Ask the Author: Jill Barnett
Answered Questions (79)
Jill Barnett
There are so many emotions you have to overcome in this business. If you are a glass half-empty personality, it's even harder. You need confudence, because people will tear you down, malign your character, and attribute horrible things to you based on their vicious opinion of you simple, hopeful story. There has always been competition. Let it go. Writing is difficult enough without creating more internal blockages. You should concentrate on telling your stories. Write your books. What's going on with everyone else, or even the industry, has nothng to do with creating your work. Writers write because we have stories to tell. Just tell your story, and the next story and the next story. Nowadays you can self-publish very successfully. Just write and let go everything else. Now go tell your story!
Jill Barnett
Hogwarts. Follow all the characters. Loved the books. But for a romance fictional world? I probably pick Regency England and Pride and Prejudice.
Jill Barnett
I wish I could say some wonderful place like those images of reading nooks and hammocks on the beach that we see on social media. A long front porch with hanging flower baskets and hydrageas bushes. A cozy park or by a pool under palm trees, all great places. But the truth is I love to read in bed, surrounded by down bedding, something to drink on the table nearby and my ipad in my hand. I love, love, love to read on my ipad.
Jill Barnett
I wrote historical fiction with Sentimental Journey, and I wrote two big women's fiction books, the Days of Summer and Bridge To Happiness. I would do more historical fiction, and I have ideas for some other big books. Right now I'm back writing at my historical romance roots and loving it. These books are old fashioned historical romance stories, like those from 30-40 years ago, nothing rushed, big adventure, some political intrigue, betrayal and family drama, along with a love story. All the things that make book memorable for me as a reader. I don't want to read books that skate along the surface. I want an experience.
Jill Barnett
Nothing odd but maybe special techniques that help me leap past it. I usually get stuck because 1) I've lost the thread of conflict or 2) made a mistake with my character a scene or two back. If the last happens, I have to stop, ask myself two questions that pertain to that section of the book: what does my character want? What does she most fear? Somewhere between those two is the conflict and the scene I need. Then I have to go back and look for those things in the last few scenes.
If I don't know what to write, I sit down and make a list of "possibles"--what the next scene could possibly be about. I write down everything that pops into my head, no matter how stupid, a kind of a free association technique. Somewhere in that list, I always find my scene/scenes.
If I don't know what to write, I sit down and make a list of "possibles"--what the next scene could possibly be about. I write down everything that pops into my head, no matter how stupid, a kind of a free association technique. Somewhere in that list, I always find my scene/scenes.
Jill Barnett
Well, the truth is: all of it. Writing is a love/hate rekationship. On days when the words flow from your pen like magic you love it, you feel this intense joy and a sense of accomplishment. On days when you struggle, when your characters clam up and you've messed up and lost the thread of conflict, or written ahead of yourself, you want to scream your head off, and you walk around grumbling and annoyed.
And then if I had to pick something I truly dread, it would be the formatting we have to do nowadays on our books. The formatting program I like the best (because it makes the most lovely books) is only usable on a Mac computer. I hate my Macbook. I work with a Windows computer but use the Macbook for that program. When I get out my Mac, we glare at each other until red flames come out of my eyes!
And then if I had to pick something I truly dread, it would be the formatting we have to do nowadays on our books. The formatting program I like the best (because it makes the most lovely books) is only usable on a Mac computer. I hate my Macbook. I work with a Windows computer but use the Macbook for that program. When I get out my Mac, we glare at each other until red flames come out of my eyes!
Jill Barnett
I was brushing my teeth and line of dialogue came to me in a man's gruff, fed up voice, "If you don't stop whining about brushing your teeth, you aren't going to have any teeth left to brush." From that line came Just A Kiss Away, the story of a pampered Southern belle and a mercenary soldier (who is stuck with her) on the run in the jungle.
Jill Barnett
Honestly, I have no idea. I write till it's done. Most of my books took a year but I was a mother with a young child at home, a husband and a bigger life and so I couldn't lock myself away and just write. My hardcover books, like Sentimental Journey and The Days of Summer took two years. I have friend who tracked their books and writing time but that's really not me. I'm a free writer and creative spirit and I think if I tracked everything and had all these Excel sheets that would ruin my joy in the process. I like the feeling of flying that the books give me at a certain point.
Jill Barnett
I don't think I would love writing one, but my friend Glynnis Campbell has written three new Native American romance over the last few years. They're great! You might love them.
Jill Barnett
By far the second book in this new upcoming Medieval series about the Sisters of Scotland. The character is very different for me and she created lots of roadblocks. I do like the book and think the love story is powerful but there are places where I bled on the pages!
Jill Barnett
I think you've misunderstood. I spent summer vacations visiting my family members in Texas as a child. My mother and father moved to California after the war and I was born in Southern California and grew up there. Now I live on an island in Washington state. Do you have questions about writing or my books?
Jill Barnett
Of course! My family's all over Texas now, and I think I've driven through it. My Dad was born in Acme, which only a water towrr now, raised in Vernon and my mother's family is from Lockett. But I have family in Dallas, Houston, Austin, Wichita Falls, and more.
Jill Barnett
Time helps grief. When your husband drops dead at 47, you world us turned upside down. We had an 11 year okd daughter. I had to be tger fir her and I had to heal.
Jill Barnett
I do. I wrote a mainstream fiction book Sentimental Journey and two women's fiction books, The Days of Summer and Bridge To Happiness.
But I love historical fiction and historical romance. You should write what you love!
But I love historical fiction and historical romance. You should write what you love!
Jill Barnett
Well, I coukd say this new book, or the one after it, but probably Sentimental Journey, which took 2 years..
Jill Barnett
Too long! I have to pull myself away from the research. I used to research for a couple of months, then create the outline and start writing. But now I read for the period history and setting, in great depth, until I'm comfortable with knowing it so well I see it with my characters inside it. When it's inside my head, and this coukd be a couple of weeks to a month, then I start writing, still doing research as I go.
Jill Barnett
It depends on the day. There's a lot of business to writing so I often am working on the business if writing or doing add'l research. I use Pomodoros for the initial writing of my books. It's an iPhone time management app that times your writing sessions. One Pomodiro is 55 minutes with a five minute break. I'll set the app for 3 or 4 Pomodoros with a 20-30 minute lunch for 3-5 days a week. Unless I'm at the end of a book when I tune out the workd and try to write straight through to the end.
Jill Barnett
I'm sorry. Is this a question for me?
Jill Barnett
Is there a boxed set available Wonderful-Wild-and-Wicked? Those are published in eBook from Belle Books, a small Southern press. I'll have to go look at the sales page for Belle. I didn't know. I'm very excited about these new Medieval books.
Jill Barnett
I suspect that's the California Gold Rush. Sometimes I'm answering these on my iPad or iPhone and I type too fast for it!
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more
Jan 05, 2018 05:42AM · flag