Today I
am delighted to welcome Janet Lane Walters to my blog. I've known Janet for
many many years, and she is a special mentor to me. In fact, when I hit some dire
straits writing-wise a few years back, she was one of the ones who talked me
down from the ledge.
Janet's
taught me a lot – I appreciate her honesty and her willingness to help (not
just me, but everyone she sees that spark in), and the time she has devoted to
supporting so many of my fellow authors. I can honestly say I would not be
where I am if it weren't for Janet's support, encouragement and guidance. If
you've never read one of her books, you are seriously missing out. Janet writes
in just about every genre – I think science fiction and horror are the main genres
she doesn't write in. But you can find Janet's name on anything from YA fantasy,
to erotic romance, to romantic suspense (Code Blue has one of the creepiest
villains EVER!), to cozy mysteries, historical romance, well, you get the
picture.
I've got
Janet in the hot seat today – and don't forget to check out her latest
releases, a fantasy romance trilogy set in an alternate Ancient Egypt. Books 1 and 2 are out
now I believe, with Book 3 soon to follow. Here's the cover of Toth's Priest:
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When did the writing bug
first hit?
Hard question to answer but I'm
sure the bug was always there. From the age of six or so, my friends and I spent
hours on the porch making up ghost stories. In high school I learned to write
by reading and often tried my hand at stories. The real surge to write didn't
come until after marriage and was living in a small town in Oklahoma where the
library was scant. I read every Zane Gray in their library and began searching
out books on writing. I took some courses and finally had a short story
published several years later. I've been published for 46 years and still
cranking out the stories.
Are you a plotter or a
pantser?
I am a plotter but I also do a bit
on free writing. I start with an outline that is rather scant more topics with
information on what should go into the scene. Then I do the rough draft and if
surprising things happen, I look at my outline again and make the changes. My
rough drafts are usually about a third of what the book ends up becoming
wordwise.
Do your characters come
first, or the story?
This is a hard question to answer.
Often the idea for a plot comes first but sometimes there are characters who
leap into view and I know they need a story. My process is sort of an amalgam
of the story and they come together in a kind of rush. I really don't think the
two can be separated. And though the characters and plot come together until I
finish the rough draft I really don't know what the final parts will end up
being.
What was the most valuable
piece of advice you received when you first started your pursuit of
publication?
When I began writing centuries
ago, I went to an all day conference with a writer who said. "First you
must finish the book. Then you must rewrite and revise as many times as it
takes." I wish I could remember the name of the writer but I can't. That's
the advice I give to others. Until you finish the book you can't know what to
keep and what to delete.
What's the same mistake you
still find yourself aggravatingly making from your early days?
There are a lot but the main one
is forgetting to put in all the details of setting. The first editor comment I
ever received was "Your characters are living in a vacuum. I always have
to do a draft that makes me look at setting, setting setting.
When you hit that brick wall
(as all writers eventually do at some point or another), how do you get through
it?
I'm not sure I ever hit this wall.
That may be because I work like a painter and keep layering the story with four
or five re-writes and make changes as I go along There are times when I start a
story that is going nowhere. I just put it aside and may come back to it again
or not, depending on what I want to do at the time. I will worry a story until
it's finished unless I decide I don't like it.
What was the first book you
loved so much that to this day, you can still pick it up and read it and savor
every word again?
Actually there are a lot. I'm a
re-reader and have read many books again and again. Have read Pride and
Prejudice many times. Every time a new book in a series comes out, I start from
book 1 and read up to the new one.
A giant asteroid is about to
hit the planet. What do you want to be doing at the moment of impact?
Writing, what else?
What was your favorite
childhood game/toy? What happened to it?
There were a number but one of
them was playing football with the boys. Growing up where there were 2 girls
and fifteen boys on the street meant one had to play boy games. The boys didn't
want me to play after I began to develop. Snowball fights were another fun game
with building forts and planning war strategy. Grew up during WWII so life was
much different then. Unfortunately one has to grow up and the body ages.
Do you believe in ghosts and
other supernatural creatures (vampires, witches, werewolves)? Have you ever
encountered any?
Perhaps I believe in witches.
Perhaps I am one. I'll never tell. Once heard a ghost running down the street
in front of our house. She stopped running when the man she was running after
died.
Coffee or tea?
Love
coffee if it has lots of cream and chocolate. Rum is my choice of alcoholic
beverages but I've been known to drink many things. Do not like Scotch one bit
but that's another story. I can do both chocolate and vanilla, depends on where
it's to be found.
What was the craziest out-of-character thing
you've ever done?
A very
hard question and I'm not sure I should answer this since my character changes
from day to day. I've lived a long life and have done many things that might
seem out of character but since my character changes who knows if they were
crazy or just reacting to the moment.
What's the one thing you had
the chance to do but didn't, and wish you could go back and do it this time?
I have always wanted to visit
Egypt but have never had the time or the money.
What was the worst vacation
you've ever had and what caused it to be the worst?
My honeymoon. We were strapped for
cash so we went camping. Unfortunately my husband had no idea about camping.
The first night we ate our meal cold since the fire never got started. The
second night he pitched the tent in an area were there were springs. I ended
with pneumonia and the rest of the trip was miserable.
Here's where you can find Janet and her books online:
Twitter: @JanetL717
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Janet-Lane-Walters/e/B0034P79H0
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