|
||||||||||
|
Subscribe to the Absolute Write Newsletter and get the Agents! Agents! Agents! report free! Click here.
|
Win a 1-year subscription to Writer's Digest by subscribing to Absolute Markets-- all paying markets for your writing. Click here. |
|
| |||||||||||||
|
|
Interview with Wendy
French
It was a pleasure to learn a bit about transplanted Canadian Wendy French, author of sMothering and Going Coastal. This chick lit author is off and rolling with three books already under her belt. We all need a little more humor in our lives and a lot less doom and gloom. Wendy is an avid reader and enjoys traveling. Now that she's moved to the coast she has also taken up crabbing. Hope you enjoy getting to know Wendy.
Where are you from?
I'm originally from Vancouver, B.C., then Victoria, then Portland, OR, but I now live in a teeny town on the Washington coast (pop. less than 500). It's known primarily as a fishing and crabbing town, and I don't know of anyone famous who has come from here. Judging by the reaction of the mailman when he discovered that I write novels, it looks like I'm about as famous as it gets (which isn't saying much!).
Do you write full-time?
I have a regular full-time job, so my writing is limited to evenings and weekends. I like to write a chapter a week, but if it doesn't happen, I don't beat myself up over it (though I can't deny a sensation of guilt when I don't do it).
What's your "day job"?
My day job is with an Oregon utility, and while it's not a writing-related job, the company has been extremely supportive of me. I was allowed to take a leave of absence last year to promote my first novel, sMothering (Forge Books, 2004) and they've just run an article about me on the company website. Judging by the overwhelming response, I'm beginning to suspect that most of my co-workers spend their days wandering around on the Internet.
When do you do your writing? Do you get dressed to go to work?
I do write during the evenings, but I work best on weekend mornings. As I shower, I think about where I left off and where I want the story to go, then get dressed and get to work. I don't wear anything weird, like a special cardigan or a crown, but slippers are a must.
Describe your office.
When I first attempted a novel (that manuscript is doomed to a dark bottom drawer… forever), my husband and I were living in a small apartment in Portland. My office was also the litter box area for our cats. When the rejections were rolling in on that first book, it was hard to determine whether it was the writing or the environment that stunk. My current office is pale green, with the computer next to a window for optimum gazing while I'm trying to think of a word. I've written everything in the same chair, which is unbelievably comfortable but looks God-awful. On my wall is a bulletin board with the dates I want to finish chapters and a photograph of the Flat Iron building in New York, home to my publisher (Forge). This is a reminder for me that yes, I actually have a publisher. I'm planning to frame my book covers for inspiration, but haven't done it yet. I really need a space dedicated to writing to prevent distraction, and having a little office allows me to focus.
What is the setting of most of your novels?
They're all set on the West Coast. Write what you know, I suppose.
What made you decide to tackle the genre of novels you write in?
I write humorous women's fiction, with a goal of three out loud laughs for the reader per book. Being Canadian and growing up where it seemed the only "real" writing was dark, serious literature, it took me a long time to finally decide to just give in to my natural desire to write something lighter. The two books I read that made me think it was "okay" to write something fun were Elinor Lipman's Isabel's Bed (Washington Square Press, 1998) and Sherwood Kiraly's Diminished Capacity (Berkley Trade, 1995). When I was reading the latter on public transit and snorted with laughter, I figured, why not? By the time I was offered a publishing contract, (after five years, three novels, and a total of 137 rejections from editors and agents), I still wasn't sure what to call my writing. I didn't know where I fit.
What kind of research do you do to make your novels realistic?
I spend a horrifyingly tiny amount of time on research. I write about people approximately my age, with jobs I've either had myself, or that aren't difficult to imagine. Most of what I write is set in fictional towns, so I don't even have to worry about accuracy in describing the setting. Oh, the laziness! I occasionally look up tidbits on the Internet, but normally I'm flying by the seat of my pants. The same goes for my writing style. I don't make an outline and I don't know what's going to happen next (though I usually have some inkling of how it will end). I like to be surprised as the story unfolds and I love it when I'm writing dialogue, murmuring, "No... don't say it... it's only going to tick her off... Oh, now you've done it!"
Do your books have a specific and distinctive quality, characteristic, or concern?
I'm told they have a distinct tone or voice, and that there is more of an emphasis on family relationships than some of the books in my genre. I'm a sucker for happy endings, so I'm unlikely to ever leave a character out in the cold.
Tell us about your current release.
My first novel, sMothering, was just released in paperback, and my second, Going Coastal came out in January 2005. sMothering is the story of Claire McCleod, a twenty-three year old trying to survive a surprise open-ended visit from her mother, who hasn't brought Dad on the trip, and who is estranged from Claire's lesbian sister. Going Coastal is about a twenty-seven year old waitress who has lived in the same small coastal town for her entire life, and worked at a local fish and chip shop for years. Her job and love life (and world in general) fall apart just as she receives an invitation to her ten year high school reunion, and she has to scramble to get everything back together before the big event.
What exciting story are you working on next?
I have just sent my editor the latest draft of my next novel, After the Rice, about a couple of newlyweds with intrusive in-laws, and I'm about a third of the way through Full of It, which has the tag line, "A story of love, taxidermy, and other natural disasters."
What ways have you found effective for promoting your books?
I was very naive about the promotional end of things before sMothering came out. I figured that having a publisher meant I could forget all about query letters, writing that damnable synopsis, and finally have the time to simply write. Instead, I've discovered I have to promote, which was a huge transition from clickety-clacking away in solitude at my desk. I would say the most effective promotional tools for me so far have been radio interviews, postcards, and magnets with the book covers on them. I'm all about the magnets-- people stick them to their fridge and never throw them away. I have an eleven-year-old magnet advertising a heating contractor in Victoria on my fridge right now.
How do you find time to write, promote, and take care of everything else in your life?
I usually set aside blitz periods for promotion. I'll try to pack a bunch of e-mailing, envelope stuffing, etc., into one day of the week, so it doesn't nag at me while I'm writing. It can be a tight fit to squeeze in writing one book, revising another, promoting a third, and making sure I have something clean and presentable to wear to work. I'd love to write full-time, but it's a scary prospect as well. All of that free time…
Is there anything that you would like to share with other writers?
For those of you who are unpublished writers, it's important not to think about giving up simply because finding an editor or agent is taking longer than you'd like. Treat the querying process like the lottery-- you can't win if you don't play, and the more tickets you buy, the better your odds.
Visit Wendy French's website: http://www.wendy-french.com
M. E. Wood lives in Eastern Ontario. Visit http://www.m-e-wood.com
|
Sponsored links 
Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer! How to find a book publisher |
Text on this site Copyright © 1998-2007
Absolute Write, all rights reserved.
|
