Jenny Coon Peterson: How I Write & Giveaway

My friend Jenny Coon Peterson is here today for a “How I Write” feature, and is giving away a copy of both of her anthologies! Many thanks to Jenny for stopping by to answer my questions!

Are you a planner (outline, etc.) or do you “pants” it?

I am a Capital P Planner. My notes have notes. When I first get that spark of an idea, I just kind of explode all over paper. But when it comes to really getting serious about the idea, I start organizing. I’ll do outlines for each scene, character sketches, pages and pages of world-building. It’s my idea of a good time. I really, really wish I could try pantsing it at least once, but I’m pretty sure I’d have a breakdown and come to surrounded by index cards and highlighters.

What time of day do you find you write best?

I usually find I’m able to write best when the world around me is settled–early morning or late at night. At least that’s how it is when I’m writing long fiction. I’m not the type that can hop back into my world for a half-hour; I need at least a few hours. That said, I use afternoons for editing and freelancing, so really I’m writing all day. Fun fact: Writing is super solitary, so to keep from chatting to myself/the wall/my cats Ron and Charlie, I always try to edit in coffee shops. Human interaction. It’s not overrated.

Do you have any writing quirks?

Okay, so a lot of writers can listen to music while they write. It’s inspiring to them. It is to me too, just not when I’m, you know, actually trying to write. For me, I’ll hear songs or listen to music when I’m NOT writing and get inspired for a scene or a character’s mood or whatever. Right now I’m writing a contemporary YA set in Michigan (I’m a proud Michigander), so I’m listening to Sufjan Stevens’ Michigan album a lot.

What resources to you recommend for new writers?

Other people! (Not like Soylent Green-style.) Story time: I wrote my first “serious” fiction when my husband was deployed to Iraq. I didn’t tell a soul. I didn’t get it critiqued. It was just me and this secret love book, which equaled disaster. Beta readers, critique partners, editing workshops–these are all super important. Everyone needs fresh eyes on their work. If you can’t find face-to-face interaction, there are a ton of online communities. I like Absolute Write for honest critiques and encouragement and the yearly WriteOnCon.

What are your thoughts on traditional publishing vs. self-publishing?

So obviously I want to find an amazing publishing deal with, like, HarperCollins, but the publishing world is changing so much and so fast right now. Just a few years ago, self-publishing was equated with vanity publishing, but I really think that’s not so much the case anymore. The rise of ebooks and online options has transformed the way writers can release their work. Take JukePop Serials–it’s a new serialization site where writers release their stories one chapter at a time. (And full disclosure: I have a story with them, The Inbetween.) Ebooks have also led to a bunch of indie publishers that pay you for your work while still having the editing and at least some of the marketing of the Big Six. The key to self-publishing, I think, is in the editing. If you decide to release on your own, make sure the work has been drafted, edited, critiqued. Polished work will only help the quality and perception of self-publishing.

Have you participated in NaNoWriMo before?

I jumped into NaNo last year for the first time. I had just quit my job and moved to a new state. What else was I going to do? It was an awesome experience and a lesson in soldiering on. When you have to write 50,000 words in a single month, you need dedication and a strict regimen. I finished my NaNovel on the last day of November in a marathon 13-hour session. The book clocked in at 63,000 words, and it was a mess. Plot threads disappearing, characters all over the place. But the point was that I finished it, and I had a (oh-my-god-rough) draft to improve upon.

Stories by Jenny Coon Peterson:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

More “How I Write” Q&As!