About Rachel John:
Rachel John lives in Arizona, USA with her husband, four crazy kids, and her desert tortoise. Her first novel, What Not to Say When You’re Running Away, is about friendships and dating at Eastern Arizona College. Rachel graduated from Eastern Arizona College a long, long time ago and knows all about being socially awkward and running away from boys. She went on to Arizona State University and received a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature. Rachel is currently working on several different novel projects and word puzzle books. She loves to read and draw and her desk is really messy!
What inspires you to write?
I love romance and awkward situations and I love to combine the two. Usually book ideas come to me in the form of dialogue between two characters. I’m inspired by the characters that live in my head and by the strong emotions that make life interesting.
Tell us about your writing process.
For What Not to Say When You’re Running Away, I wrote scenes as they came to me, and then created a calendar for my book so that the spaces of time passing would be accurate. I often wrote snippets down as they came to me and then transferred them later. Inspiration often comes at inconvenient times so I have plenty of notes on the backs of receipts and fliers, basically whatever I could find in my purse.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
No, but my characters definitely talk to each other. Often a song will come on the radio and it reminds me of my characters or how they are feeling.
What advice would you give other writers?
Write everyday. I am a terrible example, but it’s something I strive for. Many of us write in addition to a job and having family responsibilities. Finding time to write is always a challenge.
The other advice I would give I learned the hard way. No matter how good of an editor you think you are, look over your book again and again, and have someone else edit it too. Whatever you can afford. Typos pull readers out of your story and take away from the magic of your book.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
When I finished my novel I was so excited to share it with the world. My novel is LDS fiction and I knew if I went the traditional route it would be time-consuming and limit my audience. I love that I have reviews from Mormons and from people that know nothing of the religion. My characters are LDS, but the story is about love and growing up and mistakes and everyone can relate to that.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
It will continue to change and every time it does someone will be really upset about it. I am trying to keep my options open and enjoy the ride.
What do you use?: Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Non-fiction, contemporary romantic fiction, children’s books
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Rachel John Home Page Link
Link To Rachel John Page On Amazon
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