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How I Write: Jennifer Uhlarik

July 12, 2021 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Looking for a good writer’s conference to attend? How about tips for breaking through writer’s block? Today, multi-published author and editor Jennifer Uhlarik sits down to tell us what it’s really like being a writer.

Welcome! Let’s start with what you write and how you picked your genre.
I write historical fiction, with my favorite time period being the Old West. I kind of fell into this genre accidentally. I come from a long line of history nerds, and as a child, I read a lot of “horse” books—The Black Stallion series, etc. But when I got to the point that I’d read every young adult book I could find with a horse on the cover, I started searching for something new. I went into my oldest brother’s room and raided his bookshelf, found the only book that had a horse on the cover (a Louis L’Amour western), and began to read it. I quickly discovered that the horse was okay, but the guy on the horse was amazing, and the time period in our country’s history was rife with struggles and adventure. That’s where my love for the genre was born.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books? Why?
Oh gosh. I’ve found that every book comes with its own challenges. No one is any easier than another. Some take inordinate amounts of research to get the history down. Others, the characters are tight-lipped and won’t tell me what they’re thinking. So each one is difficult in its own way.

What’s your favorite writers conference? What do you like about it?
My new favorite is Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. I love the faculty—they always have a great group of authors, agents, editors, and other industry professionals teaching classes at this conference, and everyone is so encouraging, no matter what stage of writing you’re in. And hey, you can’t beat the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain setting!

What’s your writing day like?
A typical day for me is to wake up, read my Bible, then go to the gym with my (retired) hubby. Once we’re home, we’ll have lunch together, and I’ll get to work. I’ll work through the afternoon until dinnertime. We’ll prepare and eat our meal, maybe watch a bit of TV together, and depending on how much more I need to get done that day, I’ll usually sit back down and write a while more. If I’m on a close deadline, then all bets are off, and I’m shackled to my computer until the story is done.

How do you combat writer’s block?
Usually, my writer’s block comes in the form of not knowing how to bridge the gap between where I am in the story and the next major plot point, so sometimes all it takes is to re-read the synopsis I wrote for the story. Other times, I go back and re-read part or all of the story to catch the flow and spirit again. Or I talk to my husband and writing friends who are familiar with the story to see what advice they might give on how to proceed from the point I’m at. And—most of all—I pray for God’s inspiration and try to be quiet and listen for His answers.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different?
I’m what I call a “plantser”—a hybrid between a plotter and a pantser. I’ve written a full synopsis (usually 1-3 pages long) on every story that I’ve published before I began the story. This gives me a nice broad-stroke framework. But it also gives me lots of freedom to explore the twists and turns and be a bit more free-spirited in how I move between the major plot points.

What advice do you have for new authors?
First, it’s a proven fact that people who set realistic/attainable goals are far more likely to achieve them. Those who write them down and post their goals where they can see them are even more likely to make them reality. So set writing goals, write them down, and put them where they are staring you in the face every day—above your desk, on your bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, or all of the above. Second, never give up in pursuing those dreams. No matter how many times you get told “no,” keep moving forward until you hear a “yes.”

What does your revision process look like?
By the time I write “the end,” my stories are usually pretty sound as far as the story itself. I’ve got two readers—a dear writer friend and my husband—who help me keep the story on the right track. But I am always over my word count, so a lot of my revision process is finding ways to cut words without having to cut content. That means examining every sentence to see if I can cull even one or two words to bring the word count down. Across a full manuscript, those one or two words per sentence adds up to thousands of words and has always gotten me to my goal.


Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West.

Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has finaled and won in numerous writing competitions, and been on the ECPA best-seller list several times. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers, Women Writing the West, and is a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, college-aged son, and four fur children.

Newsletter Sign-up: https://www.subscribepage.com/Jen’s_Newsletter
Website: www.jenniferuhlarik.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferUhlarikAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferUhlarik
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenuhlarik/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferuhlarik/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jennifer-uhlarik

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: author interview, editing tips, historical fiction, How I Write, Jennifer Uhlarik, Old West, writer's conference, writer's block, writing tips

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

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