Ask the Author: Jannette Spann
Answered Questions (8)
Jannette Spann
My mystery first appeared one summer, back in the seventies when our children were small. My husband and I had taken our kids for a walk around our hayfield out on our hillside. As we neared the far end near the trees, we noticed a large, perfectly round ring where the grass wasn’t growing. It turned out to be a brown circle in the grass near the end of our hayfield. A 3-foot-wide band of brown grass with the outside diameter being approximately 20 feet across. At the time, the grass within the ring was untouched and remained green, while the grass of the ring itself was brown like the dead of winter.
Around the field is nothing but woods, no access roads of any kind except the one that goes from our yard. At the time, we laughed, saying we’d been invaded by an alien spaceship. Truth is, we had no idea what or who could have made the ring, but we thought someone might have sprayed poison as a prank. As I said, this happened in the seventies. It’s now 2017 and the circle is still there—same size as it first appeared. Over the years we rotated planting corn and hay in the field, but regardless of which crop was planted, it never grew in the circumference of the circle.
Around the field is nothing but woods, no access roads of any kind except the one that goes from our yard. At the time, we laughed, saying we’d been invaded by an alien spaceship. Truth is, we had no idea what or who could have made the ring, but we thought someone might have sprayed poison as a prank. As I said, this happened in the seventies. It’s now 2017 and the circle is still there—same size as it first appeared. Over the years we rotated planting corn and hay in the field, but regardless of which crop was planted, it never grew in the circumference of the circle.
Jannette Spann
Watching an old man sitting on the bench outside our local Walmart.
Jannette Spann
People watching is a hobby of mine. Eaves dropping just come naturally.
It's amazing what can turn into a plot for a story.
It's amazing what can turn into a plot for a story.
Jannette Spann
I am currently writing a book about a crusty old man, over worked caregiver, an exasperated chef. Tell you the title when it comes together.
Jannette Spann
Study the craft of writing as you write. Join writing groups, both on line and in your area if one's available. The people in the writing groups may not be at the same place in their writing experiences as you, but you can learn from them, because their goals are similar to yours. Practice your writing every chance you get.
Everyone isn't going to like what you write. Listen to their criticism, if it's valid then learn from it, if not, learn to ignore. If you're easy to get your feeling hurt, get over it! Believe me, rejections are part of being a writer.
Last, but not least, is to never give up. It's been said that some stories write themselves, and that may be true, but they don't put themselves down on paper. The writer does. Good Luck!
Everyone isn't going to like what you write. Listen to their criticism, if it's valid then learn from it, if not, learn to ignore. If you're easy to get your feeling hurt, get over it! Believe me, rejections are part of being a writer.
Last, but not least, is to never give up. It's been said that some stories write themselves, and that may be true, but they don't put themselves down on paper. The writer does. Good Luck!
Jannette Spann
To me the best thing about being a writer is letting my imagination take wings. I'm free to write about anything that catches my fancy. Now getting things published and the continual promoting a writer has to do isn't so much fun.
Jannette Spann
Hope you enjoyed the beach. If all goes well, we're hoping to visit Gulf Shores in October. It's cooler then, and the crowds aren't as large.
Jannette Spann
Writer's block can be a real problem for me since it usually goes on for several days. When it happens, I step away from the computer and try to figure out what's weighing on my mind. Once I take care of the problem, I spend as much time reading as I can. Entering into the fictional world of other writer's imaginations usually gets my juices going again.
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