Debut Author ~ Michelle Sutton

Michelle Sutton is Editor in Chief of Christian Fiction Online magazine, Volunteer Officer on the ACFW board, an edgy fiction writer, book reviewer, avid blogger/alliance member, web designer, wife, marketing director, mother of two teens, social worker by trade, and follower of Jesus Christ. Best known for her numerous Edgy Author review sites and her Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers groups, she also gives away two books per week on her blog and posts numerous reviews on her blog. Michelle lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons. Her debut book, It's Not About Me, releases in September, 2008.

Time to crow: This is your first book coming out. Tell us about it.

It’s Not About Me is about a young woman, Annie, who just graduated from high school. She plans to go to a Christian College in the fall. Her boyfriend of four years starts getting very pushy with her regarding sex and she is very conflicted about what to do. She’s a good Christian girl, but she also tries very hard to not let people down. Then something horrible happens and her future plans are all destroyed. I can’t say what it is because it will mess up the story, but I can say that this very situation happened to a friend of mine from church when we lived in Phoenix. It really shakes her to the foundation of her faith. Both her boyfriend and his older brother care very much for Annie and she becomes overwhelmed when they keep fighting over her. But I won’t tell you who she ends up with, or if she chooses either one. That would ruin the story for you. Sorry.

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

Like I mentioned above, this situation actually happened to a woman I knew. She was beautiful, just like Annie, but middle-aged. I thought it would make an interesting story if I took a young girl who was beautiful, yet insecure in her faith, and used the situation to shake the foundation of everything she thought she believed in. The faith portion of the story is similar to my own experience when I was her age. I discovered you can know all about Jesus and not really know Him.

Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication?

I began writing in August of 2003. It sounds cliché, but I never wrote a word before and really believe God called me to write. I wanted to create something that would dig below the surface and touch the real issues. I’m also not afraid to be edgy. It must be the social worker in me that yearns to develop real characters with many complex layers in their mind, faith, and humanity. I don’t like the Pollyanna-type so you won’t find any perfect Christians in anything I write.

How did you find out and what went through your mind?

How did I find out about what? How to get published? I joined ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) to help provide support, direction, and training in writing so I could create something publishable. Many people waste time because they don’t realize there is such a valuable resource out there for Christian writers. I am a go-getter and wasting time is something I don’t allow myself to do.

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 get writer’s block. At least I haven’t so far and I’ve written over ten stories to date. If I don’t feel like writing I don’t write. Stories come out of me in spurts. But I always have several plots and characters brewing in my mind. Some simmer for years, and others bubble for mere months before I write the story. But when I have the muse, look out! I really burn up the keyboard.

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 hardest part is reading the same thing a hundred times and going through it to make it as perfect as possible. Editing isn’t awful for me, just rereading the same stuff. Sometimes I set a book aside for 3-6 months and do something else. Then I go back to it when I can reread it without going crazy.

How do you overcome it?

I don’t know about the implausible plots. I tend to write more character-driven novels. I guess for me the trick is to not make the character too realistically needy as many dysfunctional people are. I struggle most with making a character likeable despite their flaws, but when I achieve it that is such a great feeling! I just keep trying to come up with things that I can have my character do or say that will reveal a likeable part of who they are that will appeal to most readers.

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

The computer is in my bedroom. I could never write in the middle of my house.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I work ten hours a day four days a week for the State of Arizona as a social worker. I have worship team practice one night a week for about three hours, then I have a women’s Bible study another night, which pretty much kills my writing time those evenings. When I can, I write the other nights.

Sometimes I just read. I read a lot of fiction so I drag a book with me everywhere. This keeps my creative juices flowing for when I do have time to sit down and write. I also spend time doing volunteer activities (like for ACFW) and blogging. And yes, I DO sleep and interact with my family. My secret is that I stay far away from the television set or I’d stare at it and get nothing done.

Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day. Do scenes flow freely from your veins or do you have to tweeze each word out?

I can write an entire chapter a day and sometimes up to three. It depends on how much time and muse I have. I never tweeze out anything until the chapter is done. Sometimes I’ll write half the book before I tweeze anything. That slows me down too much if I over-analyze my story while writing it.

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

The concept usually comes to me based on a combination of personal experience, work experience, or compelling issues in my life or the lives of people I know. I mull the concept over until I’m ready to write about it. When I am done with the story I go back and revise it to make it cleaner and to check for stuff that doesn’t need to be there.

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

Sheesh. I read over a hundred books last year! I couldn’t even pick a favorite author let alone a favorite novel. That’s not a fair question. *grin*
What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

An amazing editor told me to read Stein on Writing by Sol Stein. That book made something click in my brain that I wasn’t getting before I read it. What stuck out most in my mind was when Stein said to supply the envelope to your reader and let them fill it. That’s a lousy paraphrase, but the point is the same.

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?

Probably not to let people know I was writing and submitting to publishers via my agent until something sold. Why? Because I get asked when my book is coming out every day—at least once—and it makes me crazy. The process takes time, but most readers have no idea how long that is. I’m just glad I didn’t sell something during my first few years because my writing has improved a lot since I began this journey. I look back at some of my earlier stuff and cringe. The story was great but the method of delivery needed WORK. Thank God I kept at it. Now I feel good about my writing when someone reads it.

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

Marketing to me means name and product recognition. I’ve worked hard to get a web presence and I think I’ve done a great job with networking and increasing my resources. I also have promo set up and people willing to not only promote, but help market my book. The list of buyers grows daily! If you Google inspirational author and/or edgy inspirational you will find me. Now if you Google my name you will also find me on the first page and not just a memorial for the girl who was the first to die in a wilderness therapy program. That was harder to achieve than you’d think. I also have many writing-related blogs, I do book reviews on numerous sites, and people know who I am. My brand is established. I’m the Edgy Inspirational Author. Believe me, it’s true.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Write what is on your heart and learn the craft so people will see your best before you start submitting for publication. And find an agent and a publisher who not only believe in you but are a fan of your work. I did and I’m thrilled about my decisions. I’m looking forward to great things in the future.