Interview with Janet Morris Grimes [janetmorrisgrimes]

Janet Morris Grimes [janetmorrisgrimes]

WRITING

What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote?

It was sixth grade when I was given an assignment to write a one-page story using four specific sentences. Eight pages later, and well into the night, I was thrilled to find out how my story ended. I was asked to stand and read it in front of the class, and they actually stood and applauded for me.

What is your favorite genre? Can you provide a link to a site where we can read some of your work or learn something about it?

Though I feel a pull toward Christian fiction, my current genre is narrative non-fiction. I am currently working on my second book, 'Abba'ndoned: Seeking God as Father to the Fatherless. It chronicles my life of growing up without my father, after his death when I was an infant. But more important, it shows how this pushed me toward a deep relationship with God, and how others can do the same.

Everything I write is linked to my website at http://janetmorrisgrimes.com

What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write?

For the first time in my life, I have the opportunity to sit still long enough to find a creative process. I begin each morning with some reading, then take a walk whenever possible. It is through nature and prayer that my picture grows clear of what I am to do for that particular day.

Once I sit down to write, I listen to music. Sometimes, even the same CD or song on repeat. All. Day. Long. Quirky, I realize, but I listen to whatever speaks to me on that particular day.

What type of reading inspires you to write?

I've done more reading in the last year than I have my entire life. I love a story that hurries along at such a pace that I hate to put it down. I appreciate stories about real people overcoming odds and making an eternal difference.

Much of my reading these days centers around the business side of writing and the crossover into public speaking. Writing is the easy part. Marketing and publishing come much more difficult.

What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?

I prefer first person, because it presents a point of view, interpretations and the feelings come through naturally. Not so when I write in third person.

Are you equally good at telling stories orally?

I am in the process of polishing that talent. Toastmasters pushes me, and teaches me the craft of public speaking in a way that I wish I had known years ago. I do believe I have a strong message, and want to meet people face to face to share that. Whether to an audience of 10 of 1000, I am excited to see where this leads.

Deep down inside, who do you write for?

I love this question. I'd have to say that I write for those who cannot speak for themselves. My heart bleeds for the fatherless. I must speak for them.

I write for teens, because I love that time of discovery and awareness when the world is truly at their fingertips.

I write for my children, because they will learn more by me chasing a dream than a lifetime of my great "Mom Lectures."

I write for my husband, who toils at a job he despises so that I might be given this chance.

I write for my mother, who sacrificed everything for us, and is the hardest working person I have ever met.

And finally, I write for my Daddy, because I never knew him. However, I was able to catch a glimpse of him when some personal letters were discovered some 25 years after his death. I realized then that the written word is never silenced, so I can't stop writing now.

Does reader feed-back help you?

Absolutely. I need the feedback to make sure my story is getting through, that my characters matter and that there is a reason to keep reading.

When I get negative feedback, I must use it to better myself, but not destroy what I'm trying to say. And I must get past the point of craving the attention, like the puppy at the fence wagging my tail and hoping someone notices.

I must acquire thick skin and the ability to go ignored for long periods of time, working constantly to be ready when the opportunities come my way.

Do you believe you have already found "your voice" or is that something one is always searching for?

I guess you could say that my voice actually found me. Unemployed for the first time since I was 15 years old, I struggled to find a job once our family relocated to the Detroit area. But somewhere in the silence, I heard my own childhood voice reminding me that all I ever wanted to do was write. Much more than a coping mechanism, I have no choice but to write. The risk comes in announcing that to the world, and answering to the accountability that comes with it.

I do believe my writing voice comes through in my work. If you can feel what I feel when writing it, then the mission has been accomplished. From that point on, it's a journey we take together.

What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?

I set weekly submission goals, and usually surpass those. I keep an excel chart that shows the dates submitted, to what market, and what the response is, if any.

A new goal this month is to submit to a new market each week.

Wordcount goals and deadlines keep me moving on my work in progress. I have to treasure my time, as if clocking in and clocking out.

The next step should be monetary goals. My initial goal was to get published. Now, I must find a way to get paid for it.

What are you working on now?

Several projects, of course. I've already mentioned 'Abba'ndoned: Seeking God as Father to the Fatherless. That gets better as I go along, and the message for the reader gets stronger daily. I truly believe it can minister to many groups, those who are grieving or felt abandoned in other ways. It may find a secondary audience with caregivers who care for the fatherless, because it digs into the relational needs children do not know how to express.

I've written a series of rhyming children's stories based on the six pillars of character. Designed to be read aloud to groups, these were a big hit in the children's ministry at my own church.

I'd like to tackle some real life stories based on my 15 years of working as a 9-1-1 Operator. There are few happy endings in that line of work, but God is still moving through the toughest of situations. I plan to search the country for that message.

What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone?

We recently relocated to Michigan, after living in Nashville our entire lives. In moving, I re-discovered all of my old writings that had been placed on the back burner for the past twenty years. It awakened the writer in me; my own childhood voice that demanded I listen and give it my best shot.

To anyone who writes, even without readers, I recommend that you believe in your stories. Attend a Writer's Conference or sign up for a class; better your craft and learn the workings of the publishing side of the business. Determine your topic and start a blog. I've found that it is easier to get published than it was twenty years ago, though it is much harder to get paid.

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