking a lot about setting recently and it’s importance in these kind of genres. By the way, I absolutely love this book cover!
What are the elements of a good mystery?
I think the most important part of any mystery is the characters. I love the books of Louise Penny and miss her characters between books. Even the secondary characters have developmental arcs across each book and the series. I can’t begin to touch Penny’s deft skill, but I’ve tried to bring those elements into the Maggie McDonald series.
This is definitely a skill one should have in their books. Learning how to pull it off takes time though.
Can you tell us about the next book in the series?
Scheduled to Death will be released in January, Maggie works to help friend, client, and Stanford University physicist Lincoln Sinclair escape a murder charge. In Dead Storage (July 2017) Stephen Laird is held responsible for the death of a local restaurateur.
Sweet! I have the first book, and looking forward to the second and third installments. Your covers are so beautiful and captivating.
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Aria’s pyrokinetic ability has always been hard to control, and being pulled in so many directions, isn’t making it any easier.
Now she has to help Inarus, a foe turned friend who is being targeted by the Human Alliance Corporation-the very organization he once worked for.
But the HAC has more than just Inarus in their sights. Aria finds herself going deep into enemy territory to save a witchling child with never before seen powers, that the HAC has kidnapped to further their own ends.
Aria has been hired to save a child once before, and she failed. That failure has haunted her even to this day and she wonnt let herself fail again. With the HAC closing in, and complications between herself and the Pack rising, Aria has no choice but to succeed. A child’s life is on the line and Aria will risk everything to save that life.
There’s nothing like the imagination of a buddinig writer. Author Danielle Annett does a great job conveying her characters in the midst of dynamic relationships and navigating through dire circumstances. I’ve always appreciated the cast that surrounds the main character. To me, it always brings out the best fiction in any story. Aria has good intentions, but struggles to contorol her pyrokinetic abilities. Because of her lack of control, and apparent weakness, she’s become dependent upon her Alpha mate, Declan. This forces her to deal with her mixed feelings about him, her friend Inarus, is caught up right in the middle of it.
Author Biography
Danielle Annett is a reader, writer, photographer, and blogger. Born in the SF Bay area, she now resides in Spokane, WA, the primary location for her Blood & Magic series. Addicted to coffee at an early age, she spends her restless nights putting pen to paper as she tries to get all of the stories out of her head before the dogs wake up the rest of the house and vye for her attention
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