December 16, 2015: Yesterday I had the pleasure of teleconferencing with a book group from Vermont who had chosen COMPASS NORTH to read and discuss. It was great fun and I'd love to do that with other groups--please contact me!
When I'm asked about COMPASS NORTH, there are some questions that come up frequently. Below are excerpts from my responses in a blog interview I did some time ago, with some of these questions:
What inspired you to become a writer?
I don’t think “inspired” is quite the right term. Writing is just something I’ve always done. I started writing stories and poems when I was in grammar school. In hard times in my life, I’ve journaled my way through a lot of challenges. I love words, plain and simple. I love to see words on a page—love to read them, love to write them. I don’t think every author comes to writing in the same way, but for me, writing has always been my main creative outlet.
When you started writing Compass North, what was your biggest challenge?
It was challenging to write about my main character, Meredith. I think many readers are accustomed (and like) to read about plucky heroines who are bold and strong. When we first meet Meredith, she’s been beaten down by years of emotional abuse by her husband. She’s lost herself. Her self-confidence has disappeared. Meredith has wonderful qualities, but they’ve been dismissed by her husband to the point that she can’t see herself clearly.
The challenge, then, was to have readers understand that Meredith isn’t whiny or weak as the novel begins, but rather that she’s downtrodden to the point that she barely knows who she is anymore. Over the course of the story, Meredith rediscovers her strengths and reinvents herself in her new existence in Homer, Alaska. Of course, that’s no easy task. Meredith finds that it’s not so easy to leave behind the baggage of your past.
Tips for anyone who wants to write a novel?
Persevere. Writing a novel is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a huge amount of work. There are thousands (probably millions) of talented and insightful writers in the world who begin a novel but get lost somewhere in the middle, and never finish. It really helps to be a member of a writing group or to take a class on novel-writing, because that will help you stay focused and your fellow group members/classmates will encourage (and nag) you onward. I read somewhere that a new writer averages about two years to write a first novel, but I personally know a number of writers who have been working on their first novel for significantly longer than that. Perseverance then, and patience.
What were your fave books growing up?
I had so many fave books. I loved fantasies and books about adventures. I read THE HOBBIT and LORD OF THE RINGS over and over—though I always skipped the songs and poems. I loved the classics too: All of Jane Austen, Thackeray, Dickens. At one point in my younger life I was reading a book a day. Hooray for libraries! And though I don’t remember all those titles now, I know that the words, thoughts and messages in those books are still somewhere inside of me, that they were some of the building blocks that made my life what it is today.
What do you do in your spare time?
I am a potter. I love to have my hands in clay. I also hike as much as I can, usually in the wonderful Cascade mountains in the Pacific Northwest. I like to travel. Most recently I’ve been to Bhutan and Peru. And of course I read, read, read.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, I have a rescue Manx cat named Bruno. Manx cats don’t have tails, so their body structure is a little different than most cats. He has oversized haunches and he moves a little like a rabbit—and wow can he jump. He’s big and fearless and he wishes we had mice. Rusty, a standard poodle, joined my household about six months ago. He's wonderful company and a huge amount of work--he needs to run run run every day.
When I'm asked about COMPASS NORTH, there are some questions that come up frequently. Below are excerpts from my responses in a blog interview I did some time ago, with some of these questions:
What inspired you to become a writer?
I don’t think “inspired” is quite the right term. Writing is just something I’ve always done. I started writing stories and poems when I was in grammar school. In hard times in my life, I’ve journaled my way through a lot of challenges. I love words, plain and simple. I love to see words on a page—love to read them, love to write them. I don’t think every author comes to writing in the same way, but for me, writing has always been my main creative outlet.
When you started writing Compass North, what was your biggest challenge?
It was challenging to write about my main character, Meredith. I think many readers are accustomed (and like) to read about plucky heroines who are bold and strong. When we first meet Meredith, she’s been beaten down by years of emotional abuse by her husband. She’s lost herself. Her self-confidence has disappeared. Meredith has wonderful qualities, but they’ve been dismissed by her husband to the point that she can’t see herself clearly.
The challenge, then, was to have readers understand that Meredith isn’t whiny or weak as the novel begins, but rather that she’s downtrodden to the point that she barely knows who she is anymore. Over the course of the story, Meredith rediscovers her strengths and reinvents herself in her new existence in Homer, Alaska. Of course, that’s no easy task. Meredith finds that it’s not so easy to leave behind the baggage of your past.
Tips for anyone who wants to write a novel?
Persevere. Writing a novel is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a huge amount of work. There are thousands (probably millions) of talented and insightful writers in the world who begin a novel but get lost somewhere in the middle, and never finish. It really helps to be a member of a writing group or to take a class on novel-writing, because that will help you stay focused and your fellow group members/classmates will encourage (and nag) you onward. I read somewhere that a new writer averages about two years to write a first novel, but I personally know a number of writers who have been working on their first novel for significantly longer than that. Perseverance then, and patience.
What were your fave books growing up?
I had so many fave books. I loved fantasies and books about adventures. I read THE HOBBIT and LORD OF THE RINGS over and over—though I always skipped the songs and poems. I loved the classics too: All of Jane Austen, Thackeray, Dickens. At one point in my younger life I was reading a book a day. Hooray for libraries! And though I don’t remember all those titles now, I know that the words, thoughts and messages in those books are still somewhere inside of me, that they were some of the building blocks that made my life what it is today.
What do you do in your spare time?
I am a potter. I love to have my hands in clay. I also hike as much as I can, usually in the wonderful Cascade mountains in the Pacific Northwest. I like to travel. Most recently I’ve been to Bhutan and Peru. And of course I read, read, read.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, I have a rescue Manx cat named Bruno. Manx cats don’t have tails, so their body structure is a little different than most cats. He has oversized haunches and he moves a little like a rabbit—and wow can he jump. He’s big and fearless and he wishes we had mice. Rusty, a standard poodle, joined my household about six months ago. He's wonderful company and a huge amount of work--he needs to run run run every day.
