Sonrise Stable Books Author Interview

I recently had a Sonrise Stable books reader email me with a few questions. I’ve included her questions and my responses here.

1. How long does it usually take you to write one book from idea to finished draft?

I averaged about a book a year for the Sonrise Stable series. Some came much more easily than others! I'd say it varied from six months to a year and a half per book.

2. What helped you stay motivated when writing felt hard or slow?

Honestly, writing is a very lonely experience. It is a struggle to stay motivated. Sometimes, I have ideas in my head that refuse to leave me alone until I write! I get the occasional letter or email from young readers who love the books. That's always a great motivation - and they have a way of arriving at exactly the time I need them!

3. When you knew certain parts of the story but not how to connect them, how did you figure out the middle?

I can tell from this question you are a writer! That's something a non-writer would never think to ask or even consider. It's weird, sometimes I had the idea for the beginning of a story, sometimes how I wanted one to end. I believe God guided me in writing the series. Not that the books are inspired in the same way as Scripture, of course. But I firmly believe He gave me ideas and guided my thoughts, even that many of the experiences I had previously in my life were preparing me to write a series of books - when I'd never had a single desire to be an author.

I am a very loose outliner. I sketch a brief outline of what I think will be the main points of a book. It's a continually evolving "outline" that reshapes when I get new ideas. I've found that as I write - even forcing myself to write a single scene if I'm that stuck - that gives me ideas for where to go next. Also, I had to give up perfectionism and the idea that I could write a perfect first draft. I had to convince myself that it can be improved upon later or totally scrapped.

4. How did you come up with your main characters?

I began writing the series when my girls were still teens. I projected them into the future with husbands and my grandchildren. I figured it would lend realism to the characters and would help me keep them all straight in my mind. I ended up having a foster daughter when I was about halfway through the series. She asked me if I'd written the character Carrie about her, but I'd written the first two books before she was even born. Recently, I was reading the books to my first granddaughter, and she asked if she was Rosie. But the gap between the writing and my real granddaughter's arrival was about thirteen years. Their personalities are quite similar though. Interesting how God works.

5. What advice would you give a young writer who wants to write books like yours?

I would love to see more authors write children's books with strong Christian themes. In a world that is becoming increasingly dark, I think kids need to see hope and faith portrayed in the books they read. In terms of learning to write, I'd say take courses, read books on writing, and, of course, write! Some of what you encounter will be unsuited to what you want to write, so you'll need to throw out the good and retain the useful nuggets you find.

It's helpful, but difficult, to find a faithful partner, writing group, or mentor to honestly "critique" your writing. Not in the sense of being overly critical, but realistic, given of course your age and current ability or skill level. I think there are two potential problems here, though. At one extreme is someone who will tell you what a great writer you are and how wonderful your writing is. While that may be ego-boosting for a while, it really doesn't help you become a good writer! At the other extreme is the overly-critical person. They have an idea of what and how you should write and try to get you to write the way they would. That can destroy your creativity and the unique story God has for you to write. Someone who will honestly, but kindly, point out flaws in your writing, or areas you can improve, helps tremendously. You have to develop a bit of thick skin though as it's hard not to take critiques of your work personally.

6. Did you start gaining popularity locally, regionally, in your state? Or did your audience grow another way?

Most of my book sales come through my own website. I pack and mail out all those orders. I live in Ohio. Orders from my own state are an extremely small percentage of all the orders I receive. It makes me think of the words Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”

I'm still working on ways to expand the exposure to the books. So far, I think it's mostly been through the website and word of mouth from satisfied readers, their parents, and grandparents.