Interview with Janet Evanovich
Here’s an interview I did with Janet Evanovich last year.
What did you most enjoy about writing your latest book Fearless Fourteen? What were the challenges?
I enjoyed the role Ranger played in this book. He was a little more relaxed and he was sometimes put in awkward circumstances – like getting groped in the elevator by an older woman. The challenge is always to be consistent in the quality and level of entertainment.
One of the great strengths of your writing is your ability to come up with and create empathy for such a variety of interesting - sometimes whacky - characters. You make them audaciously believable. What's the secret?
The secret is that as an author I like them and believe in them and treat them as normal.
You've managed to sustain your readership over fourteen books? How do you keep your main characters alive over this length of time without them becoming predictable?
I try to have them grow a little with each book so they're not entirely static and I bring in new secondary characters to add variety.
Can anyone learn to write humour or does the writer need to possess a disposition towards comedy to make the humour work?
I think we all have unique talents and it's best if we can determine what they are and then use them. Some people can run fast, some can sing, some can cook, some can write humour.
I heard one writer say, recently, that sometimes epiphanies come while writing a story - when you suddenly understand what it's all about. Tell us something of your own experience during the writing process.
The first hour of my writing day is a joy and after that it's work and involves a lot of discipline and tenacity. The epiphanies I get usually involve pizza and birthday cake. A glass of wine helps to generate an epiphany.
What are some of the skills you gained as a romance writer that you've carried over into the mystery genre?
Pacing, writing likable characters, creating sexual tension, realizing my voice as a writer, creating seamless transitions.
Can you tell us about your writing routine - do you write a complete first draft and then edit or do you edit as you go? How different is your first draft to the finished product?
I start with a very simple outline. I edit as I go and when I'm done the book is pretty clean. When I'm done I do an edit and then give it to my family to read and then my editor. The finished product is usually very close to my first draft. It wasn't always this way. My early books required a lot of editorial work.
How do you deal with the fact that many of your fans want Stephanie to get her act together and make a choice between Morelli and Ranger? Does this worry you?
Sometimes people think they want something but then are horrified when they actually get it. I suspect this would be the case with the Ranger and Morelli thing.
Do you have plans for another book tour in Australia?
I'd love to do another Australian tour. It's just a matter of working it into my insane schedule. It's a long plane ride so you don't just hop down for a weekend!
What did you most enjoy about writing your latest book Fearless Fourteen? What were the challenges?
I enjoyed the role Ranger played in this book. He was a little more relaxed and he was sometimes put in awkward circumstances – like getting groped in the elevator by an older woman. The challenge is always to be consistent in the quality and level of entertainment.
One of the great strengths of your writing is your ability to come up with and create empathy for such a variety of interesting - sometimes whacky - characters. You make them audaciously believable. What's the secret?
The secret is that as an author I like them and believe in them and treat them as normal.
You've managed to sustain your readership over fourteen books? How do you keep your main characters alive over this length of time without them becoming predictable?
I try to have them grow a little with each book so they're not entirely static and I bring in new secondary characters to add variety.
Can anyone learn to write humour or does the writer need to possess a disposition towards comedy to make the humour work?
I think we all have unique talents and it's best if we can determine what they are and then use them. Some people can run fast, some can sing, some can cook, some can write humour.
I heard one writer say, recently, that sometimes epiphanies come while writing a story - when you suddenly understand what it's all about. Tell us something of your own experience during the writing process.
The first hour of my writing day is a joy and after that it's work and involves a lot of discipline and tenacity. The epiphanies I get usually involve pizza and birthday cake. A glass of wine helps to generate an epiphany.
What are some of the skills you gained as a romance writer that you've carried over into the mystery genre?
Pacing, writing likable characters, creating sexual tension, realizing my voice as a writer, creating seamless transitions.
Can you tell us about your writing routine - do you write a complete first draft and then edit or do you edit as you go? How different is your first draft to the finished product?
I start with a very simple outline. I edit as I go and when I'm done the book is pretty clean. When I'm done I do an edit and then give it to my family to read and then my editor. The finished product is usually very close to my first draft. It wasn't always this way. My early books required a lot of editorial work.
How do you deal with the fact that many of your fans want Stephanie to get her act together and make a choice between Morelli and Ranger? Does this worry you?
Sometimes people think they want something but then are horrified when they actually get it. I suspect this would be the case with the Ranger and Morelli thing.
Do you have plans for another book tour in Australia?
I'd love to do another Australian tour. It's just a matter of working it into my insane schedule. It's a long plane ride so you don't just hop down for a weekend!
And just for you Rhonda -
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Rhonda