Join me this today as I welcome Johnnie Alexander back to the Suspense Sister's blog!
Now onto my interview with Johnnie.
You’ve been published for several years now. What has being published taught you?
I’ve given a lot of thought to this question. I believe my publishing journey has taught me to face multiple fears. The biggest is the fear of failure but there’s also the fear of rejection, of negative reviews, of meeting deadlines, of writing a story that doesn’t resonate with readers. It’s all scary.
What is your favorite part about writing? Least favorite.
My favorite aspect of writing is imagining a new story, but that’s followed closely by going through final revisions. My least favorite is when I struggle with the first chapter. Those opening pages need to establish characters, tone, setting, pace—they’re so important.
I definitely want them to be engaging so that readers would rather stay up all night turning pages instead of sleeping. (LOL!)
I agree. Here's the first line of The Cryptographer's Dilemma: “Green or brown. Brown or green. Phillip Clayton set the unwrapped crayon upright on the diner’s Formica tabletop so it stood like a mocking sentinel.”
Panster or Plotter?
Depends on the story! I write regularly for Annie’s Fiction, a publisher who sells a variety of series on a subscription basis. A chapter summary for a contracted story needs to be approved by the series editor. So I’m definitely a plotter when I write a novel for Annie’s.
I love it because most of the story development occurs upfront.
That’s why I always intend to create a chapter summary when I write for a different publisher. But it never…never…never happens! I revert to my pre-Annie’s pantser ways.
I love it because the story develops organically during the writing process.
Either way, characters surprise me and the unexpected happens. To me, that’s a heart-tugging, soul-satisfying thrill.
You write in several genres. Pluses and minuses?
Writing in different genres stretches my creativity and allows me to explore a variety of stories and a variety of ways to tell a story. I also grow as a writer since each genre has its own reader expectations.
The downside is that it’s more of a challenge to become one of the “known” authors of a specific genre. That’s offset to some extent because readers read different genres, and thankfully I’ve connected with many who enjoy my stories whether they’re historical or contemporary, romance or suspense.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’d like to give to unpublished authors?
Two things: 1) Persist in your dreams and trust God to guide your path. 2) Become part of the writing community by attending conferences and joining writers groups (either online or in-person).
What’s next from Johnnie Alexander?
Over the next couple of years, I’m writing more cozy mysteries and contemporary romances for Annie’s Fiction plus the second novel in my indie-published Rose & Thorne Series (light-hearted suspense).
Depends on the story! I write regularly for Annie’s Fiction, a publisher who sells a variety of series on a subscription basis. A chapter summary for a contracted story needs to be approved by the series editor. So I’m definitely a plotter when I write a novel for Annie’s.
I love it because most of the story development occurs upfront.
That’s why I always intend to create a chapter summary when I write for a different publisher. But it never…never…never happens! I revert to my pre-Annie’s pantser ways.
I love it because the story develops organically during the writing process.
Either way, characters surprise me and the unexpected happens. To me, that’s a heart-tugging, soul-satisfying thrill.
You write in several genres. Pluses and minuses?
Writing in different genres stretches my creativity and allows me to explore a variety of stories and a variety of ways to tell a story. I also grow as a writer since each genre has its own reader expectations.
The downside is that it’s more of a challenge to become one of the “known” authors of a specific genre. That’s offset to some extent because readers read different genres, and thankfully I’ve connected with many who enjoy my stories whether they’re historical or contemporary, romance or suspense.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’d like to give to unpublished authors?
Two things: 1) Persist in your dreams and trust God to guide your path. 2) Become part of the writing community by attending conferences and joining writers groups (either online or in-person).
What’s next from Johnnie Alexander?
Over the next couple of years, I’m writing more cozy mysteries and contemporary romances for Annie’s Fiction plus the second novel in my indie-published Rose & Thorne Series (light-hearted suspense).
You can find purchase links for The Cryptographer's Dilemma here.
Thanks so much for joining us on the Suspense Sister's blog today, Johnnie. On a personal note to readers, Johnnie Alexander was on of my first critque partners. We met online in late 2009 in an American Christian Writer's critique group and when that ended, we continuted to stay in contact. At one time, she lived fairly close to me (within a hundred miles) and we saw each other on a regular basis.
Johnnie is giving away a copy of The Criptograper's Dilemma to one lucky reader who leaves a comment. You can comment or answer a question--Do you follow genres or authors? Be sure to leave your contact information! And for another chance for The Criptograper's Dilemma, hop over to my blog and read my review and leave a comment.
