I began my first novel in 2002, and it was actually the one published first, to my great and grateful surprise! Why the Sky is Blue was published by Harvest House Publishers in 2004. It’s no longer in print but it is available on kindle.
You write historical novels based in time from the Civil War to WWII. What drew you to writing in this genre?
My most recent one, The Nature of Fragile Things, took me three tries to get right. I'm learning that writing is not something that automatically gets easier the more you do it like maybe other forms of exercise do and that's OK. We are always growing as writers and part of growth are the growing pains.
What does your editor remind you to do most often?
She is always telling me to “Put it on the page!”. I too often imply something happened or refer to it, and then move on to its ramifications. She wants me to show those scenes happening, not just mention that they did. I miss opportunities to build character and help create a stronger emotional bond between the characters and the readers when I do that.
What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
That's almost trying to choose my favorite breath of air! I have been encouraged in so many ways by so many people along the journey. I suppose lately it's been readers who say I am their favorite author and that they cannot wait for my next book. That immensely helps me slog through a difficult draft that seems like it will be my undoing and reminds me that I have done before what I am trying to do right now – write a great book.
What has surprised or frustated you the most in writing/publishing?
This notion that it doesn’t get easier surprised me greatly. The frustrations of this industry are almost always the things that happen outside my control. I can write what critics might say is a fabulous book but that does not necessarily mean readers will find it and buy it by the boatloads.
Not being able to control the marketplace can be head-bangingly frustrating but I know that anxiety over this fact is not helpful and does not empower me to write so I try to move past frustration after acknowledging that it’s real but also that it is not helpful.
What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
I understand better now that novel writing is an art form like all the other art forms; I’m creating something out of nothing, just like other artists do. Like all art, it's a very subjective thing. Not all artistic expressions appeal to people equally. I can't please every kind of reader with my book; I can only please the reader who enjoys the same kind of books that I do. And that's OK. I don't need to please every reader, and I can't anyway. I need to write for the reader who wants to read what I have to say. He or she is out there.
What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Recognize that success in this field rarely happens overnight. Even overnight successes will likely tell you they wrote for years under the radar when no one knew who they were. Getting published is indeed a wonderful thing but it doesn’t make you a writer. Writing makes you a writer. So stick with it. Work at it. Improve your serve, strengthen your writing muscle, do the work for as long as it takes. You become a better writer with every hour you devote to its practice.
Your bio says you teach writing workshops. What is the most common writing flaw/help needed you see in your attendees?
One weakness I see in novelists starting out – or ones who aren’t growing as writers – is trying to say too much with too much. Too much detail, too many weak descriptors, too much exposition, too much background info that is delivered too soon. Less is better. You want the reader to want more, to keep reading. To be under your spell. You want to almost tease them into turning the pages by offering tantalizing small plates rather than a trough of buffet food, if that makes sense.
What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a few details about it?
The next book, Only The Beautiful, is still very much a work in progress but it’s about two women impacted by the eugenics movement in the early twentieth century. I am also working on a collaborative novel with two good writer friends, Ariel Lawhon and Kristina McMorris about WW2 nurses stationed in the Philippines. The novel, which was announced last year with the title Band of Angels, is based on the true experiences of some of the bravest women I’ve ever read about.
Sounds like some interesting books are in the works. If you'd like to learn more about Susan's books or workshops, here are some links to get you started.
You write historical novels based in time from the Civil War to WWII. What drew you to writing in this genre?
I found my lane in historical fiction in 2008 with my tenth novel, The Shape of Mercy. I had been writing contemporaries and mysteries up ‘til then but when I wrote that one I felt like I found my sweet spot. I’ve been writing historical fiction or dual timeline historical fiction ever since.
What is the hardest part of writing for you?
The hardest part for me is getting the story I see in my head onto the page, which pretty much involves all of those things at different times. Sometimes it's a plotting issue, sometimes it's dialogue, sometimes it's having enough believable and relevant tension. Some of my books seem to write themselves, and some are like trying to mine gems out of solid rock.
What is the hardest part of writing for you?
The hardest part for me is getting the story I see in my head onto the page, which pretty much involves all of those things at different times. Sometimes it's a plotting issue, sometimes it's dialogue, sometimes it's having enough believable and relevant tension. Some of my books seem to write themselves, and some are like trying to mine gems out of solid rock.
What does your editor remind you to do most often?
She is always telling me to “Put it on the page!”. I too often imply something happened or refer to it, and then move on to its ramifications. She wants me to show those scenes happening, not just mention that they did. I miss opportunities to build character and help create a stronger emotional bond between the characters and the readers when I do that.
What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
That's almost trying to choose my favorite breath of air! I have been encouraged in so many ways by so many people along the journey. I suppose lately it's been readers who say I am their favorite author and that they cannot wait for my next book. That immensely helps me slog through a difficult draft that seems like it will be my undoing and reminds me that I have done before what I am trying to do right now – write a great book.
What has surprised or frustated you the most in writing/publishing?
This notion that it doesn’t get easier surprised me greatly. The frustrations of this industry are almost always the things that happen outside my control. I can write what critics might say is a fabulous book but that does not necessarily mean readers will find it and buy it by the boatloads.
What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
I understand better now that novel writing is an art form like all the other art forms; I’m creating something out of nothing, just like other artists do. Like all art, it's a very subjective thing. Not all artistic expressions appeal to people equally. I can't please every kind of reader with my book; I can only please the reader who enjoys the same kind of books that I do. And that's OK. I don't need to please every reader, and I can't anyway. I need to write for the reader who wants to read what I have to say. He or she is out there.
What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Recognize that success in this field rarely happens overnight. Even overnight successes will likely tell you they wrote for years under the radar when no one knew who they were. Getting published is indeed a wonderful thing but it doesn’t make you a writer. Writing makes you a writer. So stick with it. Work at it. Improve your serve, strengthen your writing muscle, do the work for as long as it takes. You become a better writer with every hour you devote to its practice.
Your bio says you teach writing workshops. What is the most common writing flaw/help needed you see in your attendees?
One weakness I see in novelists starting out – or ones who aren’t growing as writers – is trying to say too much with too much. Too much detail, too many weak descriptors, too much exposition, too much background info that is delivered too soon. Less is better. You want the reader to want more, to keep reading. To be under your spell. You want to almost tease them into turning the pages by offering tantalizing small plates rather than a trough of buffet food, if that makes sense.
The next book, Only The Beautiful, is still very much a work in progress but it’s about two women impacted by the eugenics movement in the early twentieth century. I am also working on a collaborative novel with two good writer friends, Ariel Lawhon and Kristina McMorris about WW2 nurses stationed in the Philippines. The novel, which was announced last year with the title Band of Angels, is based on the true experiences of some of the bravest women I’ve ever read about.
Sounds like some interesting books are in the works. If you'd like to learn more about Susan's books or workshops, here are some links to get you started.
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