A compilation of multi-published, award-winning and first sale authors made up the panel at last month's meeting. Among the print authors there were also two electronically published authors, Lillian Ammann and Betty Kasischke who is the current president of EPIC, an organization for electronic authors.
When the panel was asked what their writing schedule was like, or if they had one, most of the panel responded that they either wrote every day, or at least every weekday. There was no general consensus on a chosen writing time however. For example, Jo-Ann Power, who has sold sixteen novels in the mainstream, mystery, and romance genres, used to write between five and nine-thirty a.m. but with the growth of her personal relations company she has had to change her hours, starting late in the week, and doing most of her writing on the weekends. On the other hand, Kay Swanson, a.k.a. Kei Swanson, is a catch-as-you-can writer, carrying a notebook with her everywhere.
The following question was how long it took each author to complete a novel. Catherine Hudgins, writing as Kate Thomas, jokingly complained that since she has to rewrite the first chapter so often, she usually ends up writing 150,000 words for each of her short contemporaries. Other answers ranged from Delores Fossen's six to seven weeks for a short romance to Becky Kasischke's five years for her first.
The next question, "What was your greatest challenge to becoming published?" gained an equally wide variety of responses. Julie Ortolon was one of those stood out as overcoming a physical challenge, severe dyslexia. Not being able to understand grammar and spelling, she had to learn and memorize new words as she came across them. She also told of how she used to call her husband at work to ask him how to spell for her, and after her first manuscript, how she hired herself a writing coach. For Lillian Amman it was a stroke that awakened her to the need to write now rather than later.
A general agreement was that the worst challenge was their lack of confidence, the innate fear that they'd fail and either never finish a book or get published. As Jo-Ann Power pointed out so wonderfully; everyone's got their baggage and sometimes you bury it over the journey. Hidden in your challenges are your advantages.
Pam Morsi was among the lucky few who sold her first book, while it took Julie Ortolon ten years to sell hers. Multi-award winner, Miriam Minger waited five years before she even started writing, and almost immediately sold to an agent and a publisher. Delores Fossen related a laughter-inspiring tale of how she told a writer friend that she'd always wanted to be a writer. The friend asked, "Are you waiting to get younger?" Within the hour, Delores was writing.
When the panel was asked what preconceived ideas were proven totally false once they became published, Pam Morsi said that she'd believed every book would be easier to write but instead each book was just as hard. And, like so many of us, as soon as she starts a new book she often gets an idea that is "so much better." And Julie Ortolon called the world of publishing "an alternate universe."
Most of the panelists agreed that they'd like a better relationship with their publishers, and more promotion of their books from the same. Just as many loved the writing process itself. Katherine Hudgins said it so well, "The creation and that passion of finding a word and feeling your nerves tingle." Miriam Minger loves the fan letters, that connection with someone who writes to you.
And Jo-Ann Powers perhaps put it best, comparing writing to "wrestling with shadows . . . wondering if you can pull off it off and then someday you reach THE END. Then you go back and wow, you can't believe you wrote this. It's such a high."
A former SARA Newsletter Co-editor, Karin is busy writing both a Western Historical and a Time Travel, entitled Lakota Lullaby.
©2002, San Antonio Romance Authors, all rights reserved. Articles may not be reprinted without permission.
Back to Article Index