Author Interview with Jodi Meadows

[Sylvia]

Okay members, we have the wonderful and amazing Jody Meadows as our 5th and final interview for this month. She is the author of . This is our 60th Author Interview since we started and it is conducted by one of our moderators. Please read this interview and we hope you will be able to pick up lessons about her experience.If there are any questions you would like to ask Jodi Meadows please post them here. Thankyou.


1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else? 
I’ve always been a storyteller. I went through the usual phases of wanting to be a model/singer/princess/astronaut, but once I discovered I could write as a job, that’s all I wanted.

2. How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?
It depends on the book, but I wrote the first draft of INCARNATE in about two months. It was more than a year later that I turned in the final draft.

3. How do you come up with themes for your stories?
They appear naturally. I usually have to draw them out a little more, once I (or someone else) identify them, but they always just appear around whatever my characters are going through. I don’t really go into a book with the foreknowledge of its theme.

4. Do you have a schedule of when you write? 
I write all the time. See below about balance.

5. How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing?
I don’t understand this balance thing you speak of.
Or do you mean the parts of life where I get to sleep? Sometimes I’m allowed to sleep. But usually I just have to sit here and type. Pretty sure my agent has spy cameras by my computer. . . .

6. What elements do you think make a great story line? 
I think probably anything can be made into a great storyline if it’s well-written and compelling. There’s no magic formula!

7. What was the hardest thing about writing a book?
All of it.
Seriously, though, I don’t know. Putting new words on paper is incredibly difficult. Fixing the broken parts . . . even just identifying the broken parts is a challenge.
Reading over the manuscript for the hundredth time. Ow.

8. How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite? 
INCARNATE was book #17. I’d written 16 before that. After the Incarnate series, I have Unspeakable Story, Sparkle Story, and Broadway Story, though Broadway isn’t finished yet. So . . . 21?

9. Do you have a favorite character?
Nope! I try not to pick favorites. It makes me feel guilty.

10. Where do you write?  
In the ferret room. Surrounded by utter chaos.

11. When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route you took? 
I’ve always wanted to publish through a big house. While I don’t have anything against other methods of publishing, they’ve never been part of my goals. For me, getting an agent, getting an editor at a big house -- these were all signals to me that I was writing publishable stories. Until then, I wasn’t ready to share my stories with the world. It took me a long time (at least, it felt like a long time -- years!) to get here, but there were never other options for me.

12. Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think?
My mom reads everything I write. She does offer criticism when I ask for it, but she loves my books. My sister just threatens me when she wants more books. She’s only read the Incarnate trilogy (yes, she’s read book three -- I was afraid of what will happen if I didn’t give it to her), though.

13. What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?
You mean activities that don’t involve books? That kind of thing exists?
Kidding. I knit, crochet, and spin my own yarn. My favorite things to knit are socks and fingerless mitts. I keep trying to love lace, but it takes much more focus than I can give it. So . . . I dunno. I’m working on it, though.
My spinning wheel’s name is Bob.

14. What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing? 
Write. Read. Learn to take (and give) criticism. You will probably get rejected. That’s okay. Keep writing, reading, and taking criticism. Learn to write better. You will get more rejection. That’s okay, too. Keep writing. Don’t give up.

15. What is your favorite book? favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write? 
I have lots of favorite authors and books!! I would go on forever if I tried to name them all, though. But the book that made me realize writing was an actual legitimate job was WAIT TILL HELEN COMES by Mary Downing Hahn. I don’t know what it was about that book, but suddenly I realized that people had to write books and there wasn’t any reason why I couldn’t be one of those people.

16. Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such? 
People always say what a solitary pursuit writing is -- and it often is! -- but I can hardly imagine writing without the brainstorming power of a handful of writing friends. Typically they tell me what I already know, poke holes in bad plots, and ask all the right questions. It’s like they can see into my brain, which is both cool and scary.

17. Are you working on anything now? 
Absolutely! I’m not allowed to talk about them yet, but there are two projects I’m working on right now. Their code names are Sparkle Story and Broadway Story.

[Sylvia]

Thank you so much, Jodi, for doing this interview for our group and taking the time out from your very busy schedule :)

[Breath of Life]

Awesome interview! I love how author Jodi Meadows has a wonderful way of letting you into her style of writing. Her book covers draw you in and even thou I have yet to read her books, (my daughter has the first two) and I have read the synopsis of them that when I can get them from her..(she wont let them go)hehe.. I will dive in and gobble them up! I absolutely LOVE the Covers and author Jodi Meadows style!