LINDA FORD draws on her own experiences living in the Canadian prairie and Rockies to paint wonderful adventures in romance and faith. She lives in Alberta, Canada, with her family, and she writes as much as her full-time job of taking care of a parapelgic and four kids, who are still at home, will allow. Linda says, 'I thank God that He has given me a full, productive life and that I'm not bored. I thank Him for placing a little bit of the creative energy revealed in His creation into me, and I pray I might use my writing for His honor and glory.'
Visit her website at: www.lindaford.org
Read on to learn how Linda went from aspiring author to published author.
A few of the basics:
Genre: historical inspirational fiction
How many books have you written? I honestly have lost track but would put it at about 50.
How many books have you had published? 25
Years you've been writing: 20
First thing you ever had published: I started out writing for magazines and newspapers. One of the first articles I did was about my African Grey Parrot. I submitted it to a glossy magazine, Bird Talk, and was surprised to have it published. I was even more surprised at the size of the check they sent me.
Now, on to the actual journey...
In a paragraph or two, describe what the road to publication was like for you. After a few years of writing for newspapers and gaining experience working with deadlines and editors, I knew I really wanted to write romance and join a romance writing group. I started a very steep learning curve. I took courses, attended every workshop I could, and enrolled in a correspondence course. I studied and I wrote. And wrote and wrote. It took me several years to get the first contract. But that was just the start. I had to much more to learn.
Did you/do you have an agent and how did you go about acquiring him/her? No agent.
Are you a fan of writing contests? Why or why not? I would have to say I am not a fan. I found comments from judges often vary so widely they only confused me. In part, I think it is because I am such a slow learner that I couldn’t assess the comments in a way to help me.
How long was it from the time you first started submitting to editors and/or agents to the time you landed a publishing contract? I would guess 2 years. But that didn’t automatically mean I was now getting regular contracts. Many of my stories still didn’t work.
Describe the first time you got "The Call" from an editor. The first call 13 years ago is a dim memory. I don’t think I believed it. I recently sold to another publisher and remember the call clearly. It came at 12:30. I hadn’t had lunch yet. The editor offered me a three book contract. I was so excited I couldn’t sit down. I certainly couldn’t eat (and it takes a lot for me to lose my appetite.) I had worked so hard to get to this place that I was thrilled beyond the best Christmas as a child.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting out? How to write a story. LOL. I still wish I had that figured out. Besides that, I wish I’d known how to better deal with rejection and discouragement. Writing groups and writing friends are invaluable. And thank goodness for email and instant connection to like-minded people.
As well, I think it would have helped for me to really understand that an overnight success in writing is around 10 years. I’d heard it but somehow could not accept it. 10 years seemed like a lifetime. But it is more the norm than the exception.
Three books on writing/publishing you'd recommend: Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain (this is great reference book); The Weekend Novelist by Robert J Ray. (Never mind the weekend thing. What he teaches is invaluable); Creating Character Emotion by Anne Hood. (My only complaint is she doesn’t cover a lot more specific emotions)
How is being published different than you thought it would be? It suddenly becomes a job. I have to do line edits when I want to be writing. I have to spend a lot more time polishing than I like to. I have to divert my attention from writing to creating art facts, and to taking care of business. Of course, there are deadlines but I always set deadlines for myself so this wasn’t too hard to adapt to. Other than that, I still get to do the thing I enjoy the most—write.
What are two pieces of advice you would give to writers who are desperately seeking publication?
- Write. Write. And write some more. Whether every story you create is published is immaterial. Writing develops your voice and your creativity. I describe creativity as a muscle—the more you use it, the strong it becomes. Whatever else is in your life, make time to write.
- Take advantage of opportunities. I am amazed when I attend workshops that they aren’t packed out with unpublished writers. Go to workshops, meet editors and agents, send your work out, and never miss a chance to get yourself and your work out there.
Thanks, Linda, for sharing your path to publication!
Comments