About Dr. Jenna Podjasek:
JENNA PODJASEK, MD, underwent internal medical training at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, followed by a two-year clinical and research fellowship in Allergy and Immunology. She lives with her husband, two children, and numerous pets in the suburbs of Chicago. Particles in the Air is her first novel.
What inspires you to write?
I spent most of my childhood reading, writing, playing music, and creating art. When a family member became ill, I began to explore medicine as a career. In college, my focus shifted, and I spent years immersed in science. I enjoyed seeing patients and helping people but felt I was only using the concrete, analytical part of my brain. I realized I missed this other side of me, and I decided I needed to do something creative.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
Ohhh, where to begin?? Some writers that come immediately to mind are Michael Crichton, Megan Miranda, Steve Konkoly, Gillian Flynn, Terry Hayes, Jonathan Kellerman, Shalini Boland, Ruth Ware, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Occasionally I shift gears and enjoy reading classics by Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, and Charlotte Bronte.
Tell us about your writing process.
For Particles in the Air, I made an extremely detailed outline. I spent weeks in coffee shops, researching scenes and ideas. I knew exactly how the book was going to end before I started writing. My character’s personalities began to slowly take shape during this process.
I don’t have any formal training in creative writing or know many writers, so I wasn’t aware writing tools like Whiteboard even existed. I was familiar with Microsoft Word from school and used it out of necessity. For future outlines, I’ll explore other formats.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
In a way, I listen to my characters as I write, sketching out particular scenes (with dialogue) in my mind. I picture them talking to each other; however, they’ve never talked to me directly. Speaking to my characters sounds interesting – I may need to give it a try!
What advice would you give other writers?
This will sound a bit cliché, but don’t give up. Really – don’t do it. Writing a novel isn’t easy for many reasons. You will get rejections and reviews you don’t agree with.
Marveling at the genius of other writers, I’ve looked up reviews of some of my favorite books. I expected near one hundred percent positive reviews and was shocked to see this wasn’t the case. For creative pieces like books and art, opinions can vary widely.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Prior to signing with Bancroft Press, I considered all publishing opportunities, including self-publishing, traditional, and hybrid publishing. I ultimately decided on the traditional route as I felt I lacked contacts and experience in the industry. I also wasn’t confident in putting together and executing a solid marketing plan.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
There has been a shift towards self-publications in recent years. In part, I think this is due to the relative ease sites like Amazon make the process. The positive side to self-publishing is the increased percentage of royalties that go directly to the author. Given this, I think we may see more authors choosing this route.
What genres do you write?: Fiction, thriller/mystery, medical thriller
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Dr. Jenna Podjasek Home Page Link
Your Social Media Links
Twitter
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
