Want a Little Fantasy in Your Life? Come Meet Author Jill Williamson!

Welcome to you Jill

Jill Williamson is the author of By Darkness Hid and To Darkness Fled, the first two books in a medieval fantasy trilogy. She has worked as a freelance editor and published numerous articles. VOYA magazine named By Darkness Hid as one of the Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror novels of 2010.

Jill grew up in Alaska with no electricity, an outhouse, and a lot of mosquitoes. Thankfully it was the land of the midnight sun, and she stayed up late, reading by the summer daylight that wouldn’t go away. But in the winter, there was nothing better to do than daydream. Both hobbies set her up to be a writer.

Jill has served alongside her youth pastor husband for the past twelve years and loves working with teenagers, especially to encourage young writers. (www.teenageauthor.com) An avid reader, she started Novel Teen Book Reviews (www.novelteen.com) to help teens find great books to read. She lives in Oregon with her youth pastor husband and two book-loving children. Visit Jill at www.jillwilliamson.com.

SKC: Wow! Another wonderful Oregon writer. I think I'm partial to those. I smile. Could be because I'm from this part of the U.S. too.

So you write fantasy. What inspired you to come up writing for your particular sub-genre? Tell us about the circumstances.

Jill: I’ve always loved reading fantasy novels. But when I first started writing, I wrote non fiction articles for teens. Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness really opened my imagination to the possibility of writing something Christian. I had never read Christian fiction before that book. When I did start writing, I didn’t set out to write something speculative. I just wanted to write something entertaining for teens. I write a teen spy story first. Then I wrote a story about a cloning lab. Then I wrote my first fantasy novel. I remember being so frustrated because I kept hearing that new writers needed to figure out what genre they wrote, and I didn’t have a clue what my genre was. Was it fantasy? Science Fiction? Urban fantasy? Contemporary? Adventure? At Mount Hermon in 2007, I went to Jeff Gerke’s class on speculative fiction and was pleased to discover that I was writing in the same genre. It was called speculative fiction. What a relief!

SKC: How interesting! I have been to Jeff Gerke's class on speculative fiction myself when I was at an ACFW conference. It was excellent. How long had you been writing before you got your first contract? And tell us how you dealt with your patience.

Jill: I started my first teen fiction novel in 2004. I signed the contract for By Darkness Hid in 2008. Those four years felt like an eternity, but I passed the time by writing, rewriting, reading fiction help books, going to conferences, and participating in online critique groups. And of course, I prayed a lot, asking God if he was sure this was what he wanted me to be spending my time on. I also did some foolish things because I wasn’t patient enough. I have learned the wisdom of patience over the years.

SKC: All authors have advice for other new authors coming into the field of writing. What is yours?

Jill: Write, write, write. Finish that first draft. Don’t agonize over perfection until you’ve got a finished draft to agonize over. The beginning of the story might change once you know the end, so don’t waste time poring over every sentence until later. Save that for the rewrite stage. But don’t get stuck there either. Finish that book, send it out, then write a different book.

And read. When you read genres like the one you write, study what the author did. Look at their dialogue, action, punctuation, characters, plot, everything. Learn all you can. It will help you be a better writer and storyteller.

SKC: Sometimes inspirational writers have a hard time being accepted in the “real” world (Outside of CBA). What are your thoughts about inspirational writers writing Crossover Stories?

ART ALWAYS ATTRACTS CRITICS

Jill: It’s a tough thing. Many people are offended at the mention of the word “Christian.” I’ve received a few biased reviews from non Christians. I’ve been excluded from certain blog sites because I write Christian fiction and some see that as inferior. But I’ve also received letters where people were excited about the Christian analogy in my books, and letters where it didn’t bother people at all. Remember that art always attracts critics. It’s part of the field. Expect to hear negative things. Expect to be excluded. But pray for God to do great things with your story. You may never see those great things, but if you trust God, it will be easier. Trust him with your story.

SKC: Great advice. What’s it like writing for YA?

Jill: It’s the best. There is just something nostalgic about those teenage years. As I write YA, I get to be a teenager time and again. I get to hang out with teens too, as my husband is a youth pastor. I love teens and am thrilled that God has allowed my husband and I to serve in this way.

SKC: I think it really helps if you are around the young people all the time. Otherwise, it is difficult to see how they think. Okay, what about the magic of the first five pages… Tell us what gets you started on those first five pages of a brand new story.

Jill: My first five pages of a new story usually aren’t very magical. I often change them when I go back to rewrite. My goal in a brand new story is to write the first draft as quickly as possible. Now, when I do go back, I try to make sure I open with an interesting hook. I didn’t do that in By Darkness Hid, and a few writers have pointed that out. But I’m a staunch supporter of the policy, “Learn the rules, then break them when you feel like it.” I wanted By Darkness Hid to open with Achan in his everyday world so that readers could see that before the action came. And the action did come in the first five pages.

SKC: Many authors cringe when it comes to the moment they have to come up with their synopsis. What would be your best advice to them, Jill?

Jill: I like to write a synopsis using techniques I learned from Randy Ingermanson. Check out his website for great writing information. http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/

Basically, I write one sentence for each of the following things to create my blurb or one-paragraph summary that I use in my query and cover letters.

The Synopsis Technique

1. The introduction. Where the story starts

2. The hook at the end of Act One.

3. The hook in the middle of the book.

4. The hook at the end of Act Two.

5. The climax and conclusion (You MUST include the ending for agents and editors! Don’t leave this off.)

Now you have a nice one-paragraph blurb of your story. Expand each sentence to a paragraph. That will give you a rough outline of a on-page synopsis, and you’ll only needed to add a little bit more to make it flow nicely. Try to keep out most of the side characters and side plots to not confuse things. Also, I learned that using all caps for the first time you use a character’s name is a nice touch.

SKC: What do you do during the waiting period when editors are looking over your manuscripts?

Jill: I work on a different manuscript.

SKC: Something that is hard for me, because I always want to continue FIXING. After you finish your present project, what plans do you have?

Jill: I’m hoping to sell one of my other completed manuscripts. Depending on what happens with that, I might work on the sequels to those books or write something new.

SKC: What would you like to ask this week about either writing or having that love to read? And what book is it that you wish to share with one of our responders?

Jill: What is your favorite speculative fiction story? Speculative fiction is anything out of the ordinary, like fantasy, monsters, time travel, science fiction, alternate history, spiritual warfare, or futuristic stories. If you’ve never read a speculative book, I bet you’ve seen a movie or TV show that was speculative. I’d love to know your favorite one.

I’m giving away a copy of To Darkness Fled (Blood of Kings, book 2), but if the winner would prefer book one, I’d be happy to give them By Darkness Hid instead so they can start at the beginning of the series.

SKC: That sounds great, Jill. And I love your question for us. Thanks so much for coming by. Please let us know where we can find your books.

Jill: Online go to http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, or http://www.marcherlordpress.com/. You can also buy an autographed copy from me through my website. You can special order my book at your local bookstore by giving them the name and author. Also, many libraries have my first book, and if they don’t, they would likely order it if you ask. You could print out a couple reviews from the Free Download section of my website (http://www.jillwilliamson.com/) and take them to the library with you when you ask, so that they know they books is something they’d like to have.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CROSSING OVER AND JOINING US JILL. WE HAVE APPRECIATED YOUR COMPANY!

Readers and Writers... Please drop a line. Tell Jill and I what your favorite speculative fiction book is, and why. If you have not yet read one, why or why not? We look forward to hearing from you. I will announce the winner in a few days.

And our winner is
Angie Lusco, Mt Vernon, Oregon. Congratulations, Angie. Be watching for your book!

A WORD FROM LISA HARRIS ... COME BY AND READ IT!

We want to welcome to our blog, Lisa Harris. Let me share a little about her with you.

Lisa Harris is an award-winning author who has sold twenty-one novels and novellas. She lives with her husband and their three children in Mozambique, Africa, where they work as missionaries. When she’s not busy writing or home schooling, she loves traveling, cooking different ethnic foods, and going on game drives through the African bush.

SDC: Welcome, Lisa. Africa, huh?  That's so awesome. I saw your theme scripture from your website (Hebrews 12:1-3) I believe. Tell us about why you selected those verses as your focus, and how they correlate with the types of books you write.

Lisa: Thanks so much for having me stop by, Shirley! I love Paul’s encouragement that we keep our eyes focused on Jesus so we don’t grow weary and lose heart. Life isn’t always easy, yet as I write my books, I want people to see that through Christ and his sacrifice, there is hope.

SDC: And how blessed we are to know we do have that hope in the Lord about every aspect of our lives! Amen.

Tell us about your publisher(s) and your experiences in working with them and what you have coming out soon.

Lisa: While I’ve written for several publishers throughout the past few years, currently I’m writing for both Zondervan and Summerside Press, two publishers that I have really enjoyed working for.

My newest release with Zondervan is book one in my Mission Hope Series, called Blood Ransom. It’s a fast paced-thriller thriller about the modern-day slave trade and those who dare to challenge it. The second book in the series will be released next spring. Currently, I’m writing a romantic suspense for Summerside Press’s new line. Dark Continent will come out in February. This story is set in both Northern Rhodesia (Africa) and New York in the early 1920’s.

SDC: How interesting! I look forward to reading some of your work! What kind of response have you received from readers who have been influenced greatly by your writing or your personal testimony?

Lisa: Because Blood Ransom is about the modern slave trade, I’ve heard from many readers lately who have been struck by the fact that slavery is still so prevalent today. While I do want to open people’s eyes to some of the issues happening in the world today (the next book in the series is set primarily in a refugee camp) I also want to share that through Christ there is hope. This is the response that I love to hear!

SDC: That almost already answers my next question. How do you thread faith, love, and hope along with the reality of life work together in your stories?

Lisa: It’s always as tough balance. First of all, like all authors, I want my books to be hard-to-put-down page-turners. But the threads of faith and hope are also very important to me and I try to add them naturally, through conversation and situations that show rather than just tell.

SDC: Important to me as well. How long did you have to wait before getting published the first time, Lisa? What are some things that went through your mind?

Lisa: Writing is definitely a hard journey that builds patience. I wrote for about six years before I sold my first novella to Barbour and the waiting wasn’t always easy. But I discovered a lot about myself in the process while I learned about the craft and grew in my writing, and I’m still learning!

SDC: I have a candle lit at the corner of my desk. Just the scent gets my creative juices flowing, but I have a difficult time sitting in my lonely office for too long a time before I have to get up and go say hello to my husband or move my laptop in the living room where I feel life or action around me. Does a room or special place or thing play any part in your story writing and how?

Lisa: I don’t have an office due to space and have had to learn to write wherever I am. Sometimes it is hard and I long for a quiet moment, but as a home schooling mom of three, those quiet moments are rare. There are times when I really need a few hours without interruptions and thankfully my family is very supportive and gives it to me. During that time, I sometimes play music with no words that goes along with the mood of the story and helps me focus.

SDC: How does your family and the ministry with your church correspond with your time to write and do research for writing?

Lisa: Right now the biggest priority in my life is my children and home schooling because we are in that stage of life. I know it won’t last forever and before I know it they will be out of the house, so I purposefully am enjoying this time with them. I’m also not as involved in ministry as I have in the past, though I still do a lot to support my husband, and know that ministry time will increase once our kids leave the nest. My writing then fills in the rest of the time, and I get done what I need to everyday by setting very specific goals for each day.

SDC: A growing family will keep all of us busy. Life never changes. Think of an intriguing question you would like to ask one of our viewers to answer to help me select the winner of your newest book coming out.

Lisa: I love to travel, so if you could travel anywhere in the world, were would that be and why?

SDC: That's a great question. Thanks.
And thank you, Lisa for being here. It’s been a real pleasure having you at A Pen for Your Thoughts. Please include your URL and where people can find your books.

Lisa: Thank you so much for having me, Shirley! You can find out more about me on my blog at http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com or my website www.lisaharriswrites.com.

Okay readers and other writers. Now it's your turn. Look above to find Lisa's question. We look forward to receiving your replies. We will be drawing the name of the book winner in a few days from now.
READERS: Be sure to answer Lisa’s question above to try to win a copy of her book! Don’t forget to include your email address.

Congratulations to our new winner west of the rockies in the good old USA...Casey Herringshaw!  How exciting to share a great book with you. Be watching for it soon.