Ask the Author: Jill Caugherty
Answered Questions (8)
Jill Caugherty
It's a difficult question to answer, because I have many favorites! Some of the books I love include THE ANGLE OF REPOSE by Wallace Stegner, GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck, ATONEMENT by Ian McEwan, ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr, and SAN MIGUEL by T.C. Boyle.
I'm a fan of Margaret Atwood, especially her historical fiction, including THE BLIND ASSASSIN and ALIAS GRACE. Other authors whom I admire, for their beautiful prose and insightful character portrayals, include Khaled Hosseini, Elizabeth Strout, Chang-Rae Lee, Jane Smiley, Amy Tan, and Michael Cunningham.
I'm a fan of Margaret Atwood, especially her historical fiction, including THE BLIND ASSASSIN and ALIAS GRACE. Other authors whom I admire, for their beautiful prose and insightful character portrayals, include Khaled Hosseini, Elizabeth Strout, Chang-Rae Lee, Jane Smiley, Amy Tan, and Michael Cunningham.
Jill Caugherty
Many authors of twentieth century historical fiction write about World War II. Strangely, very few works of historical literature take place during the Great Depression. So not only did I choose this setting because it's underrepresented in modern day fiction, I chose it because I see striking parallels between the economic inequality of the thirties and our current economic climate.
In the thirties, farmers and everyday Americans suffered as a result of the reckless speculation made by the wealthy bankers and Wall Street investors. Today, we see huge disparities in wealth between the upper one percent (not surprisingly, many of whom are Wall Street investors and bankers) and the remaining ninety nine percent of American citizens. This disparity continues to widen.
In WALTZ IN SWING TIME, Irene Larsen and her family struggle on their Utah farm to make ends meet. They watch close neighbors lose farms to bank foreclosures. Unfortunately, this was an all too common reality in the thirties. I think modern day readers may be interested to read about the hardships that many people suffered during the thirties, and draw comparisons with our own times.
In the thirties, farmers and everyday Americans suffered as a result of the reckless speculation made by the wealthy bankers and Wall Street investors. Today, we see huge disparities in wealth between the upper one percent (not surprisingly, many of whom are Wall Street investors and bankers) and the remaining ninety nine percent of American citizens. This disparity continues to widen.
In WALTZ IN SWING TIME, Irene Larsen and her family struggle on their Utah farm to make ends meet. They watch close neighbors lose farms to bank foreclosures. Unfortunately, this was an all too common reality in the thirties. I think modern day readers may be interested to read about the hardships that many people suffered during the thirties, and draw comparisons with our own times.
Jill Caugherty
As my full-time job, I'm a product manager in the high tech industry, where I’ve held positions from software development to marketing to proposal management for nearly thirty years. Although I enjoy the analytical aspects of my job, I've always longed to be a writer, in much the same way that Irene, the protagonist of WALTZ IN SWING TIME, always longed to be a musician.
When I was six, my parents asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I replied a writer, they quickly dismissed that notion, arguing it wouldn’t pay the bills. Since then, I refused to give up my dream; and while growing up, I wrote poems, plays, little novels, and stories.
As an adult, I write as a creative outlet. I still plan to write full-time, because it’s what I love to do, and it's what energizes me.
When I was six, my parents asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I replied a writer, they quickly dismissed that notion, arguing it wouldn’t pay the bills. Since then, I refused to give up my dream; and while growing up, I wrote poems, plays, little novels, and stories.
As an adult, I write as a creative outlet. I still plan to write full-time, because it’s what I love to do, and it's what energizes me.
Jill Caugherty
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Jill Caugherty
Although writing is not my full-time job, I relish the weekend mornings or occasional evenings when I can open my work-in-process, re-read a few paragraphs, and slip into the characters' lives. Through them, I can vicariously experience walking down a San Francisco street, hiking in Yosemite, or performing onstage in a musical.
In fact, writing is not so much different from character acting, except the writer can guide the characters and the plot (though some may argue that the characters themselves spring to life and in fact influence the plot), all while exploring deeper truths.
In fact, writing is not so much different from character acting, except the writer can guide the characters and the plot (though some may argue that the characters themselves spring to life and in fact influence the plot), all while exploring deeper truths.
Jill Caugherty
First and foremost, write for yourself, because you love to write, not simply because you want to get published. Of course, publication is a great goal.
Second, read as much as you can, and note the techniques and elements that work well in the books by authors whom you admire. When you have something to share, solicit feedback from fellow writers, avid readers of your genre, even agents. Although you don't have to follow every bit of advice, give yourself time to reflect upon it. If, after a few days, the advice rings true and/or resonates, carve out time to decide how to incorporate it to improve your work.
Third, raise the stakes by ratcheting up the tension and giving your main character a difficult decision that tests her moral code. An agent gave me this advice, and I used it to re-write sections of the novel and even turned the protagonist’s primary decision into a high-stakes choice.
Finally, be persistent, and don't get discouraged. This applies both to setting aside time to write and submitting work to publications and agents. Always accept feedback, reflect on it, and if you ultimately agree with it, decide how you can use it. And then - keep applying yourself by writing and re-submitting!
Second, read as much as you can, and note the techniques and elements that work well in the books by authors whom you admire. When you have something to share, solicit feedback from fellow writers, avid readers of your genre, even agents. Although you don't have to follow every bit of advice, give yourself time to reflect upon it. If, after a few days, the advice rings true and/or resonates, carve out time to decide how to incorporate it to improve your work.
Third, raise the stakes by ratcheting up the tension and giving your main character a difficult decision that tests her moral code. An agent gave me this advice, and I used it to re-write sections of the novel and even turned the protagonist’s primary decision into a high-stakes choice.
Finally, be persistent, and don't get discouraged. This applies both to setting aside time to write and submitting work to publications and agents. Always accept feedback, reflect on it, and if you ultimately agree with it, decide how you can use it. And then - keep applying yourself by writing and re-submitting!
Jill Caugherty
I'm writing another Depression-era novel, this one with ties to San Francisco and Yosemite National Park. The young protagonist, Emma Dickinson, eventually encounters real-life persona Enid Michael, the first female naturalist and ranger at Yosemite back in the thirties, and Enid's husband.
Jill Caugherty
WALTZ IN SWING TIME has been a long work in process, a project I began over a decade ago. It is loosely based on my maternal grandmother's life. The story of how she and my grandfather met and married always thrilled me, and I decided to spin it into a novel. My grandmother was a feisty, determined woman - all the more so, given the time period when she grew up and the strict society and family in which she was raised. Additionally, I see parallels between the nineteen thirties and our current economic climate.
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