This is the first
of a two-part interview with author Judith Natelli McLaughin. I met Judy on
Twitter and read her book This
Moment. I invited her to Tabor Lane today to talk about her books and her writing experience. But first my review of This Moment.
Now, please welcome Judy
to Tabor Lane:
1. What was the
first thing you wrote, and how old were you when you wrote it?
My
first book is a children’s book titled The
Bunny and The Eggs. I wrote and
illustrated it in the first grade. I was
seven-years-old. I bound it in masking
tape and had my mother write “The End”
in cursive, (I couldn’t write in cursive yet—I didn’t learn that until third
grade). I was very proud because, to me,
TBATE is what a “real” book looked like.
You can’t find it on amazon, but luckily I still have it! Sometimes I tweet it for
#throwbackthursday!
2. What have you
written since then?
Lots! Both published and unpublished. I love
writing poetry and short stories. I also wrote three middle grade novels—one
for each of my daughters when they entered the fifth grade. Their book is not about them, but rather a
story I made up that I knew would capture their attention. But concentrating on
published works, since the debut of The
Bunny and the Eggs, I have had several of my children’s poems published in
Bruce Lansky poetry anthologies, alongside the greats like Lansky, Shel
Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky and Judith Viorst.
What an honor. I also wrote and
illustrated the children’s picture book Poems
on Fruits & Odes to Veggies – Where Healthy Eating Starts With a Poem. It is a fun nod to healthy eating. Finally, I e-published my first novel, This Moment, a work of contemporary
women’s fiction, in 2012.
3. What made you
choose your genre of writing, and what about your genre fascinates you?
I
like contemporary women’s fiction because I am one of those people who can’t
turn her brain off. I overthink nearly
everything—it drives my husband nuts—love, marriage, life, work, children,
family, friends. What does a person need
to survive? What happens when tragedy
strikes? What is nervous laughter
about? You name it, I think about
it. And then, I like to explore my
thought process even further and put it on paper, hopefully spinning stories
that make readers think and feel.
4. Would you ever
consider writing in a different genre?
Well,
since I’m a poet and a writer of middle grade fiction, I feel like I do step
out of my contemporary genre on a regular basis. It keeps my writing life interesting.
5. Much has been
written about how a book will change from the original intent of the writer, as
it's being written. How did your book change as you created it, and did it
surprise you how it came out?
I
don’t know if This Moment changed per
se. I wanted to tell a story about
survival, and what it takes to survive when unexpected tragedy strikes. And I did.
But what I think surprised me the most was how it became my characters
telling the story, not me. There are so
many times when they (Lydia and Ryan) truly spoke for themselves, pushing the
novel along in a very real and organic way.
6. What is the most
difficult part of writing a book?
For
me? Editing. Which sometimes can turn into lots and lots
of rewriting. I happen to love first
drafts. You get the nugget of an idea
and you turn it out. Fast and
furious. I don’t edit while I write, I
just get it out on paper. Then the
subsequent edits—getting into the heads of the characters, allowing them to
talk through you, all the while staying on track, for me it’s years of
work—exhausting and rewarding all at the same time. Also, I never know when the end is the
end. I always wonder, for example, did
J.D. Salinger go back to The Catcher in
the Rye, and wish he had added more about, say, Phoebe? How do you know when you’re done? That’s why us writers need really good
editors. Knowing when it’s done is their
job. Phew!
7. Would you
consider changing over from indie publishing to traditional? (Or vice versa).
Why or why not?
That
is a big, huge YES! I self-pubbed This Moment. It is only available as an e-book. I so badly want to be “discovered” by a
publisher who loves Lydia and Ryan and their story as much as I do. I want to see it as a traditional book. I can’t tell you how many people read this
book and said they “saw” a movie playing in their head. So I am open to that as well. I just don’t seem to have the connections to
make that happen myself, whereas I believe an agent/publisher would. So, I’ll repeat the answer, YES I am open to
traditional publishing.
8. What is the most
difficult element in selling your book, and how do you overcome it?
The
most difficult element for me is sustainability. I have, at certain times, climbed to the top
of the Amazon e-book charts. This Moment even spent a day among the
top twenty-five books in women’s fiction.
But sustaining that rating, for me, was impossible. In other words, despite its success, This Moment hasn’t caught fire yet,
spreading globally. I don’t know how to
overcome that. All suggestions
welcomed!
9. What mistakes
have you made in regards to publishing and marketing your work, and what will
you do differently in the future?
With
This Moment, I think my greatest
mistake was not doing enough pre-marketing for the book. With my next novel, You Got Friend, I will try to create a buzz surrounding the book
before I hit the publish button, not just after. (Unless, of course I hear from, say, Simon
& Schuster and they want to publish it!)
10. Tell us a bit about your current book, and where
it's available.
A
captivating love story about a normal love affair in an abnormal world, This Moment strings together the
ordinary and extraordinary moments in the lives of Ryan McGuire and Lydia
Errico, moving the couple from dating to marriage to family, leaving us forever
filled with equal parts inspiration and devastation…Ryan McGuire spends nearly
his entire life on the up-end of a lucky streak, a concept he is okay with,
until he meets Lydia Errico and is intrigued by her passion, candor and sexy
ankles. Lydia challenges Ryan, for the first time in his life, to question the
value of luck. While not sold on the concept, Ryan is sold on Lydia. Together
they provide a glimpse into a love so deep, so strong, it has the power to
sustain unimaginable heartbreak. Ryan and Lydia's unique love will linger in
our souls forever.
This Moment is available
for Kindle, Nook and all other e-reading devices.
11. Do you have an idea for your next book?
I
am currently working on my second novel, You
Got Friend. It is an exploration
into the lives of two mismatched souls, both of whom come from dysfunctional
families. They come to the realization that in life, it is vital to have at
least one good friend. It is currently in its eighth draft! I anticipate a fall 2014 pub date.
12. How do people get in touch or follow you?
Follow
This Moment on FB! Follow me on twitter @judynmclaughlin or email me. Also check out my blog and website.
~*~
If
you missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets yesterday, here they
are again:
- The Kill Zone: Don't Let Your Characters Act Like Idiots http://ow.ly/pFnQ0
- Why Google Plus is Essential for Authors - The Savvy Book Marketer http://ow.ly/pFnT6
- Pitch or Publish? Microsoft Word Templates Go Both Ways — The Book Designer http://ow.ly/pFnVD
- Time Limited Sale: Want To Learn More On Self Publishing Success, Book Marketing Or Writing A Novel? http://ow.ly/pFnYT
- Planning a Book Launch Party - The Fictorians http://ow.ly/pFo4n
- How to Tackle Large Book Projects: Tips from a Pulitzer Prize-Winner - BookBaby Blog http://ow.ly/pFo7X
- Amazon’s boxing man on Kindle’s potential | The Passive Voice | http://ow.ly/pFocj
- Goodreads’ app is to go onto Kindle and has already been described as ‘the killer app for the new Paperwhite’ http://ow.ly/pFofr
- Improve Your Character Instantly: Just Add a Ghost - Helping Writers Become Authors http://ow.ly/pFonD
- Indie Authors And The Future Of Twitter http://ow.ly/pGDzn
- Notes from Tabor Lane: Today's Links to #Writing & #Marketing Blog Posts http://ow.ly/pGFSU
- Business Plan Basics for Authors & Bloggers | Molly Greene: Writer http://ow.ly/pGGjM
- How To Create YouTube Videos That Connect With People http://ow.ly/pGGAy
- Three Top Strategies to Guarantee Book Sales - The Savvy Book Marketer http://ow.ly/pGGOS
- Why I Self-Published | The Passive Voice | Writers, Writing, Self-Publishing, Disruptive Innovation and the Universe http://ow.ly/pGGXR
- Want To Learn More On Self Publishing Success, Book Marketing Or Writing A Novel? | The Creative Penn http://ow.ly/pGHce
- 50 Ways to Help a Book Author You Love | Book Marketing Bestsellers http://ow.ly/pGHsc
- Writer Unboxed » Story First, Writing Second – Especially Come November http://ow.ly/pGHEG
- Sizzling Book Sales? Hello, BookBub - Christine Nolfi http://ow.ly/pGIhL
- 7 Reasons to Write an Entire 1st Draft before Going Back to the Beginning | WritersDigest.com http://ow.ly/pGIFw
- How Do You Maintain Steady Book Sales at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.? | Lindsay Buroker http://ow.ly/pGJnq
- As the Bird flies... A blog about travel and other journeys: Ten Things All New Self-Publishers Must Do http://ow.ly/pGYwF
- Blood-Red Pencil: Free E-book Experiences with @jinxschwartz http://ow.ly/pGZKg
- 11 Points of View & What to Do with Them – Part 1 | Janine Donoho http://ow.ly/pHSgo
Happy
writing & running, Kathy
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