Can you share a little about your recent book?
I just finished the last book in the Ravenwood Saga, Cry of the Raven. It follows the conclusion to Selene Ravenwood’s journey, a young woman who inherits her family’s ability to walk in dreams. I don’t want to give away too much since it’s the last book!
Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?
I never start writing with a theme or message in my story. Usually my stories begin with a scene that comes to me and I start asking questions: what is happening here? How did these characters get to this place? And what’s going to happen next? Then I start writing. Usually when I get to the halfway point of the story I begin to see a theme. In the novel I’m currently working on, the theme that keeps popping up is survival, and how it’s not good to always be alone.
As far as why do I write, I’m not sure if I could stop. I’ve wanted to sometimes. It’s hard to be a writer, a mom of four kids, and the wife of a pastor. But when I don’t, the words build up inside of me until they start to overflow and I need to write them down. Even if I never published another book, I would still write.
How long have you been writing?
I started writing in 2004 shortly after my daughter was born. So let’s see, that would mean I’ve been writing for sixteen years (wow!). My first book was published in 2012 and since then I’ve published eight books with another one almost finished.
And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract? Or are you published non-traditionally? How did that come about?
I was at a writing conference pitching my first book (Daughter of Light). I met the editor for Marcher Lord Press (now Enclave Publishing) and spoke to him for a while. He requested the manuscript, I sent it, then never heard anything for eighteen months. By then, my husband had lost his job and I went back to working full time and put away my writing dreams so I could focus on helping my family.
Of course, that’s when I received the email that Marcher Lord was interested in my series! During that first year, I worked during my lunch breaks and any other time I could squeeze in writing. My family helped me out immensely and after my husband found another job, I was able to work from home when my kids were at school.
Which of your books is your favorite?
That’s a hard one! I think probably Daughter of Light since it was my first book and I loved it so much that I rewrote it four times instead of moving on to another story (which is what most people advise doing).
Do you have a favorite character or scene in one of your books?
Another hard one! I think Selene Ravenwood from my Ravenwood series is my favorite because she had everything stacked against her (a family history of secrets, the burden of being the oldest sister and doing what she can to protect her younger sisters, the choice to either kill the man who can bring peace to the world but will destroy her family, or help him escape and find herself in exile), but in the end she found the strength and courage to follow her own path.
Tell us about an award you won that was particularly meaningful.
In 2018 the second book in my steampunk series won the Carol Award. It’s a prestigious award that for years I had finaled in but never won. My steampunk series was so different compared to most of books in the speculative category, not to mention what was in the book market at that time. Also, that year my father passed away and Awakened had been dedicated to him. So when my book was announced as the winner, I was shocked. I went up, gave my speech, then received the most amazing text from my husband congratulating me when I sat back down. I admit I started crying.
How long does it take you to write a book?
About a year. I’m a very slow writer and write about 1-1.5k words a day, four days a week. But when I’m done, it’s a pretty clean draft since I do all my editing and research while I write. Sometimes I wish I could write faster, but this is who I am, and I’ve learned to accept that.
What’s your writing work schedule like?
After I send my kids off to school (or as it is right now with the coronavirus, send them off to various rooms to work on school), I write my thousand words for the day. Mornings are the best time for me, especially after I’ve had my first cup of coffee. By afternoon, my brain is exhausted and I need to switch from writer to mom. At night, I like to read what I wrote to get my brain thinking about what to write next. Then I start all over the next day.
Do you have an interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it?
I always need to be chewing on something or drinking something when I write. So I drink tea or coffee, and always have gum nearby. Maybe it helps me think, who knows?
What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career?
Honestly? Receiving fanart. Seriously! I am amazed and love the fact that my own creativity inspires others to be creative. I feel like I’ve arrived as a real author.
What has been your darkest moment(s)?
There have been quite a few of those, and each time I’ve really wanted to walk away from writing. The time my husband lost his job. The time I received some really harsh criticism and would have jumped ship if it wasn’t for the encouragement of my husband and readers. When the reality of my paychecks didn’t match up with what I’d hoped for. I’m very blessed to have people in my life who believe in my writing and don’t let me give up!
How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?
There’s always rejection, even after you’ve published. There’s rejection by readers who didn’t like your book. There’s rejection when your next series doesn’t sell. There’s rejection when a book you’ve poured your heart and soul into doesn’t receive recognition. It’s part of the writing life, and it takes courage to keep on writing. There are a lot of highs and lows in the writing life.
Where do you get your ideas?
I have absolutely no idea. Usually a scene will come to me and I’ll start asking questions. I’ll start a folder on my computer and put all my thoughts and ideas about that scene into it. If the story continues to grow and keeps me thinking about it, then I know I probably have a good story here. For example, here’s how I came up with the idea for my Ravenwood series: I saw a young woman standing over the bed of a young man poised to kill him. I began to ask who are these two people? How did they get to this place? Why does she want to kill him? What happens next? The story grows as I ask more questions.
Who is your favorite author to read?
I’d probably say Jane Austen and J.R.R. Tolkien are my two favorite authors to read and have read their books many, many times.
What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have heeded?
Success doesn’t come at once, and when you discover what success means to you, it will surprise you. When I was a younger writer, I thought success was a big royalty check, bestseller lists, and awards. (I’m pretty sure every beginner writer thinks that.) But over the years, I finally realized success for me was contentment. I love simply writing every day, whether that book is ever published, wins an award, or brings in money for my family. I feel a sense of satisfaction, joy, and accomplishment in turning words into stories. That is enough for me.
What are common mistakes you see aspiring writer’s make?
Giving up everything to be a writer. I’ve seen authors who use all their time and energy to write to the point of neglecting and even resenting their family, only to find in the end they are all by themselves with nothing but a novel or two to show for it. It is by far better to reach the end with a family cheering you on as you hold that first book in your hands than to sacrifice those around you. The writing will always be there, your family and friends might not be if you don’t invest in them as well.
Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market?
Every writer needs to study the business side of writing: publishing, marketing, pitching, editing. What publishers publish your genres? What agents represent that genre? What conferences can you attend where you can meet these publishers and agents? What if you want to self-publish? Self-publishing is like running a small business. Are you ready to take on those responsibilities? Writing is fun, but there is a business side as well, and understanding how the publishing world works will help writers know what steps to take next.
Morgan L. Busse is a writer by day and a mother by night. She is the author of the Follower of the Word series, The Soul Chronicles, and The Ravenwood Saga. She is a two-time Christy Award finalist and recently won both the INSPY and the Carol Award for best in Christian speculative fiction. During her spare time she enjoys playing games, taking long walks, and dreaming about her next novel. Visit her online at www.morganlbusse.com.
LINKS:
Website: www.morganlbusse.com
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Twitter: twitter.com/MorganLBusse (@MorganLBusse)
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