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How I Write: Terri Wangard

May 10, 2021 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Not all editors are created equally, as Terri Wangard discovered in her early writing days. She persevered, though, and is now a multi-published author. Today, she shares some of her tips and the strategies that worked for her.

Welcome! I always like to start with the fundamentals: what do you write and how did you pick your genre?

I first started writing contemporary romance in the early 2000s, until I put writing aside for a few years. After reading Debbie Macomber’s Twenty Wishes in 2008, I decided to write again. This time I was inspired by letters written in 1947-1948 by distant cousins in Germany to write a WWII novel. An editor told me I’d probably need to write a series, so I kept going. My last two books are WWI era, but I have ideas for going back to WWII.

What’s the most difficult part of writing your genre? How do you work through those challenges?

Maintaining the historical accuracy. I believe that’s so important. I may go overboard. My first three books (the Promise For Tomorrow series) are based in the 381st Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force. The group’s flying schedule is readily available. I slavishly stuck to it. Only one mission did not occur, and I noted that in the Author’s Note at the end. With my Lusitania novel, that too has a strict timeline.

How long does it take you to: write the book? Edit it? Finalize it?

Too long! Writing a book takes a year. I’m a weekend writer. I know others work full-time and still manage to write a little each day, but that doesn’t work for me. My job entails enough computer work. I’m prone to migraines and don’t need more time staring at a screen. After I finish and get beta readers’ opinions, I get a proofing copy and fill it with post-it notes where I want to check a fact, use a better word, tighten it. My biggest challenge in finalizing a book is getting all the formatting codes right. They tend to change, and I end up with blank pages.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books? Why?

My last book, and I’m not sure why. Half way through, I totally bogged down. Finally, I set it aside for half a year and wrote a contemporary novella. Then I was ready to dive back in and got it finished.

How do you combat writer’s block?

If it’s minor stuff, like how to turn a phrase, I’ll play games—spider solitaire, free cell—until I’m ready to go. Depending on the weather, I may go for a bike ride. If I’m having a major problem, like with my new book, I set it aside. That was the first time I interrupted a book and worked on another project.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different? Describe your strategy.

Lots of research. Lots of notes. I don’t make a complete outline, but I have an idea of what each chapter will feature. Changes do take place. I guess that puts me somewhere between pantser and plotter. My biggest problem is keeping track of my notes and finding them when I need them.

If you’ve ever worked with a freelance editor, how did you find that editor? How would you describe the experience?

Before my first book was published, I sent it to an editor, who made worthwhile suggestions. I sent her my second book. The results shocked me. Nothing was right. DNEs (data not in evidence) were all over the manuscript; apparently everything should have been revealed in the first few pages. She suggested I should be writing for young adults. At the same time, this novel was a Genesis finalist. I took the critique to the ACFW conference, where I had a mentoring session with Gayle Roper. She advised me not to take it to heart. (Whew!) With my last two books, I worked with two different editors, who both were helpful.

How do you self-edit your manuscript?

Since I self-publish, I order a proofing copy and read through it for any typos, anything that needs to be verified, or I may decide something doesn’t need to be there, or is repeated, and delete it. With my latest book, The Storm Breaks Forth, I read the book backwards, as suggested by author Lisa Carter.

Terri Wangard grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the Lombardi Glory Years. Her first Girl Scout badge was the Writer. These days she is writing historical fiction, and won the 2013 Writers on the Storm contest and 2013 First Impressions, as well as being a 2012 Genesis finalist. Holder of a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in library science, she lives in Wisconsin. Her research included going for a ride in a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. Classic Boating Magazine, a family business since 1984, keeps her busy as an associate editor.

www.terriwangard.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/terriwangard/
Twitter: @terriwangard
Instagram: terriwangard

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: ACFW, historical fiction, indie publishing, panster, plotter, self-publishing, Terri Wangard, writer's block, writing process, writing tips

How I Write: Susan Ouelette

March 8, 2021 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

I don’t write or edit suspense/thrillers because I could never make it authentic. Today, however, former CIA analyst-turned-author Susan Ouelette tells us how her experiences gave authenticity to her debut novel.

Thank you for being here! What do you write? How did you pick your genre?

I write spy thrillers. Specializing in this genre was a natural choice for me because of my background in intelligence. Early in my career, I worked as a CIA intelligence analyst and then for the Intelligence Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Both jobs provided excellent material and inspiration for The Wayward Spy.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books?

I have written two novels in this spy thriller series (and I’m working on the third). As my first novel, The Wayward Spy was the more difficult of the two stories to write. All of those blank pages that I had to fill with non-stop tension and intrigue! Before I began writing, I read multiple books on writing and tried to incorporate advice from ALL of them. The result? An overly complicated plot. Once I realized that I couldn’t explain the story succinctly, I knew it needed a major rewrite. Writing the second novel was easier. My experience with the first book taught me a lot about what NOT to do the second time around.

What conference do you most want to attend? Why?

I most want to attend ThrillerFest, the annual conference of the International Thriller Writers (ITW), so that I can connect with other thriller authors. Unfortunately, the 2021 conference will be virtual, but I will still “attend.” On the bright side, ITW already has set the date for an in-person (!) ThrillerFest in 2022.

What’s your writing day like?

I wrote the first draft of The Wayward Spy at night, when my young children were in bed, because I needed silence and solitude to get into my characters’ heads. As my kids got older, I began to write on weekends at a local coffee shop. As a full-time working mother, it hasn’t always been easy to find large blocks of uninterrupted time. When I find them, I try to put them to good use. 

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different? Describe your strategy.

I am a pantser. For both The Wayward Spy and its sequel, the easy part was coming up with the inciting incident – the event that sets the story in motion. And before I sat down at the keyboard, I already knew how the stories would end. The challenge was how to get Maggie and her supporting cast from page 1 to “The End.”The thought of outlining the plot paralyzes my imagination. I prefer to dive in and write. Necessary characters and plot twists somehow materialize as I need them, and it all comes together at the end … well, after a few rewrites!

What advice do you have for new authors?

At the risk of sounding trite, my advice for new authors is “don’t give up.” Here’s the caveat—giving up is not the same thing as quitting. I “quit” writing multiple times. Because of rejection. Because of “I’ll never be good enough” thinking. Because of work and family commitments. That said, even though I “quit,” I never really gave up. I’d rewrite here and there. I’d send out a new batch of queries. I’d attend a writing conference. And eventually, the writing and the opportunities aligned, and here I am – a published author. So, go ahead and quit if you need a break. But don’t ever give up.

If you’ve ever worked with a freelance editor, how did you find that editor? How would you describe the experience?

Working with a freelance editor is what got me from frustrated aspiring author to published author. In 2015, I attended a writers conference where I met Elaine Ash, an author and freelance editor (www.bestsellermetrics.com). It took her two years to convince me to send her my manuscript (I was in one of my quitting phases—see above). Finally, in 2017, I sent her The Wayward Spy. She saw great promise in the story and for the next year-and-a-half, we worked to fix the overcomplicated plot. Elaine has an uncanny ability to see the anatomy of a story. She can spot and fix the broken bones, the atrophied muscles, the excess fat. Simply put, without her editing skills, friendship, and persuasive personality, I wouldn’t be a published author today.

What does your revision process look like?

The revision process includes deleting unnecessary scenes, removing or combining secondary characters, and making sure the story’s timeline makes sense. I always vow to read the entire story once through before I begin revising, but inevitably, I find myself tweaking scenes and streamlining the prose as I go. For both novels, I placed major plot points on a calendar to ensure that events are happening sequentially and logically. At the end of the revision process, I like to read the story aloud to catch clunky dialog and repetitive prose. It’s a bit time-consuming, but well worth the effort.


Susan Ouellette is a former intelligence analyst for the CIA. Her debut novel, The Wayward Spy (CamCat Books, March 2nd, 2021), heavily draws on her experience at the CIA and as a professional staff member for the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). It was there, during quiet moments in the attic of the of the U.S. Capitol Building, that Ouellette conceived of Maggie Jenkins in The Wayward Spy, an intrepid young woman thrust into a life-threatening situation borne of tragedy.

Publishers Weekly calls The Wayward Spy a “gripping debut and series launch . . . Ouellette, a former CIA analyst, brings plenty of authenticity to this fast-paced spy thriller.”

www.susanouellette.com
fb.me/SusanOuelletteAuthor
https://twitter.com/smobooks
https://www.instagram.com/susanobooks/
https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomsusan_ouellette

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: author interview, freelance editor, How I Write, panster, plotter, Susan Ouelette, writing fiction, writing tips, writing tools

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ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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