Liisa Jorgensen on Writing A Real Life Love Story

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. Always including in the WHAT is one random question to really dig down into the interviewees mind, and probably supply some illumination into my own as well.

Today’s guest for the WHAT is Liisa Jorgensen, the author of Far Side of the Moon: Apollo 8 Commander Frank Borman and the Woman Who Gave Him Wings, the decades-long love story of a NASA commander and the leader of the Astronaut Wives Club.

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

I have worked as a story editor and production manager for an Emmy award winning film company for the last 20 years. We are always looking for unbelievable non-fiction stories, and I felt on a gut level that I found that when I came across Frank and Susan’s beautiful story. There have been many books written about the Apollo space program, but not through the eyes of the women and children that were experiencing it in a different way. I wanted to be the one to do that. 

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

Because the book is non-fiction, the plot is essentially there. The challenge for me was to write it in a way that was accessible and engaging without getting up on a soapbox.

One of the reasons I was so passionate about writing Frank and Susan Borman’s story from Susan’s perspective is because I felt that she, along with all the other astronaut wives hadn’t been represented in the way I felt they should be. I related the most to Susan and couldn’t imagine how internally strong she had to be to hide her mental illness from everyone, because she truly had no choice. There was no one to talk to, and the shame that came with admitting something like that in the intense environment at NASA she lived with daily would eventually lead to her breakdown.

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

I had to get Frank and Susan’s support to begin with, and when I got the green light on that I dived into the research. Because of that relationship and the doors that it opened, I was able to interview and speak candidly with the astronaut wives that are still with us. It was a privilege to talk to these amazing women. The idea never changed. I knew the story I wanted to tell.

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

Good writing is good storytelling conveyed in a way that is relevant to a variety of readers. I feel that one of the most difficult parts of starting the process to write a book is finding a story that will both inspire and help us become better humans. I tend to look for stories about strong women who have overcome immense challenges and have been over-shadowed by the men or circumstances in their lives.  I also believe that a personal connection to what you are writing will keep you moving through the blocks, and those moments you want to quit.  

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

It must check all the boxes: an active human quest, emotional stakes that are very high along with trials and obstacles to overcome. The challenge for me as a non-fiction writer is that I can’t manufacture that, so it is a treasure hunt to find a story that meets each one of those metrics.

I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

I absolutely do! She is sitting beside me right now as I am writing this. She is an adorable bichon/poodle and was born the day my book came out – December 7, 2021.

I named her SuSu, which is what Susan’s grandchildren called her, and Frank named every plane he owned SuSu as well. I have always loved animals and could not imagine my life without them.

Liisa Jorgensen has worked as a writer and story editor on a diverse variety of film and television productions for Myth Merchant Films for over 20 years. She believes in the power of story and its ability to help audiences transform and become better humans. She is especially interested in ending the stigmas associated with mental illness and disorders, as well as highlighting those who serve a greater good and live for something other than themselves. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Kate Williams on The Inspiration for Never Coming Home

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. 

Today’s guest for the WHAT is Kate Williams, author of Never Coming Home which is the perfect beach read for fans of classics murder mysteries as well as fast-paced, contemporary thrillers.

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

Never Coming Home is the story of 10 teenage influencers who get invited to an island on what they believe is a high-profile hospitality launch. Once they get there, nothing is what they expected, and they start getting murdered. It’s a reimagining of Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None, laced with a heavy dose of Fyre Festival. I remember reading about Fyre Festival and thinking it sounded like my worst nightmare, and also the perfect setting for some deadly deeds. In short, the inspiration for Never Coming Home came from something old, and something new.  

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

This book was a new concept for me, as my previous books were very character driven, and this one was very plot driven. For this one, I knew where the story would end, so worked backwards from there. The biggest challenges were the pacing and character development. A lot had to happen in this story, and yet the reader couldn’t feel rushed—they still needed time to get to know the characters or else they wouldn’t be emotionally invested in what happened to them. 

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

This didn’t happen as much with the plot as it did with the characters. My original intention was to write trope-y characters who were deliciously unlikeable. However, as I went through drafts, the characters became more complex and real. By the end, something that I hadn’t predicated at all had happened—I’d fallen in love with them and had serious misgivings about killing them off (but I did it anyway, of course.)

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

I get new ideas every day! I have ideas for screenplays, self-published romance, contemporary lit, middle-grade, picture books, graphic novels, you name it! Sometimes I have perfect, punny titles that don’t even have a story to go along with them, but the title itself is so good that I know I have to use it for something, someday. So many ideas, so little time!

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

I’m a mood reader, and a mood writer, so I go with whatever is calling to me the loudest. This is also usually the idea I’ve had the longest. I believe that there is a shared well of ideas out there in the collective unconscious and if you are fortunate enough to call down an idea from this well, you can’t let it wither. If you don’t ever take steps to make that idea into a reality, it will eventually get tired of waiting for you and move on to someone else. It really sucks to see a book pop up that is a book you had thought about writing but never got around to it. 

I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

I have a pit bull of indeterminate age, but we know she’s old. She snores insanely loud, sometimes even when she’s awake. I have also never met a creature who can make so much noise just trying to get comfortable. So while I would love to have her in my office, and she would love to be here, she hangs out elsewhere. She is, however, the only being in my life who I have ever modeled a character off of (in my The Babysitters Coven trilogy, the main character has a pit bull named Pig).

Kate Williams has written for Seventeen, NYLON, Cosmopolitan, Bustle, Vans, Calvin Klein, Urban Outfitters, and many other brands and magazines. She is the author of The Babysitters Coven trilogy: The Babysitters Coven, For Better or Cursed, and Spells Like Teen Spirit.

Robert Steven Goldstein on Inspiration

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. Always including in the WHAT is one random question to really dig down into the interviewees mind, and probably supply some illumination into my own as well.

Today’s guest for the WHAT is Robert Steven Goldstein, a critically acclaimed author, taps into his childhood experiences with a dysfunctional family to interrogate the bond between loved ones and what it takes to mend broken relationships. Goldstein’s deep love for art and creativity is reflected in his vibrant cast of characters as they each find their own path to self-discovery, even if that means choosing themselves over family.

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

For my new novel Will’s Surreal Period, there was, indeed, a brief twinkle of inspiration. It stemmed from an article I read about a sculptor who had developed a unique style of work which was much admired—only to learn that the artistic style was actually the product of a life-threatening brain tumor. The only way for the artist to save his life was to have the tumor removed—but that would have meant sacrificing his art as well. According to the article, the artist had not yet made a decision about what to do.

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

 That heart wrenching dilemma about the artist and the brain tumor was just the kernel of an idea. The story for Will’s Surreal Period now needed to be fleshed out, other characters with their own problems and paths needed to be dreamed up, and a real plot needed to be created. That’s the point for me where the twinkle of inspiration gives way to some real work. I don’t know how other writers do it—I suppose some mark up index cards, or make copious notes, or create some verbal equivalent of a storyboard. I must confess, though, that I don’t do anything quite so concrete. I just go into a sort of writer’s trance and ponder obsessively for a week or two—sometimes sitting around, sometimes hiking with my dog, sometimes showering or shaving or eating, and even sometimes when I’m ostensibly focusing on something that I really need to (like a conversation with my wife about an upcoming social engagement—in which case it never takes her long to figure out that my mind is someplace else). My internal process for the story always starts with the characters. When a few of those have finally materialized, relatively firmly in my mind, I then work through the barest outline of a plot. That’s really all I need to start writing.

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

I actually never have the plot firmly in place! I think if I did, I’d find the act of writing tedious. For me, the pleasure of writing is figuring it out as I go, letting the last incident I dreamed up lead to another and another. Some years ago, I wrote a novel that had a bit of a murder mystery in it, and I honestly didn’t know who did it or how it would be resolved until I got there. I suppose there are spirited pros and cons to such an approach, but for me, one very good thing was that it kept me as curious and engaged along the way as I hoped my readers would be.

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

Big ideas, those that can actually serve as the kernel for a new book, don’t come to me often at all. But little ideas—what will happen next in the story, what new character might suddenly pop up in this chapter, what unexpected twists do I now envision down the road—those manifest constantly, but only when I’m actively writing.

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

It’s hard enough for me to get one good idea for a book percolating. Which is probably for the best, because novels take a good while to churn out—there’s a relatively finite number of them that I’m going to wind up producing in my life—so the kernel of an idea for a book becomes a very important decision. The fact that I rarely have more than one at my disposal at any given time is probably a blessing—no need to agonize over which to pick—and no torturous second-guessing, months later, that I’ve been toiling over the wrong idea for the past two hundred pages.

I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

My big old dog Cali, a ten-year-old Akita Inu and Blue Heeler mix, is sprawled out on the couch in my office at this very moment, watching intently as I type. I think she somehow realizes that although there is no dog in Will’s Surreal Period—two of the main characters do own a cat…