Author Interview ~ Kirsten Lasinski

Kirsten Lasinski has lived in the Denver area since 1989 and currently resides in Parker, Colorado with her husband Richard and eighteenth month-old daughter Rachel. She is a graduate from the University of Colorado with degrees in English and Communication, and her accomplishments as a writer include two novels through Moody Publishing: The Fall (2003) and Guarded (2005). She is a speaker for Words for the Journey and the Denver chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She freelances articles for a variety of print and online venues, maintains a poetry blog on her website and enjoys participating in radio interviews and book signings all over the country. In her spare time, she loves to backpack and camp in the Rocky Mountains. For more information, please visit her website.

Plug time. What new book or project do you have coming out?

I just finished a manuscript and gave it to my agent to work his magic. It’s the story of two women: one is mired in the grief of losing a child, losing her marriage and losing her faith; the other has no faith at all and can’t imagine a God who would forgive what she’s done. They find one another and through a really poignant friendship discover the true nature of God.

I’ve also launched a new poetry blog on my website. Poetry is my native tongue when it comes to writing, and it’s what I love to write the most.

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

The idea for the book has been percolating in my system for a while. I’ve been intrigued by the different ways in which people handle grief, what suffering does to our view of God and the purifying nature that sorrow can have sometimes.

The blog started out as a form of worship – just me writing love poems to God and writing poetry in response to Scripture. I decided to start a blog in the hopes that others would be edified and drawn closer to God as well.

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 had been writing for two or three years before I got a contract. My editor emailed me to let me know a contract was in the mail, and when it came I just sat in my living room running my fingers over it and gaping at it as if it were the Declaration of Independence or the Shroud of Turin or something.

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

I think everyone struggles with writer’s block at some point. Usually for me it’s when I’m bogged down in the middle of a manuscript without the enthusiasm of the beginning or the light in the tunnel of the end. I often take a day off and don’t write, but just do the things that restore my sense of wonder: take longs walks, read poetry, drink tea and eat chocolate, sing along with that scene from The Sound of Music where Maria sings “Climb Every Mountain” with the Mother Superior, that sort of thing.

If I’m dreading getting through a particular scene I’ll just skip it and work on a scene I’m truly interested in for a while.

What is the most difficult part of writing for you or was when you first started on your writing journey?

I think plot has always been my biggest struggle. I get so into the story that I can’t see the forest for the trees. It takes a lot of effort for me to step back and look at the flow of events, but it’s something that has become easier the more I write.

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

I write everywhere! My bed, the couch, the bathtub, the living room floor, the car, coffee shops, libraries, parks – you get the picture.

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

I tend to set goals more by which scenes I want to finish than by word count. I find it helps keep me in the moment with my work. I also tend to use weekly goals instead of daily because my days are often unpredictable.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I get up around six o’clock when my eighteen month-old starts shouting, “Meeeeee! Meeeeee!” (a.k.a. milk) from her bedroom. My day-to-day life looks similar to any stay at home mom’s, but when Rachel goes down for her morning and afternoon naps I snatch up my laptop, and a frenzied pecking ensues. I find a babysitter every week so I can attend my fantastic critique group, Words for The Journey. It’s too important to miss!

Take us through your process of writing a novel briefly—from conception to revision.



My ideas usually come from scenes I see in my imagination. I tend to visualize one emotionally charged moment in time (a woman learning she was adopted, a fisherman finding a body in the lake, a couple fighting) and build a story around it. What’s happening to this person? How did he or she get into this situation?

I sketch a rough outline, write a few scenes, work on a more detailed outline, write more, finalize the plot, bask in my own glow because I know this is the most brilliant thing anyone has ever written, write a bunch, three-quarters of the way through suddenly hate the manuscript because it’s absolute trash and I’m a terrible, terrible writer, finally finish on a positive note. I like the book. It’s okay. Then I go through and revise the manuscript a couple times, repeating the “this is brilliant/this is trash” cycle as I go.

What are some of your favorite books (not written by you)?

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Mark of the Lion trilogy by Francine Rivers
Love to Water My Soul by Jane Kirkpatrick
Immortal Poems of the English Language
The Witness by Grace Livingston Hill – out of print and almost impossible to find, but worth it.

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

Move the story forward. If something doesn’t contribute to the forward motion of the book, cut it! Also, each scene should have a high point – a moment of intensity or conflict. If you can’t identify what it is you probably need to cut the scene.

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?

You are your own best marketing tool. Publishing houses can do a great job promoting your book, but to really build a reader base you need to book your own speaking engagements, radio interviews, book signings, blog tours, etc.

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

I do a fair amount of marketing, although not as much as some writers. I’ve found that book signings and speaking engagements go a long way toward getting the word out. Also, a good website is key! Invest a little money and have a professional put something together for you.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Write what you love, not what you think will sell. God called you to be a writer not necessarily to be published. If He wants you to be published you will be. Don’t measure your success by worldly standards. And don’t forget – the journey is the destination.