Read Part 1 of this interview here.Who has helped you along The Writing Road?
My husband, Bryan, has been a huge help along the writing road. Besides being wonderful with support and encouragement, he’s also my first reader for everything I write, watches the kids regularly to give me writing time, and continues to believe that God has asked me to do this writing thing, even when everything doesn’t go as I hope.
Other than that, Ken Petersen (who used to be at Tyndale and is now at Waterbrook-Multnomah) was the first editor to believe in me and my work. My agent, Steve Laube, has been a great source of encouragement and support as well.
And then, of course, there are my writing friends, like Tricia Goyer and Cindy Martinusen, who have been with me (and me with them) through the long process of trying to get published, hoping, dreaming, etc. Back before any of us were published, we used to read each other’s manuscripts and give encouragement, critique, and advice.
What keeps you motivated to move along The Writing Road?
Those moments when I know, without a doubt, that writing is really partnering with God in the creative process. Those moments when it feels like I’m listening in on his musings. That’s what keeps me motivated.
And I’m finding that there are times in every book when I see something, when I write something, that I did not plan, did not expect, and didn’t realize the story had been leading up to. That’s when I feel the touch of God, I sense His pleasure, and it’s like getting a glimpse of heaven. I love those those flashes when I know that this is what God has been doing, and the story impacts my heart and life in some new and wondrous way.
Of course, don’t ask me about those other times – when I’m staring at the blank screen, the clock is ticking, and I can’t think of a single thing to write that doesn’t sound like the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. There are plenty of those times too.
But I gotta say, those times when I glimpse God’s vision for a story are worth all the others when I don’t. And those are the moments that this Writing Road is the just where God wants me to be.
What's coming up for you next along The Writing Road?
I’m writing 3 contemporary novels for Waterbrook-Multnomah (a division of Random House). All of them are “Love Stories with a Twist!,” a new type of story that I think will knock readers’ socks off. These stories combine the poignancy of a Nicholas Sparks-type love story with a jaw-dropping M. Night Shymalan-type ending twist.
The first, Beyond the Night, was just released. You can read more about it here.
No comments:
Post a Comment