{The Bookish Inquisition} Transcript of Our Chat with Christine Nolfi

Thank you to everyone, especially to author Christine Nolfi, who helped make our very first Bookish Inquisition a huge success!!! If you weren't able to join us, never fear! We have a transcript of yesterday's conversation below. Enjoy!

LitRR Mandy

Hi, Christine! Thank you for being willing to do this!

Christine

I'm shivering in anticipation ... I hope my replies are witty. :-) Can't believe I've reached 85K followers on Twitter. How did that happen?

LitRR Mandy

That's amazing! You're an awesome person and writer. It was bound to happen.

Christine

Thank you.

LitRR Mandy

Absolutely! So, being from Ohio, I have to ask - Where did you live there?

Christine

I lived in Newbury, outside Chagrin Falls on the far east side of Cleveland. 12 acre farm -- great place to raise kids.

LitRR Mandy

Sounds amazing - were you born there?

Christine

Yes, I was born in Cleveland. Have lived around the country: Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Virginia, etc. I've also lived in Utah and now South Carolina.

LitRR Mandy

So, being born in Cleveland, you know there's a town just outside named Independence. Is that where you based Liberty, Ohio on?

Christine

The Liberty Series is loosely based on Chardon, Ohio. I chose the name "Liberty" because I wanted to make a statement about the U.S. family.

Trish

I was wondering how characters are developed - are they based upon famous characters, friends, etc.?

Christine

I'm never sure how to answer that question. My characters form through an odd process - I begin writing first person essays, as if I'm the character. This is a bit like the process actors use when preparing for a role. I don't develop a plot until after the characters are formed. This is the difference between mass market and closer-to-literary fiction (if you're wondering).

Trish

Interesting! I always assumed plot first, then characters.

Christine

Plot does come first in commercial fiction -- romance, suspense, etc. I think readers feel my characters are real because I go through a rigorous development process.

LitRR Mandy

I would think it's easier to to build a plot once the characters are developed. You know their nuances and moods.

Christine

It is easier to develop a plot after characters: if you know the people you're writing about, it's easier to find the natural conflicts they'd encounter.

Trish

I was wondering how many more books there will be in the Liberty Series? Or are you thinking about something different to write next?

Christine

I'm beginning a new series; won't write the 5th book in the Liberty Series until next year. My new project is outside women's fiction. It will be more spiritual in content. The series will be set in my new hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. I'm thinking about publishing in shorter segments. This will allow readers to give feedback as the series progresses.

LitRR Mandy

Like a chapter-by-chapter?

Christine

More like every 15,000 words. Several chapters.

Trish

So readers can suggest or give thoughts on the story line?

Christine

Yes, they can. I met Hugh Howey in April at Pubsmart and he made some comments that really struck me: publishing is now fluid, and we can publish in shorter segments. Listen to reader feedback then proceed.

Trish

Might be good for us binge readers! :-)

Christine

Binge readers will love this format! After I release the first 5 sections, I'll bundle them together in a traditional ebook. I'll release the first 2 sections free.

Trish

Free? Like that!

Christine

Free is the best way to experiment with a new project. Plus releasing short sections first, before developing the paperback version, is cost-effective for an author.

LitRR Mandy

How so?

Christine

Art and editing for the paperback version is expensive. For each book I've produced, I've invested around $1,000. Of course, many authors don't pay for editing or a graphic artist. But I feel both are necessary.

LitRR Mandy

Editing is absolutely necessary. It's a slight pet-peeve of mine when authors don't edit.

Christine

Many authors starting out can't afford to pay a professional editor. I think it's wiser to save some money before releasing a first book to ensure you have the funds for a professional edit. It's impossible to build a loyal leadership if your books aren't of the highest quality -- meaning you need an editor. Many writers jump into independent publishing without a real sense of the demands of a publishing career -- the expenses in particular.

LitRR Mandy

I think most feel they need to get their story out there and rush to do it. Which is sad, because sometimes their work could be great if they'd take the extra time to invest some money.

LuDo

I agree with Mandy. But I can also see where the excitement of just writing your own book and wanting others to enjoy it also would make authors jump at the chance for self-publishing.

Christine

Not just the money investment -- many new writers need to join a critique group. I understand the excitement element. However, you only get one chance at a debut novel. If it's awful, readers turn away.

Deborah

I know that I enjoy reading debut novels. It's great to find new talent!

Christine

I had a rule when I released my debut: if the reviews weren't good, I'd quit.

LitRR Mandy

Where would one find a critique group, Christine? I didn't know such a thing existed.

LuDo

Do you join critique groups for your own pieces or to help others?

Christine

The best critique groups I've seen are managed by Romance Writers of America. Every city in the U.S. has at least one RWA critique group in operation. You don't have to write romance to join RWA -- for years I was an associate member. I think anyone serious about becoming a career novelist should begin in a critique group. I believe Mystery Writers of America also features local critique groups. Best way to learn the mechanics of storytelling. I no longer work in a critique group but would love to teach a college course on Novelist 101.

LitRR Mandy

Ooohh ... If it was an online class, I'd like to participate!

Christine

That's a great idea. I should run an online class on storytelling mechanics.

Deborah

You absolutely should! I always wanted to write. I just don't know how to start.

LuDo

Oh that would be fun, I think! Would you encourage people to try things like NaNoWriMo?

Christine

I think NaNoWriMo is fabulous. Learning to turn off your internal editor and let the ideas flow out is a critical facet of storytelling craft.

Deborah

I was told to just write down thoughts and put them into a format later. Christine, do you think that would work?

Christine

Yes -- begin by writing down thoughts. Let the ideas flow. Afterward, go through and edit.

LuDo

Do you ever do plot outlines?

Christine

I do outline the plot after becoming well acquainted with the main characters. All of my novels are populated by a large cast. Part of my process, I suppose.

Kathy

How did you find publications that accept work from unknown writers?

Christine

Kathy, back then (the 1970s) a new writer could submit just about anywhere. 9/11 changed publishing: editors feared bombs in packages, and many would no longer accept unsolicited submissions. Meaning a writer needed to submit through a literary agent.

Kathy

Gotcha. So do you work with an agent? And if so, what is the process like?

LuDo

How do you find a "respectable" agent?

Christine

Agentquery.com is a great site for finding a lit agent. I worked with two lit agents over 3 years. New York editors loved my novels. They simply weren't sure where to place them in a bookstore. My books blend elements from romance, literary, mystery and comedy.

Kathy, working with an agent: you send a query letter with a short sample of your work.

LuDo

How long does your writing process last? Like from idea to publication?

Christine

LuDo, that's a great question. I've published 6 novels and written many others ... there is no "one process" for developing a novel. Each work is different. Some books come together in a matter of months; some, like The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge, took several years to reach completion.

LuDo

Why do you think some take longer than others? Plot lines? Characters? Time?

Christine

I think it's the subject matter presented in the novel. If I'm writing something light and comedic, like Treasure Me, much of the book is comprised of dialogue, which is easier to write. The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge is a literary work dealing with sexual abuse. It took much longer because I wanted to ensure I was writing realistically from the point of view of a small child.

LitRR Mandy

How did you balance being a writer with being a mom?

Christine

Looking back, I think the universe poised me to leap into publishing. My marriage fell apart, and I was confronted with the question, "What do I want to do with the rest of my life?" And I knew I wanted to write novels. So I began getting up at 5 AM and writing for several hours before the kids left for school. Finding balance: I wrote around my children's schedules. And I worked out at the gym to ensure I'd have the stamina for novel-writing and single parenting of four kids. It wasn't easy!

Kathy

Woah ... Good for you! What books are on your current 'must read' list?

Christine

I just finished The Bone Clocks because it's also a more spiritual fiction. But my series will be more ... optimistic? I should hope so! I also recently read The Signature of All Things. My favorite read for 2014.

Kathy

What is your biggest struggle as a writer?

Christine

My biggest struggle at this juncture is organization. With 6 books published, I need to spend more time on the business aspect. And I'd rather write all the time.

Stein

What did you do between adopting your kids and starting to write full time?

Christine

This is the timeline: I owned a PR firm until age 37 when I adopted my kids. Then my marriage fell apart at age 44 and I began writing full-time.

Stein

Did you give up the PR for your kids and/or writing?

Christine

I knew I couldn't continue in PR after adopting 4 special needs kids. We spent years at the Cleveland Clinic (my kids had been abandoned in the jungle).

LitRR Mandy

Well, everyone, if there aren't anymore questions for Christine we'll go ahead and close this out.

Christine

Mandy, thanks for having me. Thanks, ladies, for joining!

LitRR Mandy

Thanks to everyone for joining us today!

If you're an author, publisher, or book-related person and you want to participate in The Bookish Inquisition, please send us an email with short bio, and any necessary links, to thebookishinquisition@gmail.com.