I'm lucky (or cunning) enough to have lured yet another successful writer over to my blog for an SAT - Successful Author Talk. SAT authors have conquered the query, slain the synopsis and attained the pinnacle of published. How'd they do it? Let's ask 'em!
Today’s guest for the SAT is Jayne Ann Krentz, author of Sleep No More - an exciting new romantic suspense trilogy about a night that changed three women forever—but that none of them can remember.
Are you a Planner or Pantster?
Back at the start of my career I was all panster, all the time. And that worked. Mostly. For a while. These days I classify myself as a hybrid pantster. I start with a vague outline and modify it heavily as I go deeper and deeper into the book. For example in Sleep No More, my hero, Ambrose Drake, has a serious sleepwalking problem. But I didn’t get a real sense of him until I was several chapters into the story and it dawned on me that he has to chain himself to his bed every night. This has, of course, had a negative effect on his love life.
That’s the way it goes for me. The problem is that I don’t get my good ideas up front when it would be extremely useful to have them so that they could be inserted into a neat outline. Sadly, the stuff that makes the books sing doesn’t show up until I am into the story and getting to know the characters. For me, the act of creativity generates creativity.
How long does it typically take you to write a novel, start to finish?
I think every author has a natural pace. Three to four months is mine. If I take too long to write a story I lose interest in it and nothing kills a book dead like the author getting bored with the story.
Do you work on one project at a time, or are you a multi tasker?
One project at a time. When I’m writing a book I am obsessed with the characters. I live with them twenty-four-seven. I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
Did you have to overcome any fears that first time you sat down to write?
No, because back at the start I was doing it to entertain myself. It was a grand experiment. A challenge. Fun. But it wasn’t long before the urge to get published took hold. Eventually I got published. Somewhere along the line writing became a compulsion. I need to write. I love writing. It is a passion for me. But the dark side is that every time I sit down to write I get a little unnerved. I have to remind myself that I have done this before and that I need to trust myself. The thing is, no two books get written in the same way, at least not in my case. That means there is an inherent amount of anxiety attached to any writing project.
How many trunked books (if any) did you have before you were agented?
None. Not because they all sold, but because they didn’t. In those days you queried publishers and agents with a proposal that consisted of three chapters and a rough outline. The option of self-publishing did not exist. If I couldn’t get any interest in a proposal I didn’t waste time finishing the book. I racked up a whole bunch of proposals which I tossed but I did not forget the ideas that had inspired them. I’ve had a chance to use a lot of those ideas, usually much modified, in books that did get published. I think writing is fundamentally a self-taught process. You learn it by doing it.
Have you ever quit on an ms, and how did you know it was time?
I don’t recall ever quitting on a ms but all of my books undergo major changes because of my panster issues. I spend a lot of time shifting back and forth in a story to work the new ideas into the plot. Often the final version looks very different than I thought it would when I wrote the first few chapters. In Sleep No More, for example, I did not see the end until I was in the process of writing it. That meant having to return to the beginning to do a lot of rewrites. That’s just how it goes for me.
Who is your agent and how did you get that "Yes!" out of them?
My agent is Steve Axelrod of the Axelrod Agency. We met at a romance writers’ conference. He was actively searching for romance writers for his list. I recommend attending writers’ conferences, by the way. Networking is important.
How long did you query before landing your agent?
I’ve lost count of the queries I sent out but I have not forgotten that it took me six years to get an agent and sell my first book.
Any advice to aspiring writers out there on conquering query hell?
Yes. Catching the eye of an agent or an editor is too often a matter of sheer luck. Your best bet is probably at a writers’ conference but those get expensive fast. My advice is to go indy while you’re querying. If nothing else you will learn a heck of a lot about both the creative and the business side of publishing. Those lessons are invaluable.
How did it feel the first time you saw your book for sale?
I was thrilled. It’s still a thrill to see one of my books for sale. It never gets old.
How much input do you have on cover art?
Back at the start I had zero input and I got a lot of bad covers. These days I am invited to offer ideas. Sadly, it turns out I have absolutely no artistic sensibility so my ideas are useless. Thankfully, my wonderful publisher—Berkley—has an absolutely fabulous art department.
What's something you learned from the process that surprised you?
Discover your unique voice as a writer and sharpen it. Have faith in your voice because there will be times in this business when you are the only one who does. Ultimately it is your writer’s voice that will set your books apart. Some readers will hate it. Some will respond to it. The important thing is that they do not forget it.
How much of your own marketing do you? Do you have a blog / site / Twitter?
There is no getting around the fact that, even with the support of a traditional publisher, writers are still responsible for their own social media platforms. My home on the web is my website. I’ve also got a very active Facebook page and I’m on Instagram.
When do you build your platform? After an agent? Or should you be working before?
It’s never too soon to start building your platform.
Do you think social media helps build your readership?
Yes.
Mindy, thank you for inviting me to chat with you here on your blog. I love talking about writing. I’ve been doing this for a while now and, if anyone out there is interested, I do have one additional bit of advice: Discover your core story. Understand that it is not based on your favorite plots or fictional landscapes. It is defined by the emotional conflicts and themes that compel you to write. Those conflicts and themes are the sources of your power and you can take them into any genre because they are universal. They form your personal writing universe. You should be able to define your core story in two or three words. For example, at the heart of my books there are always issues of trust and reinvention. When I hit a wall I remind myself to go back to those key elements. I hope some writers out there find this tip useful.
Waving from Seattle to wish everyone here on the blog a fabulous New Year!
Jayne Ann Krentz writes romantic suspense, often with a psychic twist, under three pen names: Jayne Ann Krentz for contemporary settings, Amanda Quick for historical settings and Jayne Castle (which happens to be the name on her birth certificate) for her futuristic stories. She has had over fifty books on the bestseller lists, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today lists. She lives in Seattle with her husband, Frank and leans vegetarian.
