An Interview with Author Laura Jackson

On Tuesday this week, Laura Jackson shared her thoughts with us on the subject of waiting - something we're all too familiar with! Today she's agreed to talk about a variety of things.

1) Thanks for waiting around to speak with us again! So tell me, now that you're reveling in the release of your first book: what do you love about being a writer, and what do you like the least?

     I love sharing great stories. I love imagining characters, putting them through hell, and seeing what comes out. I hate editing. Well, I like it the first few times, but about that fifth or sixth time, I hate the book and the characters. (Sorry if that’s too blunt.)

2) Are you a plotter, a pantser, or a combination?

     I’m a pantser. For my first novel, which released February 4, 2014, I had the idea of Ellie. I knew where she started and where I wanted her to end. So, I opened up Word and started typing. It took off from there. I do make notes as I write or jot down a few big events that need to happen, but that’s usually while I write, not before.

3) Do you write full time, or do you work it in alongside a full-time job?

     I’m the librarian at an elementary school during the day. It’s a great job for several reasons. First, I get the best vacations ever, which gives me good chunks of time to write. Second, I’m surrounded by books all day, which is inspiring and often a little daunting as I read amazing books and automatically compare mine to them. Third, I work with great kids who love reading. I get to read books and color, cut, and glue activities all day, which is exhausting but energizing.

4) How do you get your best ideas?

     By just living. Meeting people, seeing what people go through. It’s amazing the stories that are around us.

5) What do you do to get past writer’s block?

    I check Facebook….and usually get distracted for a few hours.

   Sometimes I let it sit. Since I don’t plot, I often have to take a few days to just think about what should happen next.

   Sometimes I ramble write until I get to a breakthrough. Then, I delete the rambling.

6) What’s your favorite method for keeping a story’s middle from sagging?

      Expose a lie. Have the character face a fear. I’m only on my second story, so I’m still learning. ☺

7) Do you like to listen to music when you write?

       Sometimes, I do listen to music while I write. I try different genres. For example, I started a book where one of the characters plays the piano, so I’m trying to listen to some piano pieces to get in his mind. My only experience with the piano was when I took it freshman year of college. The professor told me she’d give me an A because I tried really hard but that I should not take Piano 2.

 Most of the time, I listen to sports radio while I write. Go Rockets! Go Texans!

8) Writing is a sedentary occupation. What do you do for exercise?

       My back is stiff while I type this. I walk a lot at work, but I also do BodyPump twice a week and

cardio twice a week. Well, that’s the goal. I enjoy working out, especially after sitting to type all day.

Thanks, Laura, for stopping in for a chat.

Readers, you can connect with Laura at Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, or her blog. And don't forget to stop by The Borrowed Book tomorrow, when you can enter to win a free copy of her debut novel, Worth the Wait!