Today, Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is excited to have as our guest, Lynn Voedisch, who was a journalist with the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times before she freelanced for the Chicago Tribune and national magazines. Lynn is also the author of Excited Light, a magical realism novel that hit #515 on Amazon.com when it debuted. In addition, Lynn has appeared on television and radio talk shows, discussing arts topics that affect Chicago.

Good day Lynn and thanks for participating in our interview.

Norm:

Lynn, when did your passion for writing begin? What keeps you going?

Lynn:

It’s been a lifelong passion. First, I was a “Nancy Drew” fanatic and wanted to be like the author “Carolyn Keene” (who was actually different writers working under a pseudonym). When I was 10 and in 5^th grade, our teacher had us do little flash fiction stories and he always raved about mine. Then we each had to write our own little novel. He told my parents I was a talented writer, and I was off on my career from then on. I went into journalism (to make a living writing) and am now doing fiction, which has been my lifelong dream.

I keep going because I am never out of ideas and I enjoy the concept of storytelling. My journalism background instilled great discipline, so I never have days when I stare at a blank page. I’m also a voracious reader, and reading keeps my mind working, thinking of new ideas and new techniques.

Norm:

I noticed you have worn several hats, which one do you prefer and why?

Lynn:

Oh, I definitely prefer fiction. Journalism has its perks, of course. I was an entertainment reporter and was able to interview many celebrities. Plus, early in my career, I was able to travel a great deal. But, in the end, you are either doing an assignment for an editor or trying to sell your own ideas to him or her. That can become frustrating very quickly. With fiction, you are your own boss—at least until an editor at a publishing house gets a hold of it. Fiction also lets you write at your won pace. I thrived on the fast-pace of journalism, but it does tend to wear you out after a while.

Norm:

What do you mean by a magical realism novel? As a follow up, could you briefly tell us about Excited Light?

Lynn:

If you ask 10 people what magical realism is, you’ll probably get 10 answers. Many people associate it with Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabelle Allende, and other Latin American writers. But you don’t have to be Hispanic to write in this style and I think it’s a little silly for people to think that way. Basically, it means writing in a contemporary style, but using magical scenes throughout. The magic is presented as just as acceptable as the everyday scenes. This way you can blend the fantastic with recognizable, modern events. Some people call the style contemporary fantasy, but I was warned by an agent to not call it fantasy, because too many readers think of swords and sorcery when they see this word. Some of today’s best magical realism writers are Neil Gaiman, Susanna Clarke, and Alice Hoffman.

Excited Light is about a young boy, Alex, who lives with his single, alcoholic mother and talks to angels at night for inspiration and help. It’s up to the reader to determine whether the angels are real or not, but the boy certainly thinks they are. Also, these angels are not fluffy and cherubic, but powerful forces of the divine realm. Eventually, a crisis develops with his mother, who has gotten herself into a disastrous love affair, and it’s up to Alex and his angels to work a miracle to save his mom.

It’s as much a story about alcoholism and recovery—and the unexplained way that some can pull out of it with spiritual transformations—as it is a story of angels.

Norm:

Was Excited Light your first fiction writing project? If so, did you enjoy the process and how was it different from your other writings? How did you get the inspiration for this book?

Lynn:

Yes, this is my first fiction, although I have written three other novel manuscripts and am working on a fourth. My agent is busy trying to sell one of them. It was completely different from journalism, because I could just let my imagination run free and there was almost no research to do, other than check out locations in Iowa City (where the book is set).

I had always wanted to write about the single parent experience, and by making the mother an alcoholic, I heightened the tension. I was inspired by my own son, who was the model for Alex. He’s 21 now, but I still remember how inquisitive and sensitive he was as a 10-year-old boy.

Norm:

What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges?

Lynn:

I had no challenges at all with this book. It just poured out of me within nine months. Then I took another year to revise it. My only challenge was finding a literary agent and that relationship didn’t work out. But I eventually got the book published on my own.

I know it sounds too good to be true, but I just don’t have problems with fiction writing and don’t get writer’s block. I’d say my only problem is when plot point heads toward a blind alley, and I need to think my way out of it. I usually can accomplish this by doing something else like gardening and letting it work in my subconscious. I always come up with an answer.

Norm:

Was Excited Light improvisational or did you have a set plan?

Lynn:

Everything I do is improvisational, if you mean without an outline. I did, however, have a set mental idea of what I was going to do with it. The joy of non-outline writing is that when a character decides to drop in, you just let it happen. One of my best characters was completely unplanned.

However, some writing friends and I talk about being cited by the Outline Police. There are people out there who simply don’t believe a book can be done without an outline.

Norm:

What has been your overall experience as a published author?

Lynn:

I wasn’t prepared for my family to go ape over the book. It’s one thing to say you are writing novels, but it’s another when you have a printed product from them to hold. My family treats me like a star now. Some non-writer friends have reacted oddly, deciding that they are going to write novels, too. Then they sit down and realize how hard it is to do. All my writer friends bought the book and I’ve been a guest on many of their blogs.

On the whole, I’m loving the experience of meeting new people at book sales. You don’t sell too many copies there, but you do meet people who can help our career. And most importantly, you get to put the term “author” after your name. That’s incredibly satisfying.

Norm:

How do you approach the work of writing? What does a typical writing day look like for you, from waking to turning in at night, and how does it compare to a conventional 9 to 5 job? What is the biggest reward of life as a writer?

Lynn:

I’m not a 9-to-5 writer at all. I don’t think I would have quit my newspaper job if that was what I was expecting. No, I spend days thinking out my plot, characters and theme. I also do tons of research, which mean a great deal of Internet searches and going to libraries. This takes up a lot of time, but with the novels I did after Excited Light research was absolutely necessary.

After all that thought, I’ll sit down and slam out a 2,000-word chapter in no time at all. I store it all up in my brain and then it comes out when I’m ready—and I’m a fast writer. I write primarily in the afternoon or at night. I’m not a morning person and can’t do anything in the early morning hours. My hours are more like 10 a.m. to midnight,, with time out for the nagging but necessary errands of everyday life.

So, I don’t have any set schedule. My only exception is that I spend one day a week on marketing for Excited Light. The rest of the time is spent on original writing or pitching ideas to magazines or newspapers.

My biggest reward as a writer has been getting the wonderful reader reactions that people send me. My Amazon.com page is full of five-star reviews and that means a lot to me. (And only one of them is from family. A cousin wrote a two-sentence review.)

I also got a bang out of it when I told my tennis friends about my book in the club’s locker room. They all turned with wide eyes and said “You wrote a book?” They acted like I was a rock star, and I sold three books on the spot.

Norm:

Besides writing for newspapers and magazines, what other writing gigs have you found profitable or rewarding?

Lynn:

Well, I did a ghost writing gig for a guy who used to be a publisher at Avon Books. I really enjoyed that, but the agent couldn’t sell the product and it went nowhere. Other than that, I have not done any other types of writing. I tried to find Web site content writing, but found it too hard to find clients, and when I did the pay was too low.

Norm:

Can you tell us how you found representation for your book? Did you pitch it to an agent, or query publishers who would most likely publish this type of book? Any rejections? Did you self-publish?

Lynn:

This book was with an agent for about a year. I found her after sending out 92 letters to agents and getting rejection after rejection. She couldn’t sell the book and I put it away for a long time, while working on my other novels. Then I joined the American Society of Journalists and Authors, which has some pretty stringent entrance requirements. I was able to self-publish under the ASJA imprint (published under iUniverse). It’s not exactly like self-publishing because of the ASJA imprimatur, which denotes a measure of quality.

Norm:

In the last year or so have you seen any changes in the way publishers publish and/or distribute books? Are there any emerging trends developing?

Lynn:

Absolutely. Many more people are self-publishing now and the quality is not always bad. POD books used to have a terrible reputation, but I’m finding more and more of them written by good authors who just can’t get an agent or can’t find a publishing house. Things seem to be locking up in New York and extremely talented people can’t get a foothold there.

Distribution is still a problem, and big chains like Barnes & Noble are impossible about stocking POD books. Something is going to have to change soon, because most sales are happening on the Web now, and brick-and-mortar bookstores need to stay current and start accepting non-traditionally published books.

I’m on my second literary agent, and it’s still hard to get the New York houses to look at me. Still, I will hang on with my fingernails until I get published. I don’t give up easily.

Norm:

What is next for Lynn Voedisch and is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered.

Lynn:

I’m working now on a fascinating historical novel (with magic, of course) that deals with a group of women in ancient Egypt who were second in power only to the Pharaoh. It’s an area that Egyptologists know little about, so it’s a gold mine in terms of original material. I am nearly done with the first draft, and my agent is eagerly awaiting it when I am finished.

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.

Thanks, Norm!

You can find out more about Lynn Voedisch by clicking on her web site http://www.lynnvoedisch.com/

 Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Excited Light