Ask the Author: Marjorie Reynolds
Answered Questions (8)
Marjorie Reynolds
I would probably go back to the world of Jane Austen. From what I've gleaned from her novels, women don't have to do much except embroider and snag a man. Sounds perfect to me.
Marjorie Reynolds
I disapprove of censorship in general unless it hurts a child in some way. A translator should do his/her best to replicate the book as closely as possible. It's not forced upon readers. They have the choice whether or not to read it.
Marjorie Reynolds
For me, it's a brick-by-brick process, similar to building a house. A good example is my in-progress novel, Ideal Beach. When I was four years old, my father serviced mechanical equipment and jukeboxes at the Ideal Beach resort near Monticello, Indiana (it still exists but has been renamed Indiana Beach). I don't have memories of that time but I do have photos. My brother and I could ride the merry-go-round as long and as often as we wanted. I began with the setting, a treasure trove of nostalgia, and came up with the idea of having a young black woman's car break down in an all-white town. I didn't feel comfortable writing from the point of view of the black woman, so I chose a white woman resident as the narrator. As I wrote, I realized the story is as much about her as it is about the stranded visitor and her son. I knew Indiana was a breeding ground for the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s so of course I would include the klan as one of the antagonists. I go over my plot, making sure I have the basics of a good novel: conflict, theme, premise, suspense, motivation, emotion and other important elements. Along the way, I leave room for what I call the process of discovery, that great idea that fits perfectly into the story. Now I have my foundation and I add details one brick at a time until the structure is complete. Creating the plot is my favorite part of the process.
Marjorie Reynolds
I'm in the process of proofing my novel, For the Love of Ethan, about the extent a mother will go to save her ten-year-old son. It will be released this summer.
I have the first draft of a novel titled Ideal Beach, so I'll work on that next. In 1956, a Negro woman and her half-Negro fourteen-year-old son drive their battered car into the small Indiana town of Ideal Beach. The car breaks down and the mother and son don't have the means to continue their journey north. As the only people of color in the resort town, they encounter bigotry in all its forms, including violence. The narrator is the young woman who takes them into her home and tries to protect them, putting her own family in danger.
I don't have a release date yet for Ideal Beach but I hope it will be published in early 2018.
I have the first draft of a novel titled Ideal Beach, so I'll work on that next. In 1956, a Negro woman and her half-Negro fourteen-year-old son drive their battered car into the small Indiana town of Ideal Beach. The car breaks down and the mother and son don't have the means to continue their journey north. As the only people of color in the resort town, they encounter bigotry in all its forms, including violence. The narrator is the young woman who takes them into her home and tries to protect them, putting her own family in danger.
I don't have a release date yet for Ideal Beach but I hope it will be published in early 2018.
Marjorie Reynolds
I take a nap. Then when I wake up, I scold myself for being a slacker and I feel guilty. My husband says the only thing worse than a wife who is writing is one who is not.
Actually, I do four things. I try to figure out at what point I went astray. Maybe I can't come up with a solution to my character's problem. Maybe I've committed to a path that just doesn't feel right. Maybe I've had so much varying input from my critiquers I can't decide what direction to go.
Critiquers are wonderful, especially for brainstorming, but sometimes they muddle your mind. You have to take charge of your own book. I've never heard of a great book that was written by a committee.
After I figure out where I mucked up, the second thing I do is write a synopsis that tells the story the way that feels best to me. I need to make sure that all elements of the story fit together so I don't hit a dead end.
Then in step 3, I write through the blockage. I tell myself they're just words; they can be changed. I put my butt on the chair and keep working the problem. My biggest stumbling block is actually putting my butt on the chair.
After I see my way clear, the fourth thing I do is reward myself with chocolate. It cures most afflictions.
Actually, I do four things. I try to figure out at what point I went astray. Maybe I can't come up with a solution to my character's problem. Maybe I've committed to a path that just doesn't feel right. Maybe I've had so much varying input from my critiquers I can't decide what direction to go.
Critiquers are wonderful, especially for brainstorming, but sometimes they muddle your mind. You have to take charge of your own book. I've never heard of a great book that was written by a committee.
After I figure out where I mucked up, the second thing I do is write a synopsis that tells the story the way that feels best to me. I need to make sure that all elements of the story fit together so I don't hit a dead end.
Then in step 3, I write through the blockage. I tell myself they're just words; they can be changed. I put my butt on the chair and keep working the problem. My biggest stumbling block is actually putting my butt on the chair.
After I see my way clear, the fourth thing I do is reward myself with chocolate. It cures most afflictions.
Marjorie Reynolds
Achieving flow, an optimal experience in any creative endeavor. It's a state of consciousness in which your mind is so focused on your writing that the external time and place slip away and you feel somewhat euphoric. I first read about it in a 2009 book called FLOW by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It's also common in athletics. I'm not sure if that experience means what you've written is any good, but it certainly feels great. I'm curious to know how many other writers reach that state.
Marjorie Reynolds
Learn the craft and persevere. It takes time and commitment. Your chances of getting published by a New York company are slim, but fortunately I didn't know that until after I was published. I once was at a bar with a group of editors and agents who were talking about all the books they had passed on that went on to become bestsellers. I love the anecdotes about writers who were turned down by dozens of agents and editors but became famous authors. Did you know that Stephen King tossed his book CARRIE into the trash, but his wife dug it out and the rest is history? If you get discouraged, publish the book yourself. I would like to believe quality rises to the top.
Happy writing.
Happy writing.
Marjorie Reynolds
I honestly can't remember. I was under contract with William Morrow (Harper Collins) more than a decade ago. I gave them my third novel and they turned it down. I was a bit crushed because I thought it was a good book. But they wanted another Starlite Drive-in, and For the Love of Ethan was a contemporary family drama. I tucked the book away in one of my computer files and it sat there for years. When I ran across it, I read it with a lot more objectivity and decided it was a very good book. I remember doing a lot of research at the University of Washington Medical Center about organ transplants. Unfortunately many people still die waiting for a donor. I wanted readers to know more about the anguish a family goes through, but I didn't want to get preachy so I focused on the mother's story and the lengths to which she would go to save her son. It sounds like it might be grim, but it really isn't. The mother is off the bell curve and has a good sense of humor, which helps to lighten the story. I would be happy if the book inspired all my readers to become organ donors.
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