Interview: Janice Clark

Author’s Name:

Janice Clark

Publishing Credits:

Hall of doors series (six books), Healer’s Apprentice series (five books), two short story collections, two gift books, one Christian/Inspirational (with Anita Donihue), short work in over a dozen anthologies.

What genres do you write?

Mostly children’s or young adult fantasy and science fiction, but a little of everything else, including essays, poetry, and even an occasional guest sermon.

Why should anybody read your books when there are so many others written by famous authors?

I don’t think most people read a book just because the author is famous. After all, most authors didn’t start out being famous; they had to earn it. What readers want are stories that can entertain, pull them in emotionally, maybe even make them think. I believe mine qualify.

Most authors believe they have original ideas that no one else has used. Can you give us an example of one of your original ideas?

Some people say there are no original story ideas, but I think my concept in the Hall of Doors books, of climbing a moonbeam to another world, is certainly unusual. I also think my Healer’s Apprentice books are a bit different for a post-apocalyptic scenario, as they picture a world in recovery with hope for the future.

What do you want readers to get out of your books?

Primarily I hope they will enjoy what they read, and perhaps be able to form a connection with one or more of my characters. If I also make them think, that’s a bonus. I was thrilled when a young granddaughter was so attached to one of my characters, that she began making up fan fiction about him.

If you come up with a new idea to write about, what do you do?

I usually jot it down and toss it in a folder of story ideas.

What’s the most you’ve written in one day?

I have no idea; I don’t keep track of word counts.

If you could have anyone co-write a book with you, who would you choose?

I did co-author a book with my friend Anita Donihue, who has a respectable following as a writer of women’s prayer books and other Christian/inspirational collections. It was a fun experience. I also co-authored a fantasy story with a granddaughter. While I admire many authors, I don’t think I’d feel comfortable working with someone I didn’t know well.

What events have made you into the person you are today?

Wow, that’s a big question. I’m sure I’ve been shaped by raising a family, often as a single parent, with the necessity of earning a living as well as nurturing any children (my own plus “bonus children” acquired off and on, Sunday School, Scouts, Day Care, etc.). I’ve been a caretaker of one sort or another most of my life, from tending sibling “practice babies” when I was little more than a toddler myself, to caring for my mother through Alzheimer’s, and currently keeping house for a brother who’s a stroke survivor.

What jobs have you held?

Babysitting, assorted clerical or teacher’s aide work, processing missile data during the cold war, many drafting positions, maintaining inventory and sales files for a large furniture store, ran a home day care, thirty years as a rebar detailer/estimator, and I suppose my writing counts also, although it’s more at the hobby level.

What’s the most memorable thing anyone said about your writing?

I’ve had more than one person tell me I made them cry, which means we really connected at an emotional level. I’ve also been told some of my work made people think, or helped them through a difficult time.

Have you ever had any unusual pets?

My family had the usual cats, dogs, birds, gerbils, etc.–even a goat and a couple of Muscovy ducks. They weren’t MY pets although I often wound up caring for them. I raised chickens and rabbits, but they weren’t pets, either. I did feel some attachment to a lab rat in a college psychology class; it was fun teaching him tricks. But he was shared, and not really mine. I guess I’m not really a pet person; I’m more into taking care of people.

If I could only read one thing that you’d written, what would you suggest?

It’s hard to make a general recommendation, rather than one based on a particular person’s age and interests. I’m particularly fond of my short story, “True Slime Tales #37,” which I wrote for Rustycon’s “Tales of the Slug” anthology and later reprinted in my collection “A Different Kind of Hero and other stories.” It’s an off-the-wall story about a slug detective who’s also a somewhat inept magician. My oldest son, who had previously declared I couldn’t write humor, decided that maybe I could after all.

What advice do you have for people who want to become professional authors?

Read a lot: not just your chosen genre, but all sorts of fiction and non-fiction. Don’t worry about getting it perfect, just get it down. Writing is mostly re-writing and you can’t edit a blank page. Whether you’re a meticulous outliner or a discovery writer, do what works for you. You don’t have to write in a linear fashion; I often start in the middle, then ask myself “how did we get here” and “what comes next.” Join a writing group. Face-to-face is good, but there are good sites online also such as critters.org. Some people say you should write to the market, but I think it’s better to create good writing and then worry about how to sell it. As for being professional, I’m terrible at marketing, but I know you have to put yourself out there, do things like classroom visits, library presentations, readings and signings at all sorts of venues, whatever it takes to make your work known. You’ll want a web site and maybe a blog. Even if you land a contract with a conventional publisher, don’t expect them to do your publicity work. And don’t forget to have fun.

Janice Lewis Clark
https://janicelewisclark.com
http://www.teawiththeblackdragon.blogspot.com/
author of The Hall of Doors fantasy series
author of the Healer’s Apprentice series
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K86P3C
https://www.facebook.com/PrincessButtermilkBiscuit