The Discipline of Writing: Author Interview with Kathleen Fuller

You've now published over one million books. Back in 2000, when you first got started did you really think your books would be that popular?

I’d hoped they would be popular, but I didn’t imagine they would be this popular (and I’m so very, very grateful!).

What made you decide to write Amish stories?

My interest in the Amish started when my husband and I moved to Ohio. Being from Arkansas, I was unfamiliar with the Amish. When we moved to Geneva, OH, we were close to Middlefield. Around the same time, Amish fiction was growing in popularity, so I tried my hand at writing it.

Why do you think there's such a large market for their stories?

I think the complexity and swiftness of our society is a big reason why Amish and Mennonite fiction have large appeal. We long for simplicity and we love nostalgia, especially when life is overwhelming. The Amish also represent both the past and the present, which makes the connection to the stories more immediate, as opposed to those that are only historical.

How did you go about finding an agent/publisher? Did you go to conferences? Send out queries? 

All of the above! Going to conferences and belonging to writer’s groups had the biggest impact on me finding an agent. I highly recommend doing both if you’re a new writer.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

The first draft, absolutely. I love working with words on the page but getting them on the page is difficult. That’s where discipline comes in—the only way to edit words is to create them, and you have to have the discipline to sit down and write.

What does your editor remind you to do most often?

Good question. Timelines and details are my Achilles heel. I have difficulty keeping track of time in a story, and details like ages, hair color, names, etc. often get mixed up in my manuscripts. I’m so thankful for my editors! It’s also the reason I started keeping a series bible at the end of last year because all the details were getting too unwieldy for me to keep track of in my head.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?

I’m most encouraged when people tell me that my books were an escape during a difficult time. I’ve experienced that myself during hard times, so I know how important it is to have a book that can transport you into another place for a few hours.

We have all experienced rejection. How have you learned to write past it?

I’ve treated all my rejections with the same attitude—learn from the experience and move on. Some rejections are a simple “no”, but others are opportunities to improve my writing and my personal character.

I’m not immune to rejection—no one is—but looking at it from a practical viewpoint instead of emotional makes it easier to keep writing.

What has surprised you the most in writing/publishing?

I’d say how stories and characters sometimes form themselves. For example, Cevilla Schlabach, an elderly, spry matchmaker who features in several of my books, came to me fully formed. I personally haven’t known an elderly, spry, Amish matchmaker, so the fact that she’s so easy for me to write is one of those lovely mysteries of storytelling.

What frustrated you the most?

I have to admit it’s the speed at which publishing, marketing, and really, life in general, is running right now. That could be due to the fact I’m middle-aged and can remember a time when cell phones weren’t glued to our hands and when people still sat on the front porch and had conversations with each other instead of getting their information from Twitter, but I do think it’s not just us older folks who get exhausted by the pace.

I’m not sure what the answer is, especially in fields where using technology and social media are super important, but I do think we can take a lesson from the Amish and slow down a bit for our mental, physical, and spiritual health.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?

That I need to be organized. I’m still working on that!

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?      

Keep writing. Perseverance is the most important trait you can nurture in yourself. Get a bad review? Keep writing. Sales aren’t what you want them to be? Keep writing. The story won’t take shape? Keep writing. Always keep writing. 

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?

My only other tip would be to fall in love with storytelling. Love of stories will get you through the hard stuff.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?

In  January, I released The Innkeeper’s Bride.  Here are the details.

The book returns to the Amish community of Birch Creek, where an inn provides the perfect backdrop for romance.

Levi Stoll moved to Birch Creek with his widowed father, sister, and grandmother to run a much-needed inn in the small town. Within this thriving community, Levi has found his purpose and joy in the new inn. It doesn’t hurt that the move also provides him a fresh start, leaving behind some mistakes he’d much rather forget.

Selah Ropp has returned to Birch Creek after trying to outrun her own unhappiness. Genuinely glad to be back with old friends, Selah starts to work at the inn and can’t deny the sparks that fly between her and the handsome innkeeper. He’s like no man she’s ever met.

But Selah has a past, and she knows Levi will reject her if he discovers it. What she doesn’t know is that Levi is overcoming his own past mistakes while trying to ignore his attraction to his employee. The Innkeeper’s Bride reminds us all that with God’s grace, the past is forgotten, and love will reign supreme.

That’s all for today’s interview. If you’d like to learn more about Kathleen’s writing and upcoming books, here are some links to get you started

Website: www.kathleenfuller.com Sign up for her newsletter!

FB: https://www.facebook.com/WriterKathleenFuller/

FB Group: Books & Hooks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/booksandhooks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kf_booksandhooks/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kfbooksandhooks/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kathleen-fuller

Dividing your Writing Time: An Interview with Emma Cyrus

I can tell by the long list of favorite authors that you are an avid reader. What made you decide to be the one to tell the story rather than read it?

My schooling and business career required me to do a lot of writing over the years – of all kinds except fiction – so I’ve felt confident in putting my work in front of others. Then, eight years ago, the first chapter of Life Without Shoes just sort of presented itself. I started keeping research notes in OneNote, and then began taking writing courses in 2015.

How long did it take you to write the first book? How many rewrites did you do on it?

By early 2016, I committed to finishing the book and wrote THE END in November of that year. I gave the manuscript to several BETA readers in January of 2017 and then went through two cycles of revision during the spring. I delivered the manuscript to the copy editor in May, incorporated her edits over the summer, and finalized both the Kindle and print versions during the fall. In conjunction with a book marketing consultant, I set the publication date for Tuesday, November 28 and began preparing all the promotional content – website, FB page, etc.

Who helped you with the editing?

I had a mentor at Gotham Writers Workshop who critiqued me all the way through, and I found the copy editor online. I picked her because she’d edited two favorite mystery authors.

Could you give me a short synopsis of your novel, Life Without Shoes?

Early one morning, Father Ambrose, the Abbot of New Life Ecumenical Retreat, sees a trash bag being dumped in one of their orchards. When one of his young monks goes to pick it up, he discovers a dismembered body in the bag. Ambrose calls Sheriff Charlie Cormley, and the investigation begins. For a time, suspicion rests on New Life, and Ambrose must commit himself to proving their innocence.

That’s quite a grisly find at a retreat center that should be calming and serene. Sounds like a good set-up! Prior to writing this novel, what other writings have you published?

As mentioned above, I wrote extensively during my professional career, including marketing and business plans, academic papers, employee handbooks, project reports, grant applications and so forth.

I’ve helped other authors with their work, including websites and marketing, but Shoes is the only fiction I’ve published.

Other than the name and Facebook page, I can’t find any info on your publisher, Square Root Press. Is this your company?

Square Root Press is my own company. We’ve published two textbooks and two video courses on sustainability, as well as marketing and website support for that author. Shoes is the only fiction work so far.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? Creating a scene? Dialog? Tension?

I’ve started writing the next book in the series and am working hard to improve on my first book. The issues I’m working on are better character delineation, faster pace, and shifting the dialogue/narration balance toward greater physical activity/behaviors in each scene. Just trying to make those shifts takes longer than the “seat of the pants” process of Shoes.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?

My BETA readers were both supportive and helpful. I was able to use their feedback right away to improve the book. My ARC readers were also very encouraging. My current mentor (different from the one for Shoes) is skillful in giving me constructive criticism while communicating his enthusiasm for my work as well. And I wouldn’t have gone on to finish Shoes if I hadn’t received positive feedback from fellow students in eight different Gotham courses.

We have all experienced rejection. Give me an example of how you learned to write past it.

For me, the most painful “rejections” have been negative reviews – Amazon, Goodreads – especially when the reviewer seemed intent on discrediting the positive reviews, i.e. “I don’t know who these positive reviewers are, but trust me, they are ignorant fools.” I also contracted for a Kirkus Review and, although they embedded positive verbiage in their blurb, the tagline was indifferent and not easily used in my marketing materials. Still, the negatives have given me a lot of insight into what needed to be improved, and the second book will be better as a result.

What has surprised you the most in writing/publishing?

I entered the marketplace at a point where the competition simply exploded. I learn about new authors – high-quality authors – every day. It’s hard to be visible in such a crowd. I’ve also been surprised by the success of some new authors whose work really isn’t up to snuff. I wonder how they’ve managed to get an agent and a publisher interested.

What frustrates you the most? 

What’s most frustrating is finding enough time to work on the second book and market the first. I have MS and it doesn’t allow me to get stressed out working 80 hours a week.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?

“Know” and know are two different things. I think I had an intellectual grasp of “the craft” while I was writing Shoes, but now I know what it means to keep developing my skills, studying, re-working in each of the dimensions that make up good fiction.

I’ve started writing reviews of other mystery books on my blog, and I’m amazed to see how even some of the “greats” are off their game some of the time. It is never easy; there’s always room for improvement.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?

I recently had a book passed on to me called Stein on Writing by Sol Stein, published in 1995. I’ve been soaking up his ideas like a dry sponge. It’s likely someone else’s work will strike me strongly at another point in my journey.

Which takes me to the advice I would give – keep learning while you’re writing. One author I watched in an interview said she divided her time into thirds – creative writing, studying the craft and reading books in her genre. I’d add a fourth – nurturing relationships with the fan base, as some of the best ideas for improvement come from readers.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?

I think commitment, discipline, and a thick/thin skin are key. This is a business like any other, and those qualities are necessary for surviving with good humor in the rough-and-tumble of the business world.

I hope there will be more books with Father Ambrose. If you would like to buy Emma’s book or learn about her next one, here are two ways to do just that

Her website: www.emmacyrus.com  Facebook page: @EmmaCyrusBooks