An Interview with Author Laura Jackson

1) When working on a manuscript, what do you do when you get stuck?

I take a break. I don't plot out my novels, so I just take a few days to think and to pray about what should happen next. I also bounce ideas off my mom.

2) Do you ever read your dialog aloud to see how it sounds? Have you ever performed an action you want one of your characters to carry out in order to help you visualize or describe it? Have you ever embarrassed yourself doing this?

I do all this in the privacy of my home. (I embarrass myself enough people watching.) But, it really is helpful to read dialogue aloud and to see if someone can really wrap their arms around their knees and spin—or whatever it is. I didn’t do this until my sister pointed out that I had characters doing things they couldn’t really do.

3) What aspect of being a writer is the most challenging for you? Why is this difficult, and what steps have you taken to overcome this hurdle?

Time management is hard for me. I waste a lot of time (check out my Tuesday post about that), and I feel convicted to limit my online time by setting a timer. I wouldn’t waste time at my day job, so I don’t need to waste the time I’ve set aside for my writing job.

4) Do you read your reviews? Have you ever replied to one? Do you find they influence your writing when you work on subsequent books?

I do read my reviews because I’m new and feel I need to get a feel for what readers think. It stings when someone doesn’t love what I’ve written, but sometimes their critiques are valid and helpful.

I haven’t replied to any other than to thank my advanced readers/influencers for their honest reviews.

5) If you’re a plotter, have you ever tried pantsing it? If you’re a pantser, have you ever given plotting a try? Can you swing both ways, or are you a confirmed devotee of one of these methods?

I want to be a plotter so badly! I want to be organized. I’ve tried even just jotting down main plot points, and then I discover those notes after the book is finished and I forgot major events.

6) Does your best writing flow? Or are you most satisfied with the work that you’ve labored over, sweating and groaning?

It just flows. There’s time for editing later. Just get that first draft out.

7) Do you prefer writing the initial draft, or do you enjoy the revision process more? Do you revise as you write, or do you first produce a big mess that you later have to fix? If your first draft is rough, do you usually have to cut out a lot of dead wood, or add flesh to the bare bones?

Because I am a pantser, I have a lot of extra stuff in the book—too much fluff. So, in my editing, I have to delete chunks that take away from the plot, places I rambled until I got to the next plot point.

I like editing until the third or fourth or tenth time! By the fourth time, I hate all the characters and don’t care what happens to them.

By the time the book releases, I love them again.

Laura Jackson loves books--reading and writing them. A life-long reader, Laura studied English in college and taught 7th grade language arts before earning her Master's degree and becoming a school librarian. Now, she spends her days sharing great books with kids and her evenings writing books about teenage girls discovering God and His plan for their lives.

Find Laura's latest release, Worth the Time, on Amazon.

Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website/blog.