Interview Southern Fiction Writer
Welcome Lauren, can you share a little about your recent book –
The Hideaway is the story of a young woman who, while restoring her grandmother’s bed & breakfast, learns much more about her grandmother’s early years than she ever imagined. My next book, Hurricane Season, comes out in April 2018. It is the story of Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, their unconventional search for a full life, and relationships that must be mended along the way.
Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?
I don’t set out with a particular theme or message that I want to get across to readers. I usually start with either a setting or a character
and add layers as the story comes to me. One of my favorite things about reading is when an author (or a character) says something that makes me think, “Oh, me too! I feel that too!” I always hope to give that same experience of connection and affirmation to my readers. I hope they leave both entertained and encouraged.
How long have you been writing? And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract? I’ve been writing in various ways since I was old enough to spell (diaries, journals, essays, etc.) I started writing fiction with the hope of publication in 2011. I queried The Hideaway to agents for about nine months before my publisher expressed interest. (In an unexpected turn of events, my publisher was interested in the book before I had an agent.)
How long does it take you to write a book? Various amounts of time. I wrote the first draft of The Hideaway in 10 months. Hurricane Season roughly a little over a year.
What’s your writing work schedule like? It varies depending on my kids’ schedules. When they’re in school and I’m in the middle of a book, I try to get in at least 2-3 hours of writing every day. Sometimes things get crazy and the writing doesn’t happen, and other days, I write most of the day while the kids are at school. My brain works best in the morning, and I never write at night!
Do you have an interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it? Not sure how interesting it is, but I write best if I have coffee and total quiet (or the white noise app on my phone if I’m somewhere other than home.)
What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career? The crazy few months between first hearing that Thomas Nelson was interested in The Hideaway and learning that they’d offered me a contract. It was total shock and glee. Another great joy was the launch party for The Hideaway. It was so special to have so many friends and family members come to celebrate with me. They knew how long I’d been working toward this goal and they were so happy for me.
Which of your books is your favorite? Oh too hard to choose! Right now, I’ll say The Hideaway because it’s the only published one, but Hurricane Season is pretty special.
Who is your favorite author to read? I have so many. Sue Monk Kidd, Sarah Addison Allen, Nanci Kincaid, Pat Conroy, Anthony Doerr, Tom Franklin, Ariel Lawhon…
What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have listened too? I’d say if you want to write—if you have ideas bouncing around in your head–try to find pockets of time to sit down and get your story down. You’ll feel better once it’s out. And no one finds extra bits of time during the day—you often have to carve it out. Get up a little bit earlier, write in the carpool line, etc.
How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you? Forty-one times, to be specific! That’s how many rejection letters I received from agents as I queried The Hideaway, not to mention the query letters that went unanswered. Some of them hurt more than others, but overall, each one made me even more determined to find the agent or editor who believed in the story as much as I did.
Do you have a favorite character or scene in one of your books? In The Hideaway, I love Sarah’s opening scene where she talks about the sights, sounds, and scents of New Orleans. Similarly, I love the scene where she sits in the courtyard behind her house. It takes me directly to the French Quarter in my mind. I love the chapter where Mags and her crew go to the beach for the weekend and she writes the letter to Jenny.
Where do you get your ideas? They come from everywhere—bits of conversation I overhear, things I read, personality quirks of someone I come in contact with. Sometimes it’s a setting I love and I build a story around that place.
What are common mistakes you see aspiring writer’s make? Thinking that as soon as they finish their story, it’s ready to query to agents. Sometimes they don’t realize how much editing and revision is necessary to get a story into shape. And it’s crucial that someone else read the story too—someone with fresh eyes. Preferably by someone not related to you!
Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market? I don’t know if there’s a way to truly break into it other than just writing the best story you possibly can. You can’t control how agents and editors will respond to it, but often persistence helps. Write your story, and if that one doesn’t get attention, write another one. Rinse, repeat.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HAK33TC/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb
Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Lauren K. Denton now lives with her husband and two daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham. In addition to her fiction, she writes a monthly newspaper column about life, faith, and how funny (and hard) it is to be a parent. On any given day, she’d rather be at the beach with her family and a stack of books. The Hideaway is her debut novel. Her second novel, Hurricane Season, releases April 3, 2018.
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