Ask the Author: Teresa R. Funke
Answered Questions (9)
Teresa R. Funke
No, and I make no apologies for that. Many new writers are so intimidated by the ridiculous pressures we put on them. One of those is an old adage that "real" writers write every day. Some do, but just as many don't. To me, writing every day is no different than doing any other job every day. It becomes an obsession. I think writers need to be out in the world living and playing and experiencing in order to understand what it is they need to write. And sometimes an idea or even just a line needs some space in which to develop. But we writers are never far from our work. Even when we are not at our keyboards we are thinking about our stories, talking about them, dreaming about them. In that sense, we ARE working every day.
Teresa R. Funke
My first book, Remember Wake, was a ten-year process. I started out by doing research and interviews and felt fully prepared to write the novel, but when I tried, I realized I had no idea how to write a book. So I backed up and wrote short stories and personal essays for a few years to try and find my voice. After publishing a few of those, I felt ready to tackle the novel again. So just to write the book (and revise it many times) was a seven-year process. I then spent three years trying to get it published. I had an agent for a while, and then some interested editors, and finally I decided to self-publish and had to teach myself how to do that. So it was ten years from the moment I committed to write the book until I held a published copy in my hands.
The second book took 8 years. The children's books, though, now take me only a little over a year. I'm getting faster!
The second book took 8 years. The children's books, though, now take me only a little over a year. I'm getting faster!
Teresa R. Funke
What a fun question! Maybe Ben Franklin. He's such an interesting character, I'd like to see what he was like in real life. Or Mark Twain. Would love to hear his insights on current culture. For live authors, maybe Bill Bryson. He, like me, is interested in so many different topics. Now I'm realizing there are no women on this list. That's easy . . . Eleanor Roosevelt.
Teresa R. Funke
All of my books are based on memories from real people that I interview. My most recent book is Wave Me Good-bye and it stems from the memories of a woman I met who grew up as the only Jewish girl in her Bronx neighborhood during World War II. It touches on the Holocaust and shows how people in America were affected by that event. It also deals with anti-Semitism and bullying, because she experienced those things as a child. But the most interesting part of the book is her relationship with an English orphan who was sent to America to escape the bombing of London. In real life, she talked to this boy through a fence only a few times, but I decide to use that memory to create a fully developed friendship between the two characters. In my children's books, about half the content is based on reality and the other half is made up. In the back of the book, I let the readers know which parts are true and which are embellished. This is fiction, after all. But everything that happens in my books is in keeping with the lives these people lived. It's my way of honoring an amazing generation who lived during one of the most exciting and moving times in our country's history.
Teresa R. Funke
I get inspired when someone shares a story with me that I've never heard before. Sometimes it's a memory they have about an actual event. Sometimes they share information that adds a new layer to my understanding of history. Either way, it ignites my imagination. Then I wait a few days to see if I still feel inspired by the story. If so, I know I need to write it. If not, I let that idea go. Writing requires a certain degree of passion. You have to love the idea enough to see it through from start to finish.
Teresa R. Funke
I write a weekly blog called Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life, which is located on my website. It's an inspirational blog for artists, writers, and entrepreneurs and a creative outlet for me! I'm also working on the remaining books in my Home-Front Heroes collection of WWII stories for middle-grade readers. The next book will be a Pearl Harbor story based on the memories of a woman who lived across the street from the base and watched as the bombs fell. There will also be a story about an African-American boy in the South. I'm also researching stories about the Hopi Code-Talkers and working on an idea about a family who befriends a German prisoner-of-war who is shipped to Colorado to work in the beet fields. We had a POW camp in this area and there are still several people who can share those stories with me. I'm eager to bring more true WWII stories to the attention of young readers, and so grateful to hear from fans who write to tell me how much they enjoy the stories!
Teresa R. Funke
I've worked with over a hundred clients as a writer's coach and many more through other avenues, and EVERY successful writer I know, started out in the same way. You read A LOT in the genre in which you want to write, and you read like a writer, studying how those authors worked. You go to author readings and ask questions, you read books on writing and subscribe to writing magazines. You go to writers' conferences and workshops. You join writers' groups or work with a coach. You write and write and write until you are happy with what you wrote, and then you send it out for critique or publication. We ALL follow this same journey and you will succeed if you are patient and are willing to learn. It's an exciting journey!
Teresa R. Funke
The best thing about being a writer, for me, is the chance to always keep learning and to meet and interview such fascinating people. Most writers are generally a very curious lot. If you tell me you are a trash collector, I'm going to ask you about the weirdest thing you ever saw someone throw out. There's nothing that doesn't interest me on some level, and it's all potential material for a story. So I LOVE looking at the world through a writer's view. And I love hanging out with my writer friends, because we are all that way. But the absolute best thing about being a writer is that I get to do something I love to do. Life is too short. Find what you love and DO IT!
Teresa R. Funke
Great question! I mostly take the Hemingway approach to writing, which is to stop in the middle of a scene or a productive writing session, that way you can pick up right where you left off with enthusiasm. I'll confess that, unlike Hemingway, that often is not by choice. It's usually more because of my crazy, busy schedule that I'm forced to stop. But it DOES help. It also depends on the type of writer's block. I have a great, free video about this subject on my YouTube channel, Teresa Funke. I go into the seven types of writer's block that I've identified and offer tips on how to deal with each. You might want to check it out!
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