Janet Lee Carey
Love Learning: Being a writer means growing all the time. I have some of that green slimy stuff (what is it called, quick-grow?) in my garage to urge plants on. Writing is like guzzling that stuff. Every new book requires research (I learned more facts about witch trials and grizzly medieval torture methods for Dragonswood than I ever wanted to know).
Every new book demands a sharper skill set. I always push myself to the next writing level which is both thrilling and scary. Just when I’ve mastered some aspect of the craft, I see the next mastery level lurking in the shadows, luring me onward. Right now I’m working on smoother transitions. Leaping to the next thing less like a kangaroo and more like a ballerina. Another challenge is to more deftly weave description and background info into action and dialogue to break up narrative chunks which gum up the story. Writing is word weaving and the masters bring all the threads together in beautiful, rich story patterns. I plan to get better at that.
Read. Read. Read. I’ve learned to trust the work to tell me what my next challenge will be, but I also rely on what I gather from my resources. First and foremost I learn from fellow authors as I read their brilliant books. Writers read a little differently. We can’t help but notice how another author tackles a sticky plot point, reveals the finer emotional gradations of a character, writes a riveting scene or describes an outdoor setting so sumptuously you smell the tangy air.
There are a few authors like Ursula K. Le Guin that I read again and again. Lately I’ve also been reading a lot of Juliet Marillier’s historical fantasy novels. C.S. Lewis talks about the joys of reading a book the second or third time when you’re no longer turning pages just to find out what happens next, but to be in that world on the adventure again with the characters you’ve grown to love. The second or third read also allows me to flag pages with post-its when I want to take special note of the writer’s exquisite storytelling.
Hang in There: A writer’s career is challenging. You’ll face a lot of rejection frustration before you’re published and a lot of ups and downs once your books are accepted for publication. But you are the only one who can tell your stories. If you want to share them, Do It. Trends come and go. They are puffs of smoke. Believe in yourself, in your character’s right to live on the page. Good stories have staying power. Keep writing. Keep revising. Keep dreaming.
The creative process is wonderful and mysterious and life giving. Fiction is a faith walk. As you journey into your next book and your next, fellow writer walk well.
Every new book demands a sharper skill set. I always push myself to the next writing level which is both thrilling and scary. Just when I’ve mastered some aspect of the craft, I see the next mastery level lurking in the shadows, luring me onward. Right now I’m working on smoother transitions. Leaping to the next thing less like a kangaroo and more like a ballerina. Another challenge is to more deftly weave description and background info into action and dialogue to break up narrative chunks which gum up the story. Writing is word weaving and the masters bring all the threads together in beautiful, rich story patterns. I plan to get better at that.
Read. Read. Read. I’ve learned to trust the work to tell me what my next challenge will be, but I also rely on what I gather from my resources. First and foremost I learn from fellow authors as I read their brilliant books. Writers read a little differently. We can’t help but notice how another author tackles a sticky plot point, reveals the finer emotional gradations of a character, writes a riveting scene or describes an outdoor setting so sumptuously you smell the tangy air.
There are a few authors like Ursula K. Le Guin that I read again and again. Lately I’ve also been reading a lot of Juliet Marillier’s historical fantasy novels. C.S. Lewis talks about the joys of reading a book the second or third time when you’re no longer turning pages just to find out what happens next, but to be in that world on the adventure again with the characters you’ve grown to love. The second or third read also allows me to flag pages with post-its when I want to take special note of the writer’s exquisite storytelling.
Hang in There: A writer’s career is challenging. You’ll face a lot of rejection frustration before you’re published and a lot of ups and downs once your books are accepted for publication. But you are the only one who can tell your stories. If you want to share them, Do It. Trends come and go. They are puffs of smoke. Believe in yourself, in your character’s right to live on the page. Good stories have staying power. Keep writing. Keep revising. Keep dreaming.
The creative process is wonderful and mysterious and life giving. Fiction is a faith walk. As you journey into your next book and your next, fellow writer walk well.
More Answered Questions
A Goodreads user
asked
Janet Lee Carey:
Are you going to write another Wilde Island Chronicles book? i loved the first 2 and im reading the 3rd.
A Goodreads user
asked
Janet Lee Carey:
No, but i have thought about it. Which one would you suggest or is your favorite?
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