Interview with Jenni Francis
Jenni got these questions back to me very quickly and I had to laugh as I do the same thing when I think I might forget to do something or at the very least write it on my hand in order to remember. It is good to know I'm not the only one.
Tell us about your latest novel or project:
Publication of ‘Watch Me’, fifth book in the ‘Keri’ series, and currently writing book six, as yet unnamed.
What got you started writing?
When my 8-month-old granddaughter went with her parents to live in USA. I started writing a book for her.
A great motivator and a lovely back story to your writing.
What challenges did you face when you first started writing?
No-one else to work with and bounce ideas off. I found a critique group but they didn’t write children’s work. It wasn’t until I joined KiwiWrite4Kidz that I got more motivation.
It is so important to find your tribe when it comes to writing.
Do you ever get the opportunity to travel for your writing? Either to market or to research.
One trip to Arrowtown to do an author talk.
Who in your life is your greatest cheerleader or support in your writing?
My husband and my daughter.
What is it like writing in New Zealand that would be different if you lived anywhere else?
In some ways, we have an advantage being a smaller community. Joining NZ Indie authors and meeting up with them has been extremely beneficial. More like a village than a city!
Where do you get your ideas? Is there anything about New Zealand that has inspired you to write?
Are you kidding!! The landscape, the lifestyle all feature strongly in my books. To begin with I made my books somewhat generic, but now they are unashamedly NZ based.
Why do you think readers are fascinated by books written about New Zealand?
It is unique and exotic!
Who is your favourite New Zealand author and why?
Witi Ihimaera. I think he was the first NZ author that I identified with. Loved his short stories.
What advice would you give for other writers in New Zealand?
Join a writing group, join an online group and keep writing.
Do you get to network or meet up with other New Zealand authors?
Yes, at first it was KiwiWrite4Kidz, then NZ Indie Authors, meeting up for coffee occasionally, and also meeting at Book fairs.
Better than me, I'm unashamedly introvert.
What was the first thing you did after your first book was published?
Not a lot and not enough! Had no idea what to do or where to go.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you handle the good and the bad ones?
Yes, but none have been bad so far.
How long does it take you to write a book? Do you have any secrets to productivity?
It takes a full year from putting down the first words to getting the printed copy. To be productive you just have to do something every day. It might be putting your book on an e-book platform, or writing a blog, or doing a giveaway. Or writing.
Where did you get the idea for your first or latest book?
I actually am not sure. I start writing and the ideas come. Sometimes they really surprise me. But my latest book, half-way written, is based on a young girl I know who has selective mutism. I’m building the story around that.
Wow, that sounds amazing and sad at the same time.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Every afternoon, sometime around 3pm, after all the other necessary things have been done, I go to my writing computer, have a look over what I wrote the day before, and start writing. If I get stuck, have a mind blank, I play a computer game for a short while, then I get right back into it again. I aim for 500 words a day, which is very do-able.
What is your best experience meeting a fan?
I met a young girl at a book fair. She bought 3 books from me, and then wrote to me to say how much she liked my books. She is a character in a subsequent book.
That is a fantastic tribute.
If any of your books was to be made into a film, which one would you pick and who would you have play the main characters?
‘Cold as Ice’, as it is partly set on a ski mountain. I don’t know about the actor – who is a good teenage actress?
They change all the time I'm afraid. I felt old the other day when I realised that Amanda Bynes is retired.
How important do you think marketing is for authors today?
It is so important, but the hardest thing for us to do. We’re writers; not marketers!!
Do you have any book you have written that won’t ever see the light of day and why?
Part of a book. I don’t think I’ll finish it. And some short stories.
Many authors have a word or a phrase they automatically use too often. Do you have one? ‘Actually’ !!!
Often writers get to approach some serious subjects. Which serious subject are you most proud to have written about or was the hardest to write about?
I’ve written about parental separation, blended families, bullying, deafness, anorexia, abuse by step-parent, and childhood cancer. Each of these have been an aspect of the novel, and are touched on, but not made into a big issue. The issue of abuse was the most difficult.
Thank you for sharing some of your stories with us and good luck with your projects.
