Author Interview ~ Jillian Hart

This native Washingtonian went to high school where Twin Peaks was filmed and claims to have always been a writer—“I saved my allowance for nearly a year to buy a typewriter when I was nine. I've been writing ever since.”

And when it comes to her writing, Jillian Hart says there’s only one approach to getting things done—“to sit in that chair and work…hard!” When she’s not writing, she can be found spending time with her family—reading, traveling, hiking in the pine forests near her home or just relaxing in her rose garden. Like FBI agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks, Jillian loves coffee—although she opts for café mochas.

What new book or project do you have coming out?

Precious Blessings, is my current project out on the shelves.

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

A friend of mine was looking into adoption and my mind, being what it is, started to imagine how hard that has to be to give up a baby for adoption--and the heartbreaking circumstances that can lead a young woman to be in that position.

I'd been waiting for the right character to come along, so this story was sitting on the back burner for almost two years until Katherine started to take shape in my imagination. A good, kind, careful, do-things-right kind of woman, who had to make this painful choice. I thought she deserved a happy end to her story.

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?

For as long as I can remember, I have been telling myself stories, it took about six years of working hard at trying to seriously publish before I received a call from Harlequin Historicals. I was totally shocked to hear a New York editor on the phone for me, and I'm not sure that, ten years later, I actually believe it yet .

I think I walked around in a daze for months. It just seemed so unreal, like I was in a dream and when I woke up, I'd find out it wasn't true. Or, I think mostly I was afraid that they might change their minds. Luckily for me, they didn't. It is a dream to write professionally--and I am grateful for the experience and for each story I get to tell.

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

I have struggled several times with writer's block. Writing one book is exhausting, let alone many for a multi-book contract, and I have written myself into a brick wall twice in the last ten years. I have never been so frustrated when the words stopped coming, because writing might be my vocation but it is foremost my beloved hobby.

The most effective way I've come out of writer's block is to accept it, to dive head first into The Artist's Way, and to nurture my creative side. To keep writer's block at bay over time, I write just something fun, something for me, something that no one else can see between each contracted book. Keeping a hold of the fun and joy of writing without any pressure has made a big difference for me.

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

I write most of my books on my kitchen table---it's one of the happiest places in my house where meals are made and news and laughter is shared. Plus I'm closer to the cookie jar--a writer needs fuel, right? I work on a laptop so I can work wherever the mood strikes me--outdoors on the patio on summer mornings is one of my favorite writing places.

I have a bedroom, which I've converted into a den with my favorite overstuffed chair and ottoman so I can write at my laptop with my feet up, facing the window. I have my desk there, too, for the serious work of polishing and proof reading and preparing a manuscript for an editor.

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

I started out that way, adhering to a daily page count and not letting myself stop until I reached it. That worked great in the beginning, before burn out started to hit me. So I changed my strategy and I write so many hours a day, depending on my deadlines and now the story is coming.

I've learned to trust the story, to listen to it and to take a break when the writing comes to a halt, and yet to have the discipline (ooh, no one likes that word) to sit and get the story on the page when it's coming well and strong. It's not an easy balance, and I admit that there are days where I read a book instead of write--when I should be writing! But fortunately, that doesn't happen too often.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I'm up before six am. Hit the coffee pot for a big cup with my favorite coffee creamer. I read for an hour, it's a good warm up for me-- it's like stretching before running. I write from between seven and four, five days a week. If I'm on a tight deadline, I do work into some evenings and Saturdays, but I try not to do that too often. I always read an hour before I go to bed.

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

Not to worry about anything but telling your story. Forget competing with other authors for publishing slots, or chasing trends, or changing your voice for the market. That the best way to succeed is to write honestly with your own vision, and to love the journey of it. That is advice I believe has made all the difference.

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 suffer from self-doubt like anyone else does, and so for years I took a lot of negative feedback to heart. I'm not talking about constructive things, like trying to write in a more active voice--goodness, writing is so complex and difficult there's always room for improvement. That's a positive focus.

I'm talking about the negative focus. I worried my stories were too small and simple. My writing voice too little and goody two shoes. I wanted to be a blockbuster writer—don't we all—like the wonderful authors who frequent the NYT list. I spent time spinning my wheels, dissatisfied with the stories that came to me. Fortunately, it wasn't too long until I realized that we are all given different talents and voices and visions for a reason.

That I shouldn't worry so much about not writing bigger or more exciting or, as I am often told, more plot intensive books. Those aren't the kinds of stories that naturally come to me or that suit my individual skill levels. If I had learned to trust in the writing and in my writing journey, to accept with gratitude the path that is meant for me, I think I would have hit my stride sooner.

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

I do book signings once a year. I'm shy, and that makes publicity very painful. I try to do a few interviews and teach a few workshops every year, to try to get up my comfort zone and to stay in touch with fellow booklovers.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Savor the journey. I spent so many years before I was published, thinking I needed the right story, the right concept, the right break, an appointment with the right editor, to write according to this teaching method or that market. I saw getting published as an end—but it's not, it's just another step and then there are more books to write.

Writing and publishing can be a lifelong journey--isn't that great? My best advice is to be clear on what you want and make sure you enjoy as many of the steps along the way as you can. Write what you love. Write from your heart. Make it a good journey.