Ask the Author: Justine Covington
Answered Questions (6)
Justine Covington
The Beggars Club Prequel Collection actually came from an exercise I did in a craft class I took (and book I read) by Lisa Cron called Story Genius. She teaches students to find your character's "misbelief," or the truth THEY think exists for them, leading into their story. For Nate, who has strong protectionist tendencies, I needed to figure out what sort of devastating event would cause him to doubt himself. Susannah's issue is trust, and she loses it all when Nate lets her down. The Napoleonic wars were a natural backdrop for this short story, and I felt writing it in first person, which is pretty atypical for historical romance, would allow the reader to connect more to the characters. I have six novels planned in my Beggars Club series, and each will have their own short story prequel featuring the hero and heroine.
Justine Covington
For me, because I've been doing it for so many years (albeit without much to show for it yet), I've gotten into the rather Pavlovian habit of sitting down and writing as soon as my kids go off to school in the morning. Mornings are my productive time. I switch on the Bach/Baroque channel on Pandora, sit down with my latte, and if I'm feeling particularly unwriterly that day, I light a candle. That seems to get me going and if I catch a good wind, I can sail the writing ship for a few solid hours.
Justine Covington
I would advise aspiring writers to find a good critique group; learn, learn, learn the craft (this never ends, BTW); and be prepared for negative feedback. Unless you're the Mozart of words, you're not going to write everything perfectly the first time. Be open to critique, learn from what others who are more experienced are telling you about your writing, and be open to change. Have a thick skin, because you're going to get negative feedback, but be willing to learn from it, too. And definitely celebrate every success, no matter how small, because that's how you go on from one day to the next.
Justine Covington
The best thing about being a writer is creating new worlds, exploring history (because I love to blend real-world historical events in my fiction), and for sure going to "the office" in my pajamas. :-) When some reads something I wrote and compliments me, that's a bonus. I want readers to enjoy what I write.
Justine Covington
Writer's block is always tough. I find that stepping away from the story, and oftentimes doing mundane tasks like folding laundry, or creative ones like practicing the piano, help to get me unstuck. I also rely on my critique partners to help me over the hump. And when I'm having a bad writing day, I get out my trusty notebook and write by hand. There's something about the flow of words with a pen that help my thoughts slow down a little bit, rearrange, and congeal.
Justine Covington
I'm currently finishing up the first book of the Beggars Club series titled His Lady to Protect.
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