Author Interview ~ Lori Wick

Lori Wick is a multifaceted author of Christian fiction. As comfortable writing period stories as she is penning contemporary works, Lori’s books (more than 5 million in print) vary widely in location and time period. Lori’s faithful fans consistently put her series and standalone works on the bestseller lists. Lori and her husband, Bob, live with their swiftly growing family in the Midwest.

What new book or project do you have coming out?

White Chocolate Moments came out in December 2006. It’s a contemporary story set in Chicago. It’s a departure from my usual writing since there’s almost no mention of God or Christianity for many chapters into the book. I ended up having a great time writing the story. I love Chicago and the characters were very fun. My current writing project is a trilogy set in Montana Territory in the early 1880's. Cassidy, the first book is done and should be at convention this summer.

How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific ‘what if’ moment?

My husband and I were in California for a wedding and went shopping in Penney’s. The woman who waited on us was named Arcie. I asked her about it and she said it was short for Arcineh, and that the name was Armenian. I fell in love with this name, and from it I developed Arcineh’s character in White Chocolate Moments.

I knew I wanted her to be a dancer, and that she would be raised by her grandfather. Her grandfather’s character came more slowly, but it was fun to go into the business world for a while. The dynamic of Arcineh’s relationship to her grandfather was very fun to write. I enjoyed the fact that the grandfather was a successful business man. It was interesting looking into who he was and the sacrifices that it took to accomplish what he did, but also to see that where his granddaughter was concerned he was a vulnerable man.

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?

Things moved very swiftly for me. I did not pay my dues in the usual fashion. I began writing in March of 1988. Originally Harvest House rejected me. So did Bethany, but Bethany wrote me a personal note. They said my book was too much like a Gilbert Morris book they had recently published. (I think it’s great that they were protecting their author.) They suggested I go to HH, so I resubmitted my book.

It took some months to come together, but I was picked up by Harvest House less than a year after I’d started writing. The phone call came when I was at home. I was on bed rest with a dicey pregnancy. (By the way, the baby was fine, she’s 17 these days.) Anyway, the phone rang and someone said it was HH and asked me if I would hold. I’d never been asked to hold for someone important before and I thought that was pretty fun. Then a woman I’d spoken with in the past came on, and she asked me to hold again.

I started to get excited, but it still didn’t sink in. Not until the then editor-in-chief - some time into the conversation - said she was sending a contract did I know it was real. I would have jumped around in excitement, but the order for bed rest prevented that. I called my husband at work and he came right home. It’s a great memory.

Do you ever struggle with writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I don’t know if my answer will encourage anyone, but I come against a wall on nearly every book. I can’t pretend that the story is going well, my readers would see right through that, so I walk away. If I have a short story in my mind, I might work on that. I do not start another book. I don’t write at all if I’m not in the mood, and when the current story comes back, I go back to work.

I might lose a few weeks, but it’s never lasted more than two months. Sometimes when the story comes back we’re talking about a trickle, and sometimes it’s a nice steady flow. At times words pour out of me, and there are not enough containers in the house to catch it all. I just write as fast as I can and hope to catch all the mistakes during editing. There are times when I’m stuck and I see the days rushing away - with no words to show for it - that I just sit at the computer until something starts. Sometimes it works.

Where do you write? Do you have a dedicated office or a corner or nook in a room?

I have an office in our home, and that’s where most of my writing takes place. It’s wide open to the living room and even let’s me see into the kitchen. Unlike today’s golfers, I do not need quiet to write. If the story is coming, the roof could be falling around my ears, and I would just keep typing. I recently got a laptop, so I can wander around all I want, and even travel with it. If it’s football season, I’ll probably be in the living room cheering for Brett Favre and typing at the same time.

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

I don’t have a goal, but I love getting out between 30 and 40 pages in a day. That makes for a great sense of accomplishment. My top page count in a day is 50, but the words have to be pouring out of me to make that happen.

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

I have to answer this one in a backhanded manner. The worst advise I’ve heard is - Write what you know. That’s not something that makes sense to me. I write what I’m excited about, even if I don’t “know it”. I don’t think you have to experience everything to write a story that someone else could enjoy. I’ve never been a dancer or run a large company, but I was excited about those components in White Chocolate Moments and I went for it.

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?

To simply do what I do best and am comfortable with. Early on I wanted to be very involved in the artwork for the covers of my books, but I learned that that’s not my strong point. It was a relief to finally give that over to Harvest House. Also, I’m not a speaker. It plays havoc with my life to even schedule a book signing. I’m good with words on paper and in informal settings. I wish I’d realized earlier on that someone buying my book does not give them a right to me. No matter how much they want to talk to me or hug me, if I can’t be at their gathering, it’s all right. I can’t feel guilty about saying no. One last thought. When I got that first rejection notice, the wording was very helpful. It said they could not publish the book with success. I appreciated that. It reminded me that this is a business, and not to take it personally.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

The answer to this ties into knowing what I’m good at and not trying to do other people’s jobs. I go to convention every summer. While there, I do everything Harvest House asks me. I love seeing the Harvest House folks, it’s like a family reunion. I also love meeting people, hearing about their stores, and signing my newest book. Beyond that, I do not travel to promote my books. If I can do something over the phone, HH will send it my way, but I rarely make public appearances.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Have fun with the writing. I write a story that I want to read. I write it for myself. I have a wonderful readership, and I care about those dear folks and pray for them, but when I sit at that computer, I write the story I’m excited about. Even if my books didn’t sell well, I would keep writing for myself. I’m just thankful and blessed that there are others who want to read the same stories I do.