Ask the Author: Ginny Baird
Answered Questions (10)
Ginny Baird
Hi Karen! Thanks so much for your question, as well as your kind compliments on my new book and its cover. Yes, absolutely! I loved the film "Sliding Doors", and the whole concept of two different parallel lives really intrigued me. I think a lot of us come to those junctures in our lives, where we sometimes look back and wonder what might have happened if we'd done things slightly differently. ALL IN FOR CHRISTMAS explores that idea and adds in a dose of Christmas magic and holiday cheer! I had so much fun writing Paige's story and really hope you enjoy it.
Ginny Baird
Oh gosh, I'm really sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm actually not involved in review copies. Those come from the publisher via NetGalley. If you got an incomplete copy from there, maybe you could request the book again and explain in your notes what happened.
Ginny Baird
Hi Joann! Thanks so much for reading On Christmas Avenue. I'm really thrilled you loved the story. I loved writing it too and absolutely fell in love with the characters. If it were totally up to me, I'd for sure continue the series, but a lot of this is in the publisher's hands and what they select for their schedules going forward. Fingers crossed though! I'd love to go back to Clark Creek.
Ginny Baird
Dear Brook Reader, Thank you for your lovely note! I sure appreciate you reaching out and your very generous words warmed my heart. I'm so happy you've been enjoying my characters and my stories! I'm delighted you've enjoyed the cover art, too. I do indeed have a new book coming out on February 6th, Best Bachelor Dads (Three Sweet Romantic Comedies). It's an e-book collection of some of my favorite single father stories: The Holiday Bride, My Lucky Groom, and Crazy for You. Thanks so much again for taking the time to write, and for your kind wishes. I wish you much happy reading in the weeks--and months--ahead!
Ginny Baird
Dear Cintia,
Thanks so much for writing to me. I really appreciate your question, as I know your sentiments are felt by many writers. Even published writers get rejected, and sometimes reviews can become demoralizing. Outside opinion is often tough to endure, and I agree that the competition—especially in light of indie publishing, which has more widely opened the field—is growing fiercer every day. Everyone in the business is struggling to catch up—and keep up—with the rapidly changing landscape that is today’s romance publishing.
That said, the main thing that should keep you writing is the knowledge that you find it hard to imagine life without it. What happens when you give up and walk away? Do you heave a spiritual sigh of relief, or does something in your soul tug at you, urging you to get back in there and once more put fingers to keyboard (or pen to paper)? Maybe not immediately, but always eventually…?
Original ideas are a dime a dozen, especially in romance fiction where tried-and-true tropes abound. It’s often the execution (the author’s unique spin on a storyline and voice) that makes a work exceptional. And, writers are constantly coming up with new and innovative ideas, of course. If you’re the second kind of writer, the sort that eventually comes back around to feeling called by the craft, the important thing to do is focus on your world and your stories. Breathe life into your characters and give them the manuscripts they’re meant to have. Fads in the industry come and go; just because you’ve started a story and then learn someone else has undertaken something similar, that doesn’t mean that your book will be worse. Take the time to make it singular, so it can shine.
All writers come to continual crossroads, reaching junctures where we need to decide whether to keep going or throw in the towel. And, simply being published isn’t enough these days. There’s marketing and promotions, the business management end of writing, and myriad other things authors need to focus on, which can seriously drain creative energy and time. At the risk of sounding trite, the following bit of wisdom holds true. The only real reason to continue writing is because you love it. Because creating worlds and characters feeds your soul, and you can’t imagine spending the rest of your lifetime without doing just that...
More than twenty years ago, I arrived at my first crossroads. I had a story I was burning to tell and decided that I was going to write it—and try to sell it. Even if it never got published, I was going to try and try and try… because I decided I’d rather ultimately die knowing I’d given it my all, rather than reach the end of my life in old age living with regrets. If I could look back and believe I’d done everything I could, and still never found success, then at least I could be satisfied I’d made a good effort.
So many things are beyond a writer’s control. Generally better books get published, yes. But sometimes lesser stories get selected, too. Then there are reports of those repeatedly rejected manuscripts that later get picked up and go on to become bestsellers.
In this business, few are chosen but many are called. So, dear Cintia, the main question you have to ask yourself is whether you feel called? If not, then there’s certainly no shame in admitting you’d tried your hand at writing and decided it’s not for you. But, if you are? Then join the band of brothers and sisters who, day after day, give it their all, despite the uncertainty of rewards. For creating itself is an art, precious and lovely. To be treasured. Made most special by what it is: a true expression of the heart.
Thanks so much for writing to me. I really appreciate your question, as I know your sentiments are felt by many writers. Even published writers get rejected, and sometimes reviews can become demoralizing. Outside opinion is often tough to endure, and I agree that the competition—especially in light of indie publishing, which has more widely opened the field—is growing fiercer every day. Everyone in the business is struggling to catch up—and keep up—with the rapidly changing landscape that is today’s romance publishing.
That said, the main thing that should keep you writing is the knowledge that you find it hard to imagine life without it. What happens when you give up and walk away? Do you heave a spiritual sigh of relief, or does something in your soul tug at you, urging you to get back in there and once more put fingers to keyboard (or pen to paper)? Maybe not immediately, but always eventually…?
Original ideas are a dime a dozen, especially in romance fiction where tried-and-true tropes abound. It’s often the execution (the author’s unique spin on a storyline and voice) that makes a work exceptional. And, writers are constantly coming up with new and innovative ideas, of course. If you’re the second kind of writer, the sort that eventually comes back around to feeling called by the craft, the important thing to do is focus on your world and your stories. Breathe life into your characters and give them the manuscripts they’re meant to have. Fads in the industry come and go; just because you’ve started a story and then learn someone else has undertaken something similar, that doesn’t mean that your book will be worse. Take the time to make it singular, so it can shine.
All writers come to continual crossroads, reaching junctures where we need to decide whether to keep going or throw in the towel. And, simply being published isn’t enough these days. There’s marketing and promotions, the business management end of writing, and myriad other things authors need to focus on, which can seriously drain creative energy and time. At the risk of sounding trite, the following bit of wisdom holds true. The only real reason to continue writing is because you love it. Because creating worlds and characters feeds your soul, and you can’t imagine spending the rest of your lifetime without doing just that...
More than twenty years ago, I arrived at my first crossroads. I had a story I was burning to tell and decided that I was going to write it—and try to sell it. Even if it never got published, I was going to try and try and try… because I decided I’d rather ultimately die knowing I’d given it my all, rather than reach the end of my life in old age living with regrets. If I could look back and believe I’d done everything I could, and still never found success, then at least I could be satisfied I’d made a good effort.
So many things are beyond a writer’s control. Generally better books get published, yes. But sometimes lesser stories get selected, too. Then there are reports of those repeatedly rejected manuscripts that later get picked up and go on to become bestsellers.
In this business, few are chosen but many are called. So, dear Cintia, the main question you have to ask yourself is whether you feel called? If not, then there’s certainly no shame in admitting you’d tried your hand at writing and decided it’s not for you. But, if you are? Then join the band of brothers and sisters who, day after day, give it their all, despite the uncertainty of rewards. For creating itself is an art, precious and lovely. To be treasured. Made most special by what it is: a true expression of the heart.
Ginny Baird
Like most writers, I'm easily inspired...lol. Little snippets of conversation I overhear, an interesting job I learn about, a fabulous location I've visited... Any and all of these things can come into play when a new story idea hits me.
Ginny Baird
A really fun romantic comedy called "The Borrowed Boyfriend." It's set mostly in Maine and involves a really hunky, dark-haired, blue-eyed hero of Irish descent. Sort of a perfect angle for a book that releases in March! ;)
Ginny Baird
Keep writing! While practice doesn't always make perfect, it certainly makes better. Keep reading as well. There's so much to be learned from fellow authors, and it's a joy to discover how many different ways there are to tell a story. Each writer has a unique style. Don't be afraid to tap into your own special voice and use it, as that's what can set you apart.
Ginny Baird
Hearing from a reader that my book made their day. There's nothing more uplifting than learning I've reached someone with my work, and that I've helped them feel more positive about life and happy. Those kinds of messages and emails are truly priceless to me, and I'm grateful to everyone who's ever let me know they've enjoyed my stories.
Ginny Baird
I get up and get moving! I walk the dog, go for a swim, or (if the weather's nice) a bike ride. It seems the increased circulation helps get those mental wheels turning.
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