Debut Author Interview ~ Christa Parrish

A past winner of Associated Press awards for her journalism, Christa Parrish now teaches literature and writing to high school students, is a homeschool mom, and lives near Saratoga Springs , New York . Visit www.christaparrish.com

Tell us about your latest project.

My first novel, Home Another Way, just released with Bethany House this October.

We love to hear about your journey to publication.

About eight years ago, I decided I wanted to write a novel—historical fiction based on the life of Vincent Van Gogh. I researched it, but didn’t actually sit down and begin writing for four more years—and then I only wrote two chapters because the idea for Home Another Way came to me. Again, I wasn’t diligent about writing, managing only eighty-five pages in two years, sometimes ignoring the manuscript for months at a time.

In 2006, two friends nominated me for a scholarship to the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference. I went armed with my 85 pages and, while there, met two authors—Angela Hunt and Nancy Rue—who read the first two chapters and encouraged me. On the last day of the conference, I had an appointment with the Bill Jensen of the William K. Jensen Literary Agency—the only appointment I had with any agents or editors. He told me he was intrigued by my story and wanted me to e-mail him what I had finished. He also said he’d get back to me in two weeks.

Nearly three months later, he called—he had lost my manuscript in his inbox—and asked to represent me. He also wanted to know when I’d be finished. I didn’t tell him I still only had eighty-five pages! It took me six more months to finish, and by May 2007 Bill began shopping around my novel. Three months after that I had a three-book contract with Bethany House.

What is one weakness you have as a writer and what do you do to overcome it?

I can be undisciplined about my writing. I homeschool my son and I’m a single mother, so I can’t do the typical “sit down and write from ten to three” thing many writers do. Because of this, it’s easy to let other things become more important—or even more alluring—than writing. There are nights when I plop in front of the television without writing a single word all day. To combat this, I’ve stopped giving myself permission to say, “There just wasn’t time to write today,” because there always is time, even if it’s just five minutes before bed. I’ve also set a very doable word count for each week. I tried a daily word count, but I discouraged myself on the busy days I couldn’t make it. The weekly word count gives me some flexibility.

What is one strength you have as a writer and to what do you attribute your success in this particular area?

I’ve been told that I have a lyrical, descriptive style of writing, and I attribute that to two things. First, I read poetry—mostly modern—and try to write what I’m trying to say with only the words that are absolutely necessary. Less is more, so to speak. Second, I try to be observant of the world around me, paying attention to things that normally go unnoticed. I write these bits down in a notebook and save them for scenes in my novels.

If you could go back to the green writer you were when you were just beginning, what advice would you give yourself?

If you had asked this question three years ago, I would have said, “Start writing sooner.” However, when I was at the Philly writers conference, Nancy Rue told me I was at the perfect age to being writing. I was surprised, and said I felt like I had wasted so much time doing nothing. She looked at me and asked, “But did you have anything to say before this?” She was right. I needed those years—all the pains and joys and experiences—to have something worth putting into a book.

What’s one publicity tip you can share that you’ve gotten a good response with in promoting your work?

Even though my book released only a couple weeks ago, I’ve found that many people have discovered it though blogs. And if I know someone has mentioned Home Another Way on their site, I make sure to send them an e-mail thanking him or her.

What do you do to improve as a writer?

Mostly, I read good books. I read some books on writing that other novelists recommend. And I belong to a small critique group. I also watch many independent films. I like to think of my novels as little indie movies, and the pacing, characters, and dialogue of these movies help as I’m playing my own novels in my head.

What are a few of your favorite books not written by you?

Anything by Sheri Reynolds—Firefly Cloak, Bitterroot Landing, The Rapture of Canaan, A Gracious Plenty. And Michael Ondaatje’s fiction. Anagrams by Lorrie Moore made me want to be a novelist. I also thoroughly enjoyed The Road and No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy—both those books stuck with me for weeks.

Have you received a particularly memorable reader response?

Yes. I’ve already had readers contact me to say my novel convicted them about certain areas of their lives, or more importantly, drew them closer to God. That’s why I write.

Do you have a pet peeve to do with this business?

I don’t think I’ve been in the business long enough to have pet peeves! I’m still simply taking it all in.

What’s your favorite part of being a writer/least?

My answer is the same for both—writing! Seriously, I think I have a love/hate relationship with the actual work of putting words on paper. It’s exhilarating when I craft the perfect scene, when I see my characters come alive, when suddenly this lovely turn of phrase falls out of my fingers and onto the keyboard, and I have no idea where it came from. Those are the joys, the highs. But when the words aren’t coming and I’ve been staring at the same line for two hours, or when I know something is wrong with the plot and can’t quite figure it out, those are the times I ask myself why I’m putting myself through this. Of course, agonizing lends itself to the process, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

What has surprised you most about this industry?

All the work behind the scenes. There are many, many people who are nearly as invested in my novel as I am, and I so grateful for that support.

Advice to aspiring authors?

Find a way that works for you. I’ve had numerous unpublished writers tell me that they’re frustrated because this book tells them to plot like this, and that writer says to set up their office like that. Yes, knowing the “craft” is important, and one can never learn enough. But the incidentals—Should you write at a desk or on the couch in your living room? Should you write at 5 a.m. or midnight? Should you use a spreadsheet to track your plot or write where the story takes you?—well, use what’s beneficial and toss the rest.

If it doesn’t work for your writing style and personality, it doesn’t matter who the advice came from.