Patti Lacy, a former community college instructor, has penned her debut novel, An Irishwoman’s Tale. Drawn to stories involving secrets and multicultural characters, Patti has sold a second novel to Kregel and is currently working on a fictional series entitled “Spanning Seas and Secrets.” Patti and her husband, Alan, live in Normal, Illinois. They have two grown children and a dog named Laura.
Wild places like West Coast sea islands and the majestic Rocky Mountains call to the Lacys. They love to hike and take road trips when their budget permits. Another passion of Patti‘s is volunteering at Ministry & More, an organization which offers food, prayer, and hope to those struggling with burdens. Patti facilitates women’s Bible studies and small groups. More information can be found at http://www.pattilacy.com/
Wild places like West Coast sea islands and the majestic Rocky Mountains call to the Lacys. They love to hike and take road trips when their budget permits. Another passion of Patti‘s is volunteering at Ministry & More, an organization which offers food, prayer, and hope to those struggling with burdens. Patti facilitates women’s Bible studies and small groups. More information can be found at http://www.pattilacy.com/
Time to crow: What new book or project do you have coming out? 
An Irishwoman’s Tale, a work of contemporary Christian women’s fiction.
How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?
In 1995, God dumped the story in my lap following a book discussion group meeting at my home in Terre Haute, Indiana. “Mary,” a mercurial red-haired woman, stayed after the meeting to clean my kitchen while I picked over the great eats everyone had brought for the At Home in Mitford discussion. When the countertops shone and my belly was rock-hard stuffed, we moved to the front porch, sprawled in a couple of patio chairs, and started yakking. In the middle of a chat about our kids, my new friend asked me, “What is your first memory?” Hours later, I knew I’d been gifted something extraordinary through her story.
At the time, I was getting my master’s in literature but hadn’t written much except some esoteric research papers and embarrassing poetry. Then in 1999, we moved to Illinois, and for the next six years I raised kids and taught Humanities at the local community college. In 2005, God whispered that I should write “Mary’s” story. After getting her consent and taking a research trip to the gorgeous west coast of Ireland, that’s just what I did.
Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication? How did you find out and what went through your mind?
I started my first novel, An Irishwoman’s Tale, in 2005. What I didn’t say was my debut novel was birthed as nonfiction. Two, three…thirty drafts later, I’d attended the 2006 Write to Publish in Wheaton, changed the story to fiction, hired Camy Tang and Dennis Hensley to edit the novel, switched from first person to third person POV, added and deleted scenes, and much, much more.
In December of 2006, I got an e-mail from Dennis Hillman of Kregel Publications saying, “We’d like to publish your novel.” I jumped up and down, then got a grip and started looking for an agent. In 2007, I signed with Greg Johnson of WordServe Literary, and he negotiated my contract with Kregel. I’ve been working on novels ever since.
Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?
Well, I don’t bang my head against the wall, I lay my head on the keyboard and cry. However, Bob Pangrazi, a colleague of my husband and author of over 65 publications, gave me a sure-fire tip to prevent writer’s block, and I try my best to adhere to it. “Set a manageable daily page goal,” he said, “then stick to it. No Matter What.”
An Irishwoman’s Tale, a work of contemporary Christian women’s fiction.
How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?
In 1995, God dumped the story in my lap following a book discussion group meeting at my home in Terre Haute, Indiana. “Mary,” a mercurial red-haired woman, stayed after the meeting to clean my kitchen while I picked over the great eats everyone had brought for the At Home in Mitford discussion. When the countertops shone and my belly was rock-hard stuffed, we moved to the front porch, sprawled in a couple of patio chairs, and started yakking. In the middle of a chat about our kids, my new friend asked me, “What is your first memory?” Hours later, I knew I’d been gifted something extraordinary through her story.
At the time, I was getting my master’s in literature but hadn’t written much except some esoteric research papers and embarrassing poetry. Then in 1999, we moved to Illinois, and for the next six years I raised kids and taught Humanities at the local community college. In 2005, God whispered that I should write “Mary’s” story. After getting her consent and taking a research trip to the gorgeous west coast of Ireland, that’s just what I did.
Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication? How did you find out and what went through your mind?
I started my first novel, An Irishwoman’s Tale, in 2005. What I didn’t say was my debut novel was birthed as nonfiction. Two, three…thirty drafts later, I’d attended the 2006 Write to Publish in Wheaton, changed the story to fiction, hired Camy Tang and Dennis Hensley to edit the novel, switched from first person to third person POV, added and deleted scenes, and much, much more.
In December of 2006, I got an e-mail from Dennis Hillman of Kregel Publications saying, “We’d like to publish your novel.” I jumped up and down, then got a grip and started looking for an agent. In 2007, I signed with Greg Johnson of WordServe Literary, and he negotiated my contract with Kregel. I’ve been working on novels ever since.
Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?
Well, I don’t bang my head against the wall, I lay my head on the keyboard and cry. However, Bob Pangrazi, a colleague of my husband and author of over 65 publications, gave me a sure-fire tip to prevent writer’s block, and I try my best to adhere to it. “Set a manageable daily page goal,” he said, “then stick to it. No Matter What.”
Do not pass go. Do not set the teakettle to boil or brew a cup of coffee. Do not even go to the bathroom.
My magic number is three little pages. Not much, but it adds up to over a thousand a year. Nearly three novels, if you want to see the big picture I grit my teeth and pound my way through writer’s block like an old, out-of-shape heavyweight sparring with the young, buff national junior champion. On good days, I may type ten or more pages. On bad days, I have typewritten exactly twenty-seven double-spaced lines. Three pages.
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?
Putting emotion in my writing. I still struggle with it, and it’s the reason I still utilize two wonderful critique groups and professional editing (though thankfully I’m seeing less red ink on my current WIP, My Name is Sheba.)
How did (or do) you climb out (overcome it)?
I play music related to my writing. For An Irishwoman’s Tale, I purchased Eden’s Bridge and traditional Irish folk songs. I also read and tried to implement Iglesia’s Writing for Emotional Impact and Kress’s Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint.
Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy attic nook?
When my daughter left for college, she donated her old bedroom, a sunny room on our second floor, to “the cause” and I was promoted out of a windowless basement room with sagging ceiling tiles and industrial carpet. In my new office, a Scott Mutter poster enlivens the south wall, and a painting by Angel Ambrose entitled "Searching for Unanswered Questions" adds beautiful green and yellow tones to the west wall. Of course there’s a sagging-from-its-load bookcase, my favorite stuffed chair, and some neat plants. And my computer and lots of notebooks and pens.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I get up by five a.m. so I can make my son’s lunch, get breakfast going, get menus planned. We Lacys are big eaters and try to load up on locally grown and organic produce and meats, so meal planning and grocery shopping take quite a bit of time. Then I sink into my office chair and study the Word. After this devotional period, my daily to-do list calls, as do the requisite daily pages.
Somewhere in there I work in a jog with The Three Stooges, my exercise partners. Earning their nickname by their comic relief as well as their looks, they keep me laughing so that I don’t notice the stitch in my sides and the ache in my lungs. Since writing is such a solitary profession, I try to schedule lunch and coffee dates a couple of times a week. I usually stop by three or four o’clock and start banging around the pots and pans. If it’s nice outside, we eat on the patio, then read, watch a movie, play Yahtzee, or stroll the neighborhood. With my latest read in hand, I retire early.
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?
It happens both ways for me. Sometimes the synapses are firing so rapidly, I stop at a house on our jogging route and borrow pen and paper to take notes. My husband (one of the Stooges) finally suggested I carry my cell phone and leave myself a voice memo. It’s not as fun but keeps the neighbors—and my husband—less stressed out.
Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.
After two SOTP (seat-of-the-pants) novels, I used a modified “Snowflake” method (Randy Ingermanson) to outline my current WIP, a three-book series. But even before that outlining, my novel is birthed when I hear a story or see an image that captures my attention.
For An Irishwoman’s Tale, it was that new friend telling a story she’d kept bottled up for years. For Unsettled Waters, my second novel, it was an oral narrative about two little girls in the 60s, one black, one white, who had to stick toys through the chain link fence that separated their yards because their parents wouldn’t allow them to play together. I’d wake up at night, seeing those beautiful hands, one light, one darker, reaching for each other as the world strove to keep them apart.
I read newspapers, talk to people that I meet in coffeehouses, at church, at the ministry, and put ideas in a Word file. If I think images are related, they go in the same file. Then it becomes like a jigsaw puzzle and I keep arranging the pieces (the images) until they finally fit into a story.
After I piece together the plot, the characters, and write very general chapter headings, I buy and/or check out a ton of books about the time period and all the related subject matter, take copious notes, and start writing.
I use the Google search engine like wild to find relevant memorabilia, names, and facts. But if I REALLY need something right, I take my fingers off the keyboard and let them walk through the phone book. I’ve called pool specialists, firemen, doctors, psychologists, horse breeders, historians, farmers, gardeners, jazz musicians, nurses…the list goes on and on.
What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?
You don’t have enough gigabytes or whatever for my list of favorite books! My old friends have gotten me through some hard and lonely times. I carefully consider on which shelf they should reside and am careful who I let them go out with.
A few old classics? Angle of Repose by Stegner for its intergenerational saga, its redemptive ending. Les Miserables because of the incredible characters. Anything by Jane Austen. Gayl Jones. Dostoevsky. Tolstoy. Paton. Kingsolver. I also adore Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot books. And I have a whole collection of multicultural novels and short stories.
In the CBA, I love all of Francine Rivers’ and Randy Alcorn’s books because of those authors’ storytelling capabilities. The Jan Karon series. I just finished Lisa Samson’s Quaker Summer and fell in love with her main character, who taught me a lot about myself and made me examine some weaknesses in my faith. This past year, I’ve been privileged to read some exciting authors: Maureen Lang, Tosca Lee, Melanie Dobson, Julie Lessman.
For nonfiction, I have a few tried and true folks who I turn to over and over. Elisabeth Elliot. James MacDonald, Oswald Chambers, Andrew Murray, A.W. Tozer, C.S. Lewis.
A few best-sellers from recent years that have hooked me into their gorgeous writing: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards and her book of short stories. Edwards has an AMAZING voice. Don’t miss her book of short stories, Secrets of a Fire King and the exquisite story, “A Gleaming in the Darkness.” I could read that story every day. Other best sellers: Atonement, The Big House, The Good German, Three Cups of Tea—I’m sorry. I’d better stop here.
What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?
Lynn Austin gave it to me at my first writer’s conference. “Go back to your room and decide if God wants you to write. Decide it once and for all. Then pick up your pen and don’t set it down. Try to forget about all the other stuff.” Many times I’ve grabbed my tennis shoes and headed out the door, tears in my eyes from all the “stuff” we writers have to deal with. Then that still small voice comes. “Isn’t it enough for me to read it? Can’t you give your best if I’m the only one who does?” It silences a lot of head-buzzing.
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?
Do not put a stamp on a proposal or query letter until you’ve (1) written the best book you can (2) attended a writers’ conference (3) had your book edited by a professional editor. I was doing it the wrong way when I by happenstance gave Julie Dearyan a ride at that same Write to Publish conference. In the ten minutes it took to get her back to the dorm, she got me on the right track with the above list of advice.
How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?
Jeane Wynn has helped me tremendously in this area of business where I feel incompetent by organizing a blog and media tour. As such a new writer, I’m struggling to work on my craft and somehow manage to do justice to the marketing aspect.
I did attend an informal lecture at one of the Chicago Northwest ACFW meetings where Travis Thrasher gave some great ideas, but hey, I’m pretty needy when it comes to marketing. If you’ve got some good ideas, my e-mail’s patti@pattilacy.com
Here are my current three general marketing strategies: (warning: they may suddenly change, like the Midwest weather!)
1) Contact local libraries, including the university. Arrange chat sessions/book signings/teaching seminars. This has gone fairly well so far.
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?
It happens both ways for me. Sometimes the synapses are firing so rapidly, I stop at a house on our jogging route and borrow pen and paper to take notes. My husband (one of the Stooges) finally suggested I carry my cell phone and leave myself a voice memo. It’s not as fun but keeps the neighbors—and my husband—less stressed out.
Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.
After two SOTP (seat-of-the-pants) novels, I used a modified “Snowflake” method (Randy Ingermanson) to outline my current WIP, a three-book series. But even before that outlining, my novel is birthed when I hear a story or see an image that captures my attention.
For An Irishwoman’s Tale, it was that new friend telling a story she’d kept bottled up for years. For Unsettled Waters, my second novel, it was an oral narrative about two little girls in the 60s, one black, one white, who had to stick toys through the chain link fence that separated their yards because their parents wouldn’t allow them to play together. I’d wake up at night, seeing those beautiful hands, one light, one darker, reaching for each other as the world strove to keep them apart.
I read newspapers, talk to people that I meet in coffeehouses, at church, at the ministry, and put ideas in a Word file. If I think images are related, they go in the same file. Then it becomes like a jigsaw puzzle and I keep arranging the pieces (the images) until they finally fit into a story.
After I piece together the plot, the characters, and write very general chapter headings, I buy and/or check out a ton of books about the time period and all the related subject matter, take copious notes, and start writing.
I use the Google search engine like wild to find relevant memorabilia, names, and facts. But if I REALLY need something right, I take my fingers off the keyboard and let them walk through the phone book. I’ve called pool specialists, firemen, doctors, psychologists, horse breeders, historians, farmers, gardeners, jazz musicians, nurses…the list goes on and on.
What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?
You don’t have enough gigabytes or whatever for my list of favorite books! My old friends have gotten me through some hard and lonely times. I carefully consider on which shelf they should reside and am careful who I let them go out with.
A few old classics? Angle of Repose by Stegner for its intergenerational saga, its redemptive ending. Les Miserables because of the incredible characters. Anything by Jane Austen. Gayl Jones. Dostoevsky. Tolstoy. Paton. Kingsolver. I also adore Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot books. And I have a whole collection of multicultural novels and short stories.
In the CBA, I love all of Francine Rivers’ and Randy Alcorn’s books because of those authors’ storytelling capabilities. The Jan Karon series. I just finished Lisa Samson’s Quaker Summer and fell in love with her main character, who taught me a lot about myself and made me examine some weaknesses in my faith. This past year, I’ve been privileged to read some exciting authors: Maureen Lang, Tosca Lee, Melanie Dobson, Julie Lessman.
For nonfiction, I have a few tried and true folks who I turn to over and over. Elisabeth Elliot. James MacDonald, Oswald Chambers, Andrew Murray, A.W. Tozer, C.S. Lewis.
A few best-sellers from recent years that have hooked me into their gorgeous writing: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards and her book of short stories. Edwards has an AMAZING voice. Don’t miss her book of short stories, Secrets of a Fire King and the exquisite story, “A Gleaming in the Darkness.” I could read that story every day. Other best sellers: Atonement, The Big House, The Good German, Three Cups of Tea—I’m sorry. I’d better stop here.
What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?
Lynn Austin gave it to me at my first writer’s conference. “Go back to your room and decide if God wants you to write. Decide it once and for all. Then pick up your pen and don’t set it down. Try to forget about all the other stuff.” Many times I’ve grabbed my tennis shoes and headed out the door, tears in my eyes from all the “stuff” we writers have to deal with. Then that still small voice comes. “Isn’t it enough for me to read it? Can’t you give your best if I’m the only one who does?” It silences a lot of head-buzzing.
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?
Do not put a stamp on a proposal or query letter until you’ve (1) written the best book you can (2) attended a writers’ conference (3) had your book edited by a professional editor. I was doing it the wrong way when I by happenstance gave Julie Dearyan a ride at that same Write to Publish conference. In the ten minutes it took to get her back to the dorm, she got me on the right track with the above list of advice.
How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?
Jeane Wynn has helped me tremendously in this area of business where I feel incompetent by organizing a blog and media tour. As such a new writer, I’m struggling to work on my craft and somehow manage to do justice to the marketing aspect.
I did attend an informal lecture at one of the Chicago Northwest ACFW meetings where Travis Thrasher gave some great ideas, but hey, I’m pretty needy when it comes to marketing. If you’ve got some good ideas, my e-mail’s patti@pattilacy.com
Here are my current three general marketing strategies: (warning: they may suddenly change, like the Midwest weather!)
1) Contact local libraries, including the university. Arrange chat sessions/book signings/teaching seminars. This has gone fairly well so far.
2) Order a slew of bookmarks and send them with an announcement letter to a group of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.
3) Send out an e-mail to people who sign up for my mailing list and website contest. In the last couple of months, I’ve had excellent traffic on the website, which, while not a blog, is updated monthly.
Do you have any parting words of advice?
Daily ask the Holy Spirit to guide the words you write. Then, as Lynn Austin said: Write for God, and all the rest will fall in place, whether you get published or not. Tough words, but they have that ring of eternity about them…
Do you have any parting words of advice?
Daily ask the Holy Spirit to guide the words you write. Then, as Lynn Austin said: Write for God, and all the rest will fall in place, whether you get published or not. Tough words, but they have that ring of eternity about them…
Congrats, Patti, on your first release. What a great story of publication and a delightful interview.
ReplyDeletePatti and all, what a great interview! And I thought I was the only one with the idea of calling myself and leaving notes while I was out walking.
ReplyDeleteI have read An Irishwoman's Tale and it is an excellent read. This is the kind of book that satisfies all that is a reader within me. Great storytelling. Good discriptive language. Wonderful characters. And a message that is woven--not hammered--throughout.
Great writing Patti. I look forward to reading more.
Ditto from me. Great interview. Patti, I can picture you jogging up to someone's house and asking for paper and pen! I loved your novel also and look forward to more.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Cindy
Be watching Novel Reviews for our review of it. :) One of the best debut books I've seen!
ReplyDeleteLurked here for a long time, but this one lured me out of the woodwork.
ReplyDeleteThis interview makes me want to run out and buy the book--such a writer. Such a woman.
Thank you.
This was a memorable interview that spoke to me on many levels.
Keep writing--you're making a difference....
All's grace,
Ann
Thank you so much for your delightful insights, Patti. It was a pleasure interviewing you!
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts. Thanks! Marcia
ReplyDeleteSo many people are talking about your book. I'm so happy for you, Patti. And the book is truly awesome, and not just because you are such a sweet person. It's a beautiful redemptive story with a wonderful message about God that I hope many people will read.
ReplyDeleteThanks, all!
ReplyDeleteI so appreciate the manna y'all have rained down upon me today. It'll be sustenance for those lean times all of us writers have.
May the spirit of Ireland hover near as you work on your own Godly patterns of life. And thank you, Novel Journey, for your commitment to Christian fiction!!!