Susan Wiggs with Wendy Hinman
/Susan, we are delighted to interview you at the Writers Connection.
1. Many people who yearn to write novels study English literature, yet
you went to Harvard and taught math before turning to writing romance
novels. How did this pathway contribute to your publishing success?
Well, I don’t know if it contributed, but it did make self-education a crucial part of my journey as a writer. A challenging academic program in any discipline teaches a person to be a world-class learner. Rather than attending classes in writing and literature, I taught myself the principles of writing by studying the craft. Some of my best “teachers” were WRITING FICTION by Janet Burroway, TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER by Dwight Swain and ADVENTURES IN THE SCREEN TRADE by William Goldman. Of course, the ultimate teacher is a novel you love. I studied my favorites like the Dead Sea Scrolls.
2. How on earth can you finish two novels a year? How do you come up with
ideas and flesh them out so fast? Is your secret to write for a certain number of hours or produce a certain number of pages a day? How do you balance the research, the writing and the editing and still be so prolific?
I wish I knew. I go about things in such an arbitrary way. Ideas are everywhere–on the ferry, in the news, in people I meet–that’s the easy part. The hard part is shaping the idea into a compelling narrative. When I first started publishing, I was a full-time teacher, I had a toddler, and I wrote two books a year. It probably helped that I was in my 20s and broke. Always a powerful motivator.
I try to stay on track by writing nearly every day in the morning, when my mind is fresh. Research and editing fit into the day somehow. I feel as though the narrative inches ahead at glacial speed, like a clock in study hall. Yet somehow, the work gets done. The main task is to show up at the book every day and stay open to the magic.
3. How is writing a series different from writing a stand-alone book? Since many of your characters are connected across books, how do you keep track of the storylines and characters?
SW: Writing a series (The Lakeshore Chronicles, The Bella Vista Chronicles and the Calhoun Chronicles) involves a lot of extra planning and something known in fiction as “world building.” You create the setting in detail and invent characters who show up on the page in more than one book. I try to pay attention to time lines, connections and relationships in order to keep the narrative consistent from book to book. On the other hand, I don’t want readers to feel obligated to read a series in sequence, so each novel also works as a stand-alone piece.
When I write a single novel, I don’t have to be so vigilant about this character’s age or that character’s eye color. But the work is always the same.
Readers are passionate about the Lakeshore and Bella Vista books in particular. On any given day, my Facebook page is filled with queries about the characters. What happened after happily-ever-after? How is marriage (or divorce) working for them? That sort of thing. It’s so cool that the books take on a life of their own once they’re in the hands of the reader.
4. How do you make each book feel unique? I understand you love to travel and have lived in many locales. How does this contribute to your story ideas and settings?
SW: You know me well! I do love to travel, and I love to access things I’ve seen and done in my life. Little details constantly sneak into my stories. For example, in STARLIGHT ON WILLOW LAKE, there is a Balinese family who help out at the estate where the book takes place. They’re based on people I met and learned from in Bali.
The main character, Faith, is a young widow whose late husband grew up on the isle of Islay in Scotland. The backstory came directly from a trip Jerry and I made there to visit the island’s eighteen distilleries (hic!).
A book’s unique qualities stems from the characters themselves. Just as no two humans are alike, neither are any two characters. Their individual traits and energy make each one unique.
5. What techniques do you use to write heartfelt emotion?
SW: Oh boy, I wish I knew, because this is something I struggle with in every scene of every book. I try to focus on being absolutely authentic and honest. I try to write with the same tenet as the old saying “Dance like nobody’s watching.” I try to forget friends and relatives who might one day read the book, and I write from a place of joy, or pain, or humiliation or anger–whatever the book requires.
6. You mention relying on a critique group. How did you find these people and how do you work together?
SW: My best writing groups have always evolved organically. I meet someone and we start talking shop, and then decide to trade manuscripts for feedback and brainstorming. For me, it’s a very creative process. A fellow writer can be the perfect sounding board and first reader, because he or she understands you goals and dilemmas.
My current writing group consists of Kate Breslin, who writes historical fiction, Anjali Banerjee, a talented author of children’s novels and adult suspense (as AJ Banner), Sheila Roberts, the queen of romantic comedy, Elsa Watson, who has written magical realism and historical fiction, and Lois Faye Dyer, an accomplished romance writer and former bookseller.
7. What advice would you give to aspiring writers? Is there anything you wish you'd known on your way to publishing success?
SW: There are times when I wish I’d known more about the industry and business, but on the other hand, there is a huge value in making your own mistakes and figuring things out for yourself. It’s probably not as efficient, but there are some steps you can’t skip.
Someone–I forget who–said an apprenticeship is 10,000 hours of work. And someone else (whom I also can’t recall) said a writer’s apprenticeship is a million words.
You learn from making mistakes, so even though I’ve made my share, I embrace the lessons I took from failure and success. Why didn’t something work? Why did something take off? Pondering these questions is a crucial part of a writer’s education.
Susan, thank you so much. What a helpful and informative interview. We wish you the best!
Wendy