Author Interview ~ Lisa Wingate

Lisa Wingate is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books, including Tending Roses, Good Hope Road, The Language of Sycamores, and Drenched in Light. Her work was recently honored by the Americans for More Civility for promoting greater kindness and civility in American life. Lisa and her family live in Central Texas.






Time to crow: What new book or project do you have coming out?

My new book is Talk of the Town, a February 2008 release from Bethany House. Talk of the Town is a zany little tale about big dreams, small-town life, fried food, and the making of Hollywood superstars—not necessarily in that order. While the book has a serious side that looks at grief, recovery, the temptations of fame, and the value of community, it also has a lot of laughs, thanks to the quirky, crazy folks of Daily, Texas.

Daily is a place not unlike many small towns, and if you’ve ever lived in one or spent time in one, you’ll probably recognize some people you know in Daily, Texas. While you’re there, don’t forget to stop in at the café for a cup of coffee and a slice of pie. Say hi to Imagene, Donetta, and the girls for me. Don’t be surprised if they’re cooking up more than red beans and rice.

There’s never any telling, on any given day, what will happen in Daily, and that goes double now that local Daily darling Amber Anderson has made it to the top on the American Superstar show. Ever since the big news about Amber hit town, it’s been dig-in-your-spurs-and-hang-on-Sally, we’re going for a ride.

NJ: For a review of Talk of the Town click here.

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

In every story there are some bits of real life, some tidbits of sheer invention, and a sprinkle of serendipity. Writers are always the people slyly turning an ear to the tiny human dramas in restaurants, department-store checkout lines, and cell phone conversations in the next bathroom stall.

The original idea for this story struck me several years ago while I was out to dinner with friends. The subject of nearby Crawford, Texas (at that time, the brand-new location of the Bush ranch), came up, and funny “Crawford” stories began flying back and forth across the table. Strange events take place when the world stage falls on a quiet little town that isn’t at all prepared for the spotlight. It occurred to me that not only were some interesting culture collisions involved, but the stories were just plain funny.

The story idea rattled around in the back of my mind for several years. When I finally started writing it, I thought a reality TV show would be the perfect vehicle for bringing the press, paparazzi, and the bright lights to a sleepy little town that’s about to wake up in a big way.

Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication? How did you find out you would be published and what went through your mind?

I’ve always loved to write, and I’ve wanted to be a writer for about as long as I can remember. A special first-grade teacher, Mrs. Krackhardt, put that idea into my head when she wrote on my report card that she expected to see my name in a magazine one day.

I didn’t get serious about freelance writing and selling until after I’d graduated from college, married, and started a family. I can put some of the blame on a busy job as a technical writer and sleep deprivation from raising young children. I wrote and sold various smaller projects in between naps, diapers, and play groups.

Finally the time came when the boys were more independent, and I started thinking again about that desire that began in Mrs. Krackhardt’s class. I asked myself what makes a story last, what really makes a story worth telling and worth reading? I wanted to write books that meant something, that explore the human soul.

During that time period, I came across a notebook in which I’d written down some of my grandmother’s stories. I’d never known quite what to do with those stories, but I knew they were significant in my life. When I rediscovered the notebook, I had the idea of combining my grandmother’s real stories with a fictional family who are like and unlike my own family. That little germ of an idea became my first mainstream novel, Tending Roses.

I spent about a year writing the book, mostly while the boys were napping or playing. When it was finished, I edited it repeatedly and then sought agents for it. I did that in the typical way--researched, used Writer’s Market, and sent queries to the agents. While I was trying to sell I wrote a second novel called Texas Cooking. Lisa Hagan of Paraview Literary agency sold both books to NAL Penguin Putnam six or eight months later.

Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I don’t battle writer’s block nearly as much as I battle writer’s laziness. For me, the battle isn’t so much about what to write as it is about getting myself to the keyboard and getting down to business.

On any given day there are a million other things that seem tempting—email to answer, a house that needs cleaning, something neat happening in town, the kids want to go swimming (so do I), Dr. Phil at three o’clock. You name it, I can become distracted by it. That, for me, is the biggest writing struggle.

As far as writer’s block goes, I’ve learned that in terms of getting a book together, it’s easier to make something from something than something from nothing. Even if I feel that what I’m writing that day isn’t particularly great, I’ve learned to push through it and get something on paper with the idea that I can always revise it later, and that will be easier when the first draft is finished.

Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters, or a host of other problems. What's the most difficult part of writing for you?

For me, the writing process has remained much the same. I still begin with characters and an initial situation. From there, the process becomes a journey of discovering the characters from the outside in. Each story is a quest to understand the hearts and minds of several individuals—the ways in which each is a product of a specific set of experiences. As the story develops, the needs of the characters begin to mesh, and the potential for connection becomes more evident.

As far as actually writing the story goes, some days the writing is easier than others, and some parts of the book are easier than others. I don’t know at the beginning exactly how the story will end, which isn’t to say that writing is a completely blind journey. Writing each book is a bit like crossing the mountains with a pocket map. On the map, I can see major landmarks, a path from one landmark to the next, and an eventual ending point on the other side of the mountains.

Like all climbers, I begin the journey with excitement, enthusiasm, and my lungs full of air. At a few thousand feet, the air gets thin, I’m tired of climbing, and I’m wondering if the map will take me where I need to go. By then, I’ve encountered a dozen unexpected roadblocks and at least as many wonderful surprises.

The story experience is becoming real, and full, and tactile. The characters are taking over, and I want their journeys to end someplace wonderful. I know that if I can just reach the crest of the mountain, I’ll be able to see the finish line, and the journey down the other side will be incredibly satisfying. Finally, the characters and I sprint down the other side of the mountain and celebrate the end of the journey together.

Of course, in reality this celebration is just me at my computer surrounded by imaginary people, so all that cheering probably looks ridiculous. Luckily, I’m usually alone when it happens—except for the characters, of course, and they completely understand.

How do you climb out (overcome it)?

Generally I just keep putting one foot in front of the other, clinging to the faith that about halfway through the book the larger canvas will become clear. If anything has changed over the years, it’s that these days it’s easier not to panic when the weave seems to be a little thready. I know that eventually it’ll all come together.

Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy attic nook?

I can (and do) write anywhere, anytime, with any amount of ongoing commotion around me. I write on an Alphasmart keyboard or on a laptop so I’m portable. I don’t require quiet or soft colors on the walls or calm surroundings. I write from life and about life, and pretty much while life is going on around me.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My typical day begins with getting the boys off to school—which is a change since the writing of my first novel, Tending Roses. My typical day used to be entertaining a toddler and a baby while hurrying to write during naptimes. Now, as the parent of two teenagers, I write when I’m not transporting someone to activities or taking pieces of forgotten sports equipment or lost marching band shoes to football and baseball fields everywhere.

On a typical day, I sit down to write while drinking my tea first thing in the morning. I hear the cadence of the words like music, and when I’m really into a story, everything else fades away. It’s sometimes hard for me to remember that the people and events in the stories aren’t real—which actually may mean I need therapy of some kind. It has occurred to me that I am a grownup who still plays with imaginary friends.

On a good writing day, I may find myself still in my pajamas with my keyboard in my lap at eleven in the morning, all of which is fine, unless neighbors stop by, and I find myself answering the door with a bad case of bed-head, sheepishly saying, “No, really, I didn’t just get up. I’ve been working for hours.”

Some authors report writing five to ten thousand words a day. Do scenes flow freely from your veins or do you have to tweeze each word out?

How easily the words come depends on the story, and even more so on the part of the story I happen to be writing that day. Some scenes are easier to write than others, and some parts of the story are more fun to experience. Generally I try to write ten double-spaced pages per day, which allows me to finish a draft in two or three months, depending on how much traveling and speaking I’m doing. After the first draft is finished, I’ll usually spend a month or so rereading and revising before the book moves on to the editor’s desk.

Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.

Most often my stories start with a character in a particular situation. Usually I meet the main character at a point of crisis, when something unexpected and unplanned has occurred, turning the character’s former life upside down. The remainder of the story is a process of watching the character grow and change, finding a new sense of order in life, a new purpose that brings spiritual peace and fulfillment. I believe we’re all trying to figure out why God put us here and what we’re meant to be doing.

I meet my characters as you would meet any new person. At first, I know them only on the surface, but as the story develops I spend a great deal of time pondering their needs and desires, their secret yearnings and where those deep desires of the soul will ultimately lead them. Following a character through a story is always a growth process. They grow, and I grow right along with them.

What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?

In terms of classics, I love anything by Mark Twain because the writing is real and timeless. Reading Twain makes you realize that, when you take away the modern trappings, people really haven’t changed all that much. There’s a little Huckleberry Finn in all of us. I enjoy the writings of Will Rogers for the same reason. Rogers’ humor is dead-on today, just as it was when he penned it. I’ve loved sharing C. S. Lewis with my sons as they’ve grown up, as well. Gift From the Sea is another tiny but favorite classic.

In terms of modern writers, I enjoy reading anything by Debbie Macomber. Luanne Rice, Adriana Trigiani, and others. I loved Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook because it encompassed so many of the feelings I had while dealing with Alzheimer’s disease in my own family. I enjoy any story that explores life in a positive way and ends with the belief that all things are possible.

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

Just write because you love it. I know everyone says that, but it’s true. If you really want to work toward publication, set a manageable daily page quota, or daily writing hours, and hold yourself to it. One of the hardest things about writing is holding yourself accountable for finishing a project.

Another piece of advice I give to new writers is: Don’t marry yourself to one project. While you’re trying to sell your first book, write your second. If the first one doesn’t sell, it won’t be the end of the world because you’ll have another avenue to pursue, and if your first book does sell, you’re ready to aim for a two-book contract.

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 wish I’d known that rejection isn’t anything personal, it’s just part of the business and it’s to be expected. Your project isn’t bad just because it gets rejected. It may not be that editor’s (or agent’s) cup of tea, the house might not be buying right then, they may have another author under contract whose work is similar to yours, and so on.

There are so many reasons a book can be rejected, and the real trick is to look at the rejections as a tool and then move on. Don’t make sweeping changes based on one opinion, unless there’s a imminent sale involved. Conversely, if you hear the same criticism from several editors (or agents), consider pulling out the red pen and getting to work.

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

One of the challenges, after that first book starts hitting the shelves, is balancing time between real life, writing new books, and marketing existing ones. I do quite a bit of communicating and marketing through email, website, online newsletter, and some snail mail address lists. I try, in every way possible, to keep in touch with the community of readers who have enjoyed my past books and to reach out to new book lovers.

In terms of things that have worked very well, maintaining a website and email newsletter list have been valuable, as has traveling and doing quite a bit of public speaking to groups of all types. You’re always the best one to tell the story behind your own story. I’ve enjoyed the chance to be a small part of so many groups and gatherings, and have made some great friendships along the way.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Writing as a career is an odd paradox in that it is a solitary profession in which you spend your time trying to communicate thought, feeling, emotion, or experience to other people. What you find after talking to enough people (real and imaginary), is that the human condition changes very little from life to life, from generation to generation.

We all want happiness, contentment, a sense of belonging, to love and be loved. We all feel the spiritual pull to know our purpose and understand why we’re here, in this place, at this time. We’re all seeking life’s purpose. On any given road, you’re never the only traveler. God puts people ahead of you and people behind you. They walk in shoes like your own and shoes that are different. We’re not meant to merely pass each other blindly but to learn and to teach along the way.

While you’re walking the road, be aware, be in the moment, don’t close your eyes even for an instant. You never know when you’re going to turn a corner and find—right in the middle of an ordinary day—the idea for a story. And the truth is, if you take some time to look, you learn that everyone and everything has a story. Life is a diamond mine, and if you sift the dirt long enough, you find that little gems are everywhere.