The Writing Process and Julie Rose

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In general, I like to do these two posts separately, but Julie was so fast in getting this interview back to me that I've decided to combine these into one post.

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Julie Rose currently publishes indie. Many of her books have placed notably in literary contests, marching forward in Amazon's new novelist contest and the Faulkner awards. Recently, I finished Julie's newest book Oleanna. Oleanna is a literary historical about a dark time in the life of the title character during turn of the century Norway. The book is based on Julie's ancestors, and was begun in 2003 after the death of Julie's mother. It is a poignant dark book with a personalized journey that keeps you guessing what the character's choice will be right up to the end of the book. The historical research is accurate and the relationships ring true. I would recommend it.

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Julie was kind enough to give us an interview about her writing process.

Tamago: Do you have a regular drafting process, or does your drafting process vary from book to book? (If it varies, please keep one project in mind as you answer these questions.)

Julie: In general, I write the shitty first draft and let it sit for a month or three, and come back to it with fresh eyes. Then I revise and revise, usually two or three drafts, after which I send it out for feedback. A few months later I'll incorporate the appropriate feedback, then another draft or two, and then a final polish.

Tamago: How long is a writing session for you? How many words do you write? Are you likely to keep most of those words?

Julie: A weekday writing session is 45-60 minutes, and generally speaking I'll get about 500 words, 1200 or so if I'm in the flow. On the weekend, I'll usually do 60-90 minutes. I do generally keep most of the words.

Tamago: How do you find time to write while holding down a very challenging day job?

Julie: It can be tough, can't it? I get up at 4:30 a.m. so I can get my writing time (and workout time) in before I start work at a Large Computer Networking Company.

Life has become more complicated now that I have two books out there—I have to add book promotion time to the morning mix as well. Then it's a full day, and after work, attempting to have a life with husband, friends, and family. Then falling into bed, reading for 30 minutes, and passing out at 8:30 so I can start all over the next day. So while that schedule is the goal, it doesn't always work out. And sometimes, to keep my sanity, it means not writing on the weekend, or taking a day or two off during the week (or entire weeks). If I'm too burned out, I won't get any words down at all, so refilling the well is important.

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Mirrored from Writer Tamago.