Author Review ~ Tina Ann Forkner

Tina Ann Forkner writes contemporary women’s fiction for Waterbrook Press and her first novel is tentatively due out next year. Tina is an Executive Assistant for a technology company by day and has a special interest in women’s ministries that meet women where they are at. She has written poetry and juggled a modicum of freelance writing projects over the years too, more recently for Moms at Work http://www.momsatwork.org/

What new book or project would you like to tell us about?

I recently signed my first two-book contract with Waterbrook Press, a division of Random House. The first book, Ruby Among Us, is a contemporary women’s fiction novel dealing with intergenerational relationships between mothers and daughters and is tentatively due out next year. I’m excited about this book, which explores the dual nature of God’s permissiveness and providence in the lives of its characters. I am currently busy writing the second book.

Tell us about your publishing journey. How long had you been writing before you got a contract? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

I was a little kid when I told my parents I wanted to be a writer and they said, “Okay.” Much of that early writing was really bad, but my parents’ tendency to brag only encouraged me.

Like many writers, I majored in English, but not until my mid-twenties. I became involved with the literary community while in college and against their better judgment was even the highlighted poet at a coffee shop reading once for the local poetry society. I remember thinking, what are they thinking asking me to read? And I think there were all of about five or six people in the room, but it felt like 500. I can’t remember that tiny little coffee shop’s name and I bet they can’t remember mine either, but it was a good experience to have an audience. I’m not sure they “got” me or my poetry, but the audience was gracious and I got some good feedback to help improve my writing.

Leaving college was sort of traumatic for me writing-wise. I had to learn to put my fingers to the keys and write with no writing community to inspire me. I did freelance jobs here and there, but not much fiction or poetry. When I became a single mom, I had to focus on working full-time and doing the mommy thing. During that season I sort of had a tug of war with God about who was in control and except for a page or two, I wrote very little. I had no idea those few paragraphs were the beginning of my first novel.

I met my husband a few years later and everything changed. I found I had a champion in him when I rediscovered those forgotten paragraphs. I established a writing routine in the mornings before the family got out of bed and in nine months had a novel. And no, the irony of it being born in nine months isn’t lost on me. God has a sense of humor.

I got in contact with my agent through a relative and the day he called and asked if he could represent me was an exciting day. He did all the work and when the initial call about my book contract came, I was at work. I borrowed the Executive Conference room, hoping my boss (the CEO!) wouldn’t walk in at that moment. I was supposed to be answering his phone! The call was surreal and I tried to play it cool, but inside I was turning cartwheels. There were a few more big calls before things were official. The moment I put pen to paper I was at home with my husband. That is when we both knew it was real. Oh yeah, and I still work. That old adage about not quitting your day job and all that…

Do you still have self-doubts about your writing?

I do, but I try to write through them. My husband really encourages me during those periods. I am also a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW) http://rmfw.org/ and of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) http://www.acfw.com/ . It’s nice to be part of an organization where you can directly email more experienced authors for encouragement or advice.

I am also still in occasional contact with an experienced poet from college. She is a very encouraging person and we share writing thoughts. I have some friends I have met at ACFW conferences too, and they are very supportive.

I pray too, sometimes desperately, for courage!

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

No, but I did feel like God couldn’t use my writing.

What mistakes did you make while seeking a publisher or agent?

I haven’t been in the business long enough to have made mistakes and how the deal came about was truly a God thing. I am blessed to have a wonderful agent and a great publisher.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

The best writing advice I’ve heard came from a literary poet, who was also my poetry professor, Dennis Schmitz. He told me to keep revising and that the work is really never finished, even though one eventually does have to let it go. He taught me there is almost always a better word to use or a better way to say something. Because of his influence, I find that I will automatically look for a better word or a more interesting way to say things in my fiction.

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

People who write poetry can’t write fiction.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

I am still early in my career, but at this point I don’t wish I’d known anything else nor done anything differently. Being clueless about so many things has probably given me all kinds of room to grow. Any frustrations I’ve had have been necessary learning experiences and if one thing had happened differently, I don’t think I would be the writer I am. I still have lots to learn, so maybe my answer will be different in ten years.

Was there ever a difficult set back that you went through in your writing career?

Oh sure. I guess it would have been the years I didn’t write much when I was a single parent or when I wasn’t part of a writing community, but those things shaped me as a writer.

What are a few of your favorite books?
Here are some that have evoked a strong response in me:
Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert
The Mark of the Lion series, by Francine Rivers
Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers
The Visitation, by Frank Peretti
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley (A great study of what could happen if one plays God.)
Open House, by Elizabeth Berg
Opposite of Fate, by Amy Tan
Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follet
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
And here’s a surprising one, The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger. I’ve been an assistant to business executives for years now and I just found the book to be funny. I also have to confess I cut my teeth on Jeanette Oke when I was a teenager - I ferociously read her books and still love historical fiction.

What work have you done that you’re especially proud of and why?

Just the one fiction title so far.

Do you have a scripture or quote that has spoken to you lately in regards to your writing?

The Bible inspires me daily, but I relate to what Amy Tan says in her writing memoir, The Opposite of Fate, “After all, the richest source of my fiction does come from life as I have misunderstood it – its contradictions, its unanswerable questions, its unlikely twists and turns.”

Can you give us a look into a typical day for you?

Typically my husband nudges me out of bed at 5am and I’m in my office by 5:30 (most mornings). I write until 7:30am when it’s time to do the mom thing. After the morning school drop off, I have a little over an hour to write more before I go to work outside of my home. I devote evenings to family and rarely write at night.

Do you have a word or page goal you set for each day?

No, but that’s a good idea. I’ve tried it a few times, but can never stick to it. I just try to spend my writing time writing, since I only have that one window of time every day.

Are you an SOTP (seat of the pants) writer or a plotter?

For the longest time, I never knew I was writing a certain way, and then someone told me I’m an intuitive writer, or SOTP. So I guess that’s it.

What author do you especially admire and why?

Just one? I admire Amy Tan and Elizabeth Berg for their insight into the relationships of characters and Joyce Carol Oates for her ability to challenge readers’ minds. I admire Colleen Coble’s work ethic. I admire Frank Peretti’s ability to write fiction that reaches both CBA and the mainstream and for his daring to write something different.

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

My favorite is that I get to write. I don’t have a least favorite, unless you count back aches.

How much marketing do you do? What's your favorite part of marketing?

None yet, but I’ll participate in marketing efforts closer to the book’s release if they need me to. I have been talked into starting a blog, so if anyone would like to witness my fledgling efforts, the blog is http://www.tinaannforkner.blogspot.com/. Visit and we can all learn together. I also hope to have occasional guest “appearances” by real published authors since having a blog about just me can’t be exciting, to me or anyone else!

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Being so new to the business, I really have no wisdom to impart. All I can say is, just write. Believe in the desire God has given you and write as much as you can. Nothing will fall into place until the words have been written. He has a plan for you. Oh, and read Novel Journey. Be sure to do an interview with them if they offer!