And here we go....
- Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a mom - my son just graduated from high school! I'm also a former English teacher, and I still keep in touch with my students. I've been writing for children for the past 8 or 9 years, and FAITHFUL is my debut novel, with a sequel to follow next year (FORGIVEN). I'm just finishing my MFA degree in Writing for Children at Vermont College of Fine Arts, so I'm a student, too.
- What got you started writing? What brought you to YA?
My son got me started. He has dyslexia, and at first I tried writing things for young kids, and specifically for kids who struggle with reading. But I had a hard time finding the right voice in younger fiction. It wasn't until I tried my hand at middle grade and young adult that I found myself as a writer. I think I'm mentally frozen at about 14 or 15, so I write for the teen reader that I was then.
- Tell us about your most recent/ upcoming release?
FAITHFUL is historical fiction set in 1904. Maggie arrives in Yellowstone National Park thinking that she and her father are there to find her mother...but there are secrets and lies and heartbreak in store. And romance. And adventure. And a happy ending, because I believe in happy endings.
- Do you plot out in advance, or just start writing and see where things go from there?
I just start with a vague idea and a character. Then I begin writing. About halfway through I usually have to stop and create a vague plot plan. But I know that my best writing comes out when I don't plan too carefully. When I let it flow, my writing comes from my heart, and that's when it works.
- Many authors have told me their characters talk to them, and sometimes even have different ideas of where the story should go than the author. Do you hear your characters?
I hear their voice. But generally they don't "tell" me what they want to do...I'll try something and if it doesn't feel right I'll try something else. Once I put the character in a scene, it's pretty clear how they will act. When they act "true to character" I know it's right.
- Who is your favorite character (of your own)?
Each time I write something new, my favorite character is the character I'm living with. I tend to live deep inside my character's heads. So at the moment my favorite character is the protagonist of FORGIVEN. I have to like my characters in order to write them - they may not do likable things, but they need to be likable at heart.
- What hobbies do you have when you're not writing?
I love to garden. I also love to hike - we have a little cabin in the mountains of Montana and I do a lot of hiking. When I'm out in nature I get my best writing done!
- If you had not become a writer what would you have done instead?
I actually have a masters degree in geology - I wanted to be an oceanographer. I went to sea a bunch of times...but I needed to do something more creative and internal. And being out on a ship can be exhausting, and it's awfully hard to have a family. I'm happy with the choices I've made.
- Where can readers find you online?
My blog: http://kidswriterjfox.blogspot.com My website: www.janetsfox.comTwitter: @janetsfoxFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/janetsfox
- Your turn. What question do you have for readers of Want My YA?
What do you want to see in a historical YA novel? Is a happy ending important to you?Thanks so much for your answers Janet! It was great to hear from you. Beyond a fair amount of accuracy, I'm not sure what else I'd look for in a historical YA. I honestly can't say that I've read much of the genre though. Most historicals that I've read have been Romance novels. As for the happy ending, oh yes, I much prefer a story that ends happily. I've read and even enjoyed a few that didn't have very happy endings, but those were definitely the exception for me.
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