Author Interview ~ Rene Gutteridge

Rene Gutteridge is the author of seven novels, including Boo, Boo Who, Boo Hiss, Ghost Writer, and Troubled Waters. Gutteridge has also has been published extensively as a playwright. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Oklahoma City University and trained as a screenwriter before becoming director of drama for First United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, where she served for five years. Now a full-time writer, Rene lives with her husband, Sean, and their two children in Oklahoma City.





What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

Scoop, the first book in the Occupational Hazards Series, comes out in October. It’s my first comedy series since the Boo Series.







Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

I got the call that I’d sold my first book when my son was five weeks old. It was surreal. The editor was in New York and calling from the airport to tell me the news. I’d been trying to get published for about three years. But I’d been writing much longer than that. I’ve been writing seriously since I was a kid.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Definitely! Most days. If it’s not flowing out like a river, I think, “This is it. I knew it would end sometime. My well is dry.”

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

Thinking no news is bad news. Sometimes no news means people are looking at your stuff. But then again, it can mean nobody’s looking at your stuff. You can see why novelists are known to go insane…

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

To write. There are a lot of people wishing to get published who have never even finished a book. Get your craft to a level where it’s publishable, and then you’ll hear the phone ringing.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

Um….I’m stretching my mind here. I don’t know that I’ve gotten superbly rotten advice, per se, but I will say that as I was starting out, I was often times miffed by many successful writers’ refusal to cough up trade secrets. They sort of had this mindset of, “Well, I had to work hard and figure it out, so you’re on your own.” When I teach writing, I give up all the trade secrets, from the creative end to the business end. I want writers to know the business so they can focus on their craft.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

Patience. Checking my mailbox four times a day never made a difference in the time line. (That’s back when they used to notify you by mail. I think they all use e-mail now.) I just never could get a handle on sitting back and waiting.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

In the beginning, I was eager to get my career rolling, so I didn’t have a clear vision of what kinds of fiction I wanted to write. Or at least I wasn’t sure enough in myself to make sure my vision didn’t get skewed. However, I don’t know that it was really a mistake or setback. You can’t go shoving your way into a publisher demanding to write a certain kind of book before you’ve proven yourself. Or asking for certain release dates. Ten books later, I’ve found my stride and have a much clearer idea of what I want to do with my fiction.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

Ha. That’s funny. Do people actually answer this question by naming themselves?? I’ve recently read Tracey Bateman and am in love with her books. I’m reading like crazy her Claire series. I also had the pleasure of reading a beautiful non-fiction book, Lessons from the Carpenter by H. Michael Brewer. It’s a short book, but very powerful, especially if you’re dealing with suffering.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

I’m proud of my first book, Ghost Writer. That was a monster to write, and to tell you the truth, I don’t think I would have the energy these days to take it on! My mind just doesn’t work like it did when I was in my twenties. I’ve got kids and bills and my mind is consumed with a lot more now. I’m also proud of my comedies. I think it takes guts to write comedy, because if it bombs, it bombs big time. And it’s hard to stand up and say, “Hey, I think I’m funny.”

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

That it seems to move at a snail’s pace. As you can see, I haven’t mastered patience yet.

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I write from 9:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. and then from 12:30 p.m. to 2:35 p.m. (This all revolves around preschool and 1st grade with my kids). On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I write from 12:30 p.m. – 2:35 p.m. I do write sometimes on Saturdays, and try my very best not to write on Sundays. It’s hard for me to take a break. I am a bit of a workaholic.

And here’s how I work: I basically write for ten minutes, check my e-mail, write for ten minutes, check my e-mail, write for ten minutes, check my e-mail. But the first thing I do before I start all of that is check the news headlines. I also have a bad habit of cracking and eating pistachios when I write. It gives my fingers something to do while I’m thinking but it makes a mess.

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

I envy writers whose sentences read like a dream. They have a wide vocabulary and can pull similes and metaphors from the dust. I think Lisa Samson is an amazing writer. I’ve actually never finished an entire book of hers because I just start feeling so bad about my own writing! She is truly gifted with her words…a true wordsmith. I’m sort of a hack that happens to crank out some nifty dialogue now and then. But sometimes dialogue can carry you a long way! Also, Dickens. My goodness, what a master.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

Definitely. I would love to write a screenplay and see it turned into a motion picture.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

Just yesterday. Kidding. But it is a tough business. It’s solitary and it’s grueling and it makes you doubt yourself over and over. If I didn’t feel like I had a higher purpose and hadn’t invested so much of my time in it, maybe I would’ve quit. But I love it and I know God’s using what I write for a purpose. It’s nice to know it’s not all about me. If it were all about me, it would get very discouraging very quickly.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

The reviews and the reviews. Well, not exactly. But you get the idea. When you get a good review, it feels great. When you get a bad review, you feel like quitting. I think what I love the most is hearing from readers. I get a lot of mail these days (at least by my standards) and I love every one of them. Hearing from readers lets you get a small glimpse outside your tiny computer screen. It helps you understand that people are out there and actually reading your books. You have no idea how many times I’ve doubted that…

How much marketing do you do? Any advice in this area?

I do a lot of marketing through my website and my newsletter. I keep in touch with readers and I make sure they know how thankful I am to have them. I try my best to be available when my publishing house needs me. Most of all, I try to write books that people will want to talk about at the water cooler and share with their friends.

Parting words?

Don’t let anyone fool you. Being a novelist is as fun as it gets. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s worth it. There’s nothing like getting that book in the mail, holding it in your hands and realizing a dream that was in your head is now out there to share.