  Mystery
This week: Edited by: Vivian  
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Jordan Dane, best-selling author and my friend, allowed me to interview her. The final manuscript, too long to post completely in one newsletter, will be a fond keepsake, along with her autographed books.
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An Interview with Jordan Dane
Thank you for visiting with us today, Jordan. You know how much I admire you and your writing. Even if I do find your books edgier than what I normally enjoy, you write so well I have to finish each one I start.
Since you’re a well-known author of mystery/suspense/thriller novels, readers are interested in knowing not only about the author, but also the person behind the author.
You’ve shared your story about your debut novel, which ended up being back to back releases for three novels. Would you share for readers how you became a client of Meredith Bernstein, who represents you?
Jordan: My first sale story is bundled with many smaller good fortunes. For all the choice tidbits, I would recommend you check out my FOR WRITERS page and my FIRST SALE story. How I got my agent is directly linked to how I sold in auction. NYT bestselling author Sharon Sala is a member of my local writers’ group. We have a Finish the Book Incentives program. When one of our unpublished members finishes a book, we can pick from a list of reward incentives. One of the items on the list was a light critique from Sharon for a mystery/suspense novel. Since I had never had anyone read a complete book of mine, I took Sharon up on her offer. And after she read it in one sitting, she called me breathless and said, “Honey, where do you have this?” She got me a special read with her editor and her agent, Meredith, and the rest is history. Meredith had me send my manuscript to her hotel at a conference and she read it on the plane trip back to NYC. She offered me representation the next morning. And in no time, she had generated interest in an auction—10 days of pure hell and fun wrapped up in the same package. I have more on this on my website.
How does your history and home background influence your writing?
Jordan:I think everything that an author is—their life’s experiences and worldview—all contribute to the prose and internal workings of the characters and the world the author creates. I practice a thing that I call “free association” where I draw from my life’s experiences to write the introspection of my characters. And I explain this on my FOR WRITERS page in my article on START WITH A BANG. Free association allows you to color your pages with how you think your character would think and act. And all the locations I’ve moved with the energy industry have also filled the cup of my experiences. I wrote my debut book and placed it in San Antonio, my old hometown. And I recently released the first book in my Sweet Justice series, called Evil Without A Face, that started in Talkeetna Alaska. I had lived in Alaska for 10 years and had been to Talkeetna many times. If you allow your mind to roam freely while you write, you’d be surprised what will pop up—good and bad.
Authors are often asked when they started writing or what triggered their interest in writing. I like to know that, also, but I would especially like to know what keeps you writing.
Jordan: What keeps me writing is the same thing that got me started. I love the challenge of creating something from nothing. Choosing the right words to place a reader in the scene using all their senses is a challenge that I love. I loved it as a reader and love it even more as an author. I was an avid reader as a kid and that addiction only got worse as I grew up. I think that the process of writing is similar to what filmmakers and musicians and artists go through to create their art. When I hear an interview with any of these people, I am drawn to their insight on many levels. And I understand what they are conveying in a deeper way than I would have before I wrote. And with each new book, I strive to do more. I want to challenge myself with the craft and I never take the easy way out. That’s part of the fun and the reason I still love it. When someone tells me “that’s impossible” or “you shouldn’t do that,” that’s when I go for it. I think it’s important for an author to push the envelope of the genre they write. Writing the trend doesn’t set a writer apart. Breaking barriers does.
I enjoyed hearing how you create your books by writing the “movies running” in your head. That’s my method, too, but many people believe a writer must outline or storyboard, which does help some people. Why do you prefer your method of preparation?
Jordan: My impatience to write comes from my dad, so it’s in my genes. I was the procrastinator in school and I convinced myself that if I weren’t under a deadline, I wouldn’t be at my best. So outlining seems too much like homework to me. And I’d rather dive in and discover what’s going to happen next. I tend to spend more prep time with my characters in my head. They usually come to me first. Then I contemplate what I call the “big ticket” items—the major plot movements of the movie in my head. But as I’m writing, I like to be flexible and discover what makes my characters tick when their backs are up against a wall. I love a good challenge. The more complex the story, the better I like it—especially when I can make it read as a simple, fast-paced story.
How do any writing groups benefit you and your writing? Also, we might tie some information about your presentations at conferences with this.
Jordan: Writing groups make an author feel normal. We are all crazed to some degree, but hanging together makes that more difficult to spot. I love to network with other writers, both in person and online. Networking and belonging to a local group helped me get published. So of course I’m a big believer in joining a group. But a writer in a group should have a strong sense of what they want their voice to be and not be too swayed by other opinions. This is not easy and it may take trial and error. Some folks might work well with you and others may not.
I offer a FOR WRITERS page on my website to reach out to authors of all experiences with what I’ve learned in my short career. This page has resources on craft, promotion, and just plain fun stuff. And when I do various speaking engagements, I post new articles and update this page from time to time. I believe in the concept of “paying it forward” and the resource page on my website is my way of doing that.
I believe it’s important to share knowledge because our biggest competition is not from each other. It comes from the people who don’t read and all the distractions that pull potential readers away from enjoying a good novel. The better we write our books, the more people will want to read them. The storytelling that comes from each of us will always be unique. That’s what we bring to the table.
(We will continue this interview next month, so please join us again then.)
NOTE: Jordan's website is http://jordandane.com and her FOR WRITERS page link is http://jordandane.com/writers.php. |
Writings from W.Com
I don't always include items written by me, but I thought I would this issue:
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Words from our Readers
humdedum
Ooh, spies and CIA and MI6! I agree - the more nonfic books you read, the more readers will enjoy your book rather than snort at the fantasy. Thanks for the letter!  Hummy
Thanks for leaving a comment. I read many types of books, which help add to my imagination for my own writing.
May your holiday season be peaceful and blessed.
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Mystery: December 23, 2009 Issue [#3452]
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