Ask the Author: Jessica Payne
Answered Questions (7)
Jessica Payne
Hi Ellie! Thanks so much for the question. I don't have a book coming this year, but I have a new SERIES (!!!) that will start publishing in 2026 with Berkley. It's about a woman who has cleverly disguised herself in the roles of mom and wife while moonlighting as an assassin. I'm sending out updates on my newsletter if you'd like to join--it's at jessicapayne.net. I do have a short story out with Assemble Artifacts, if that's of interest! It's on Amazon, the most recent edition. Have a great new year!
Jessica Payne
Hi Lauren! Thank you for the question. I'm a huge fan of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Their thrillers are the perfect amount of dark and twisty for me. I also loved Mary Kubica's The Good Girl. It was one of the first books that made me want to write thriller!
More recently I've loved Seraphina Nova Glass, Elle Marr, Caroline Kepnes, Catherine Steadman, Kellye Garrett, and Jason Rekulak.
More recently I've loved Seraphina Nova Glass, Elle Marr, Caroline Kepnes, Catherine Steadman, Kellye Garrett, and Jason Rekulak.
Jessica Payne
Do I remember Linda Dawson? No, but I do remember Mrs. Dawson lol... how I will forever think of you in my head! I actually think of you often, and how you were an amazing teacher and how lucky I was to spend not one, but two years in your classroom. That is so cool ahem, Mrs. Bell, sent you my book! I'd love to send you a book plate for it, find me over on FB if you'd like one. :-)
To answer your question: Nope, I don't map the idea out ahead of time. If I already know the story ahead of time, it feels boring, and what's the point of writing it if I already know what will happen? I do try to get some main ideas in my head--what a midpoint turn might look like, have a vague idea of who the bad guy is (although this always changes). But I'm more of a "pantser" (one who flies by the seat of their pants) when it comes to writing. It's an adventure that way! More than anything, I try to know my character, because everything is driven by my character... her decisions, the way she interprets the world, etc. Knowing that, I can have a vague idea of how the story might goes. But I LOVE when my characters surprise me!
Thank you so much for reaching out here! So good to hear from you!
To answer your question: Nope, I don't map the idea out ahead of time. If I already know the story ahead of time, it feels boring, and what's the point of writing it if I already know what will happen? I do try to get some main ideas in my head--what a midpoint turn might look like, have a vague idea of who the bad guy is (although this always changes). But I'm more of a "pantser" (one who flies by the seat of their pants) when it comes to writing. It's an adventure that way! More than anything, I try to know my character, because everything is driven by my character... her decisions, the way she interprets the world, etc. Knowing that, I can have a vague idea of how the story might goes. But I LOVE when my characters surprise me!
Thank you so much for reaching out here! So good to hear from you!
Jessica Payne
I've gotten to read advanced copies of some INCREDIBLE thrillers coming in 2022. Among them include Jaime Lynn Hendricks's IT COULD BE ANYONE, Janelle Brown's I'LL BE YOU, and Darby Kane's THE REPLACEMENT WIFE. I'm sure I'll have more books to add to this list soon!
Jessica Payne
Noelle was a character long before I had her story figured out. I knew she was a Seattle nurse, and that she was in a relationship she needed to escape. Next came the kidnapping aspect--how would someone go about getting themselves kidnapped? The plot was created around these two key features. The second POV, her boyfriend (Daniel) kind of came to me all at once. I started writing him and it was like BOOM, there he was, just waiting to tell me all his secrets. Some of my inspiration for this book came from my time working in healthcare (I worked as an RN for about a decade), where I saw a multitude of personalities.
Jessica Payne
Keep writing, even if it's a paragraph a day, a page a day.
Read. Explore what speaks to you in books--what genre keeps you up at night? What is it about a character that keeps you turning the page? Think about these things, and find where you belong as a writer within them.
Find other writers. Befriend them. Exchange your work and get feedback.
These are the best ways I've found to grow as a writer!
Read. Explore what speaks to you in books--what genre keeps you up at night? What is it about a character that keeps you turning the page? Think about these things, and find where you belong as a writer within them.
Find other writers. Befriend them. Exchange your work and get feedback.
These are the best ways I've found to grow as a writer!
Jessica Payne
I'm working on finishing up the final edits for MAKE ME DISAPPEAR. I've also started Book 2 and am loving the dark twisty vibes. It's in the same vein as MMD, yet so different. I can't wait to finish it and get it on its way to readers' hands!
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