Ask the Author: Jennifer Meinking
Answered Questions (6)
Jennifer Meinking
When I don't know how to get my characters from point A to point B without becoming trite or boring, I imagine where I want them to go. If imagination fails me, I turn to research. If knowledge fails me, I turn to trusted friends who understand the plot. There are several plot holes or snags that close friends, or even my oldest daughter, have helped me to push through with suggestions for resolving inconsistencies. Just last night, a good friend's teenage son, a well-read individual himself, came up with a solution for a major plot hole that I had been sitting on for at least a week and a half. If trusted counsel fails me, I step away for a time to clear my mind. I may do this through prayer, reflection, turning my attention elsewhere, or even reading another book. It may take minutes to overcome writer's block. It may take weeks. It always helps to know where I am going with a story. With a destination in sight, it is much easier to plan the route. Sometimes, writer's block is simply the result of losing your excitement or passion for what you're writing. In those cases, you just need a little spark, usually from an outside source, to grab that back.
Jennifer Meinking
As Willy Wonka once sang, "There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be." As a child and young adult, I used to believe that my propensity to spin tales for myself or other people was a weakness, an escape. As I have grown and matured, I realized that stories and storytelling are a wonderful way to connect with other human souls. Not an escape, but a doorway into things deeper and richer than the mundane things that we oft allow to steal our joy ... even necessary things like bills and laundry. We all have a voice, a message. It's our choice to let it be heard or not. And many times, how we choose to speak makes all the difference. I love to weave life lessons into my stories, that I may share what I have learned in a non-threatening way that is so often more effective than simply speaking it in "so many words."
Jennifer Meinking
Learn your craft well. Do not be afraid of criticism but learn from it. Every author, no matter how skilled, has room to grow and makes mistakes. Push through writer's block when you can but step away when you need a mental break. It is very unlikely that your characters and plots will flee your mind but, in fact, often take shape when you get a little distance. Other perspectives are helpful as long as you don't allow them to mold and shape your story so that it becomes theirs and no longer yours. But most of all, love what you do and work for your goals and dreams.
Jennifer Meinking
I am almost finished with Book 2 of the Loki of Midgard series, The Taming of the Trickster, which is slated to be released Fall 2019. I have also started scenes from Book 3, which I plan to fill in as that book begins to take form. There is still much of my Loki's story untold, so it may even be more than three total books by the time I am finished. I am planning two spin-off series and several stand-alone novels based on characters from the Loki of Midgard series. I also have three other stand-alone novels that I had started and set aside, which I plan to pick up again at some point, one of which is an allegory. It certainly looks like I will be writing for a very long time. And since I love doing it so much, I am truly excited to bring these ideas and plots to life!
Jennifer Meinking
Inspiration comes from many places. Music, movies, books I have enjoyed in the past, my own life, my children, my husband, my friends, even my friends' children. I am often surprised by inspiration. I could simply be doing life or listening to a radio show with my kids, then be struck with a plot or character development idea with little to no warning. I like to immerse myself in the world I've created, think like the characters think, research the time period or place that I am writing about, then imagine and let the words flow like paint on canvas, taking shape in ways that surprise even me as the author.
Jennifer Meinking
My 16-year-old and 14-year-old daughter binge-watched as many Avengers movies as we could fit into Labor Day weekend, Sept 2018. We were already in love with Loki as a character but felt his backstory needed some more "meat" to it. I began to write a fanfiction with no intention of anything more, but as I researched the Norse mythology behind the character, I realized there were so many things I could do with Loki apart from Marvel. I chose the Roaring Twenties as my setting after I saw Midnight in Paris with Owen Wilson and Tom Hiddleston, who is also the actor who plays Loki in the MCU. It was such a fascinating and fun era, with a richness and culture that fit the "god of mischief" quite well. Though I started at the end of Sept 2018, I decided to turn it into an actual novel in October. The writing took a life of its own, with twists and turns that excited me as an author and a reader. I could not stop the writing, though I did run into a few snags and plot holes, finding myself with the first book and over half of the second written by Christmas. And I still have not finished telling Loki's story! There is much more to come!
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