Author Interview ~ Sherri Sand

Sherri Sand is a wife and mother of four young children who keep her scrambling to stay ahead of the spilled milk. When she needs stress relief from wearing all the hats required to clothe, feed and ferry her rambunctious brood, you’ll find her sitting in a quiet corner of a bistro reading a book (and surrounded by chocolate). Then to elude that calorie consumption you might see her running on the trails throughout Eugene, a city considered to be the running capital of the world. Sherri is a member of The Writer’s View and American Christian Fiction Writers. She finds the most joy in writing when the characters take on a life of their own and she becomes the recorder of their stories. She holds a degree in psychology from the University of Oregon where she graduated cum laude.

How did you begin your journey of writing a novel? Is it something you always wanted to do?

I’ve always wanted to write. Even as young as eight, I can remember telling people I wanted to be an author when I grew up.

Tell us a little bit about your writing process. Do you have a direction in mind that you want to go? Or do you just see the characters acting out the story in your mind and simply write it down?

I usually follow the characters and then get a glimpse of where we’re going and try to keep the story moving with those goals in mind. I have had whole scenes settle into my mind at the most inconvenient times. It can be a challenge getting it all down onto a grocery receipt at the next stop light!

You have an upcoming release titled Leave it to Chance. How did you come up with the characters in your book?

They came to me. When I saw Sierra, I knew she was a mom who deeply loved her kids and wanted the best for them. Elise was so fun to write with her over-the-top ways. When she drove up to Sierra’s and pushed her ooga horn, I knew I was going to love her. And Sid is such a dear and reminds me so much of my father-in-law, Art. And Ross, how could you not love him?

Did the theme of forgiveness / unforgiveness that Sierra deals with come from your own life?

In a way it did, though I didn’t consciously implement it into the novel. Just like most of us living in this fallen world, there have been a couple significant events in my life that I had difficulty forgiving. I finally realized that if I waited until I felt like forgiving, it would never happen. And I desperately needed to forgive. The bitterness was choking the life out of me. So with God’s help and through His grace I made the choice to forgive and forgive and forgive. I wish I could say that there was instant peace and joy. Though I think that can happen for people when they forgive, I’d lived in unforgiveness for so long that I had to continually make a choice to forgive until the freedom came. And when that freedom came, it was a wow moment for me!

What would you suggest to someone who wants to become an author?

Start attending writer’s conferences. And if the cost is an issue, order tapes or CDs of the various workshops. Also join a critique group and really listen to the feedback. When I get input from my critiquing partners, I make a point to set aside any defensiveness and adopt a thicker skin. It’s not fun to find out that every word you write isn’t brilliant, but if you take the comments constructively you’ll become a stronger writer.

How do you find time to write? Any tips for someone who is working full time?

Set a word count goal. I try to write 1000 words a day, five days a week. If finding the extra time is difficult, start with 300 words a day. At that pace, you’d complete a full length novel (80,000 words) in one year. But the most important factor in writing is to turn the editor in your head off. Writer’s block comes from trying to create and edit at the same time. Don’t wait for the perfect idea to come floating along. Start writing now. Write anything. You want to create the habit so the ideas will come. The fear of failure keeps us from giving feet to our dreams—true failure comes from not trying at all.

What are the top three tips you have for submitting a successful book proposal?

There are many excellent books on how to write a proposal. Study them. It will ensure that the proposal you send in is polished and professional.·Don’t make the mistake of submitting substandard writing assuming that an editor or agent will see your potential and take you on. Make sure it’s your very best work before submitting it.·Get feedback from other writer friends or a critique group before submitting it. You’ll be amazed at how an already strong proposal can get stronger.