Interview Studio - Jannifer Hoffman

Please join me in welcoming Jannifer Hoffman to the Interview Studio.  Jannifer writes Romance for Resplendence Publishing was born in North Dakota and currently resides in Minnesota.  Welcome Jannifer!

For your Douglas Family Series at Resplendence, What have you enjoyed most about writing a series and what has been the most challenging? 

I loved bringing back characters that I had grown attached to. Most challenging was the last one’ Random Fire. I wanted to bring together Virgil (the oldest Douglas brother) and Katie (from Rough Edges) I had many request to do both so I thought, okay why not do them both at the same time. To make it interesting I had to dig deep into Virgil’s past find his problems. These are like real people to me. LOL

You write for both Resplendence and Treble Heart.  Do you find any particular challenge in writing for multiple publishers?

No. Treble Heart was my first sale. I wasn’t happy with them so I wanted a change. My dream is still to find a mass market publisher.

What was the inspiration for your recent book, Bittersweet Memories?  What gave you the idea for the title?

I wanted to do a tormented woman I guess. It’s the only one I actually sat at the computer sobbing as I did the ending. I could readily relate to Joan Wilder in Romancing the Stone. (Smile)  For the title my editor and I brainstormed. She didn’t like my original title (Twisted Memories) so she made suggestion and I worked them over to come up with Bittersweet.  Not the first time we did it either. Edge of Daybreak was even worse. I didn’t have a title at all until she helped. Again we brainstormed. By the way, I always check prospective titles on Amazon to find something that hasn’t been used. Not easy!

Do you have any writing rituals that you follow on a regular basis?

I wish. I’m almost always writing under a deadline. I envy writers who can start with an outline.

What are your must-have writing tools?

It might be a given for most people but since I started writing on an old black Remington upright I would definitely say my computer. One could really understand that if I they knew how bad my typing skills are. Also I use Sandra Brown books like dictionaries. I think she knows more words. LOL

Where do you get your ideas?

I read, read, read. It only takes a tiny seed for me to work it into a story.  I start typing and it just comes to me.  When I get a block, I lose a lot of sleep.

Dark or milk chocolate?  

Dark, only because it's healthier.

Coffee or tea? 

Definitely tea, preferably iced tea. I’ve never drank coffee.

Interview with an Evie Winner - Renee Yates

Welcome to the first interview with one of our 2011 Evie Winners - Renee Yates who won in the Fiction Category.  Renee pitched at the Evanston Writer's Workshop Conference and received a contract.  Please join me in welcoming Renee Yates!

Renee, I want to first congratulate you on your contract with Whispers Publishing!

Can you tell us a little bit about the book contracted ?

The title of the book is The White Nightgown.  It is a story about a thirty-six-year-old African-American woman, Michelle, who marries a Jewish man, David, and their difficult relationships with his mother.  I'm told that it is scheduled to be released early next year (2012), perhaps February.  But that's tentative right now.

Did your publisher say what they liked about your piece?

Yes, Jessica Damien, my editor at Whispers Publishing put it this way:

"The White Nightgown grips the heart in a tear-jerking squeeze as the reader delves into the pathos, depression, and the despairing emotions of the characters.  The gritty, down-to-earth reality of the story begs the hope of a happy ending, and one can't put down the book until the end.

This is the sort of story a lot of publishers seem afraid to publish, but it fits in well with Whispers' new search for a broader range of plot devices.  We are looking forward to extending our readership with stories like this, which bravely go beyond the typical."

You won the Evanston Writers Contest with a different story.  What was your inspiration for the Evie winning short story, “The Easter Outfit.”

"The Easter Outfit" was inspired by memories of how exciting it was for me to get a new outfit every year for Easter when I was a child; and a disturbing experience I had with a neighbor around age eight or nine.  Even though the story was inspired by personal, unconnected events, it is pure fiction.

Do you have any writing rituals that you follow on a regular basis?

Not really.  Even though I actually began writing in the late 1980s, I still think of myself as a new writer.  I’m still trying to figure out what type of rituals or schedule will work for me.  Right now, I just write when characters speak to me or when ideas occur to me.  That can happen at any moment because the people and events that occur throughout my daily activities often inspire ideas and character thoughts. However, lately, I found that regular meditation and Yoga helps to keep my mind open to ideas.

My Macbook and a smart phone with a Notes application and a voice recorder.

If you could only answer one question, what would it be, and how would you answer?

The question:  What is the key to true happiness?

The answer:  Mindfulness

Dark or milk chocolate?

Both.

Coffee or tea?

Both.

Thanks Renee for taking the time to interview with ShopNotes.  Keep us posted on your career as we'd love to hear how things are going for one of our first Evie winners.  

If you would like to interview for ShopNotes please contact me at tina@evanstonwritersworkshop.org.

Tina
Editor in Chief What are your must-have writing tools?

Interview Studio: A Conversation with Debbie Cairo

Many of our members know Debbie, the cheerful face behind Evanston Writers Workshop. She started the original meetup group and brought in the board that now runs the non-profit company. Tomorrow, the world!

All kidding aside, Debbie has a lot of energy, great ideas, and tremendous creativity. She's written several novels and her first, OVER MY UNDEAD BODY, is published with Whispers Publishing.

We caught up with Debbie over email to discuss her projects and writing process.

SN: You started the original Meetup group of Evanston Writers Workshop in 2007. What made you decide to get things going?

DC: I went to a Romantic Times convention prior to that and met a couple of authors, one of them being Tina Holland, who I became fast friends with and introduced me to the concept of critique partners. Unfortunately, one was in Florida and one was in North Dakota, so our critique sessions were limited to AOL Messenger and email. A gentleman named Richard started a writers group in Evanston through Meetup dot com. Five of us showed up at the first meeting. I found I really enjoyed the companionship and input of other authors. So, when he stepped down as organizer of the group less than a month after its creation, I took it over without hesitation. Since then, as we have grown and evolved, we now encompass much more than the critique group it started as. I’m very excited to see where we go in the future.

SN: When did you start to think of yourself as "a writer" and not just someone who fiddled with stories?

The Interview Studio: A Conversation with Tina Holland

Welcome to our regular Wednesday feature, the Interview Studio. Here we will sit down and chat with authors who are just starting out as well as seasoned pros. We will get a glimpse into the world of writing and publishing through their eyes and, if we are lucky, learn some tools of the trade in the process. Join me!

Our first subject is author and Evanston Writers Workshop Board Member Tina Holland. Author of eight books, Tina is also a member of Romance Writers of America and heads up their online chapter, an international discussion group of writers and authors. We are lucky to have her expertise on our board and wanted to share a little about her with you, our members and readers.

SN: You mention in your bio that you are a "military brat." Does growing up with that kind of structure and culture affect how you see your characters in your stories?

Tina: Yes and No. My parents met at a Vietnam Protest Rally – my father registering for the armed forces and my mother getting in his face. They fell in love and had sort of a tumultuous courtship before getting married. While my mother was never a structured person…I am and was from the cradle. According to my mother if she didn’t follow it, I’d be sure to let her know, quiet adamantly.

Announcing the Success of One of Our Own!

ShopNotes is pleased to report that our very own Karen N. Johnson’s book is available for purchase in trade paperback. Beautiful Testing: Leading Professionals Reveal How They Improve Software is available from O’Reilly Books and Videos.

From the publisher’s website: “Beautiful Testing offers 23 essays from 27 leading testers and developers that illustrate the qualities and techniques that make testing an art. Through personal anecdotes, you'll learn how each of these professionals developed beautiful ways of testing a wide range of products -- valuable knowledge that you can apply to your own projects.”

In Chapter 12, “Software in Use,” Ms. Johnson connects our personal stories and how they affect our work. The importance of storytelling becomes intertwined with the testing methodology.

We had an opportunity to catch up with Ms. Johnson recently, and she took time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for us:

SN: What was it like writing a book for software testers that included such personal stories as your relationship with your ailing mother?

KJ: Writing the chapter in Beautiful Testing was a healing process of sorts for me. I blogged about it, see: “Beautiful Testing.”

SN: What did you gain from working with the Evanston Writers Workshop in the process of writing this story?

KJ: I drafted the chapter before I met the Evanston Writers Group. In fact, the chapter was close to going to print. I did ask Amanda from the group to provide a good critical review focused on grammar and some other aspects even though the timeframe was tight. I found having a strong writer helpful as everyone else who'd reviewed the chapter previously knew plenty about software testing but I didn't feel as though my chapter had gotten a true writer or editor's review.

SN: As you work on your next projects, and we understand you have a contract on another project stemming directly from your work on Beautiful Testing, what thoughts do you have on your process? Do you find working with a workshop approach helpful to your work?

KJ: Between having had conversations with another author and my work on BT, I was asked to contribute to another book that will be coming out from O'Reilly publishers. Hopefully I can draft my material in time to be included in that book - slated to come out in the first half of 2010.

Process. I wish I could say I have more of a process. I am deadline-inspired.

The workshop is helping me - its helping me schedule time for writing, think more about writing and I feel like I have a sincere group that I can get feedback from.

SN: Any other thoughts you’ve had about writing that you’d like to share with us?

KJ: I am beginning to understand what helps me write. I'm trying to understand and notice what elements or conditions help me write so that I can do my best to get myself or give myself those conditions.

For more information about Ms. Johnson and her work, please visit her website at Karen N. Johnson.