Our PAN Spotlight for this month is Linda Barrett.
Q: How long have you been writing?
Linda: Does the two-page hand-written story from 4th grade count? My friend and I each wrote one page and mailed it to Children’s Digest I think. My first rejection.
Q: How long did it take you to publish?
Linda: Four-and-a-half years from the time I got serious. There’s a big difference between writing for your own pleasure and writing for publication. The first is a lot more fun. The second might pay a bill or two.
Q: How many manuscripts do you have hidden away/under the bed/in storage?:
Linda: Four contemporary romances and one young adult which, to this day, I absolutely treasure. I know I’ve put the essence of that story into many of my published books.
Q: Do you have a writing schedule and if so, what is it?:
Linda: Currently I write full days on Friday, Saturday and/ or Sunday. I guess I’m a weekend writer. My goal is to complete a chapter per weekend which I usually accomplish. Monday through Thursday evenings are spent doing auxiliary writing activities such as designing a bookmark or trying to figure out MySpace!
Q: Do you have a critique group? If yes, how many are in the group?
Linda: I critique with my editor.
Q: When developing an idea for a new story, which comes first – the plot or the title or the characters?
Linda: Usually it’s the characters. For example, in HOUSEFUL OF STRANGERS, I couldn’t get 15 year-old Dani out of my mind for many weeks before I wrote one word of the synopsis. I didn’t know her name would be Dani. I just pictured this kid riding the NY subways, a runaway. Sometimes, however, a situation or question pops into my head that requires attention. Is there really only one soul-mate for each person? (a romance driven question if I ever heard one!) Find the answer in THE SOLDIER AND THE ROSE. And then again, there’s setting. My Pilgrim Cove series began with the beach. So the answer is: all of the above.
Q: How do you handle new story ideas that pop up when you’re in the middle of a project? (ex: notebook by the bed/separate word file/ etc?)
Linda: There are notebooks or pads of paper in every room and in my purse. I have a folder labeled New Ideas for Stories and that folder is on top of a table in my office. Of course, by the time I get to Idea One, a few others have cropped up, but they’re all in the folder.
Q: Have you ever gotten to the middle of a project and got bored or lost your momentum? If so, how did you handle it?
Linda: Although I haven’t gotten bored, I might get stuck fighting a sagging middle. To help with that, I usually go backwards in the story I’ve written so far and try to find the place where the root of the problem actually started. Then I try to change the action to reveal more complex motivation or character. (Sounds so easy – ha!)
Q: Finish this sentence: If I could write anything I wanted and knew it would sell, it would be….
Linda: Exactly the kind of story I’m writing now. The one truth I’ve learned in the last seven years of being published is that a writer must write to please herself. My canvas is the family unit. A contemporary story with family dynamics is what I’m interested in exploring, so that is what I write.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received in regards to your writing career?
Linda: See question directly above.
Q: What is the worst?
Linda: Try to sell the mss. that are under the bed. No! No! No! There is a reason they are under the bed.
Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
Linda: Writing "The End." Hands down favorite part. I also love solving knotty problems that crop up – the kind that prevents me from going further with the story until I solve them. Sometimes, they’re not even craft problems, but stuff like, should I use Boston or make up a city? What are the pro’s and con’s? I have to know the answer before I can proceed.
Q: What is you least favorite?
Linda: The moment before I open the document my editor sends me after reading my initial manuscript – the document titled "Revision Letter." It’s ridiculous, but that’s the moment I still feel like I’m in 4th grade.
Q: Which came first for you – the editor or the agent?
Linda: I’m unagented, so by default, the editor came first.
Q: How many contests did you enter before you sold? How many did you final in?
Linda: Maybe five or six. I never finaled in any – definitely not a contest queen. The first book I sold, however, scored in the top 25% in the Golden Heart that year. I thought that was pretty good and consistent with the rankings in the chapter contests.
Q: How do your promote your books?
Linda: Frankly, I don’t do enough. My biggest efforts are through my website and getting my books into the hands of actual booksellers. I think that’s important because those people deal with real live customers and can hand-sell your books. I also try to participate in the eHarlequin threads.
Q: Free form – your chance to tell us anything you’d like – tidbits, advice, funny stories, pet peeves, hopes, dreams, etc:
Linda: I never miss an opportunity to give advice – just ask my kids. So here’s the most important lesson I’ve learned on the road to this career, and I offer it to you free of charge: Remain true to yourself.
It’s easy to get sucked into the whirlwind of this business which changes every five minutes. There’s an extraordinary amount to learn, to keep up with, and it simply takes time. You’re a sane person. Don’t let the business drive you crazy.
It’s tempting to compare yourself to other writers and come up short, to criticize others in order to make yourself feel superior. Insecurity is pervasive among writers – accept it and move on.
It’s also tempting to chase trends, to end with each wind that blows and try to be where the action is. Readers can tell the difference between the work of a trend chaser and a sincere believer of the sub-genre.
It’s easy for the writing to take over your life 24/7. It’s easy to lose perspective or lose the big picture. If writing subsumes you, what happens to: Family. Friends. Day job. Community. What’s it all about, Alfie? What’s it all about for you?
Remain true to yourself.
I wish each of you the very best on your own rocky roads to publication and beyond.
