The Interview - Jill Wallace
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What inspired you to start writing?
My mom told me story when I was about three. A story about hers and my dad's best friends during World War II. It was more romantic than any fairytale I ever heard. I'd request she retell it for many years. When I was well past what others might call my 'prime,' I had this burning desire to tell their story in moving pictures. That's the only reason I studied screen writing. But when my producer died suddenly just after he'd found three investors who were keen to make "War Serenade" come alive, my dream died with him. A whole decade later I lamented about my bad luck to an author friend and she said "To hell with Hollywood. Write a book." So I did. It took me three years and a brilliant editor.
Can you describe your writing process?
I think, I dream, I write notes. Then I write a messy synopsis. Then I pitch the story to people I trust. If they find loopholes, we brainstorm. If they make suggestions I listen, but don't always agree. Then I spend ages down rabbit holes doing research, and finally 'Chapter One' magically appears on my screen and I know I'm ready.
What’s the most challenging part of writing for you?
New stories. Since my first to sagas were inspired by real people and situations, coming up with the theme and trope and reason for my new series was a tremendous struggle. It took me three years for my first in series but then I had all six books roughly mapped out.
How do you develop your characters?
I usually write about people I know and mentally inject them with steroids so they're larger than life. My first villain was a mishmash of all my youth's worst boyfriends.
What a bastard he turned out to be!
Who are your biggest influences as a writer?
Taylor Coldwell the first author who made me sob for days as a pre-teen. Og Mandino who inspires me through life to never give up. Ken Follett who knows how to write a saga and leaves no room for sagging middles. Greg Isles who intrigues me. Kahlil Gibran whose verse never fails to touch my soul. Daisy Jenkins Reid who brought us Daisy Jones & The Six. Such an innovative story telling technique.
What do you hope readers take away from your books?
That no matter how bad things get, or how desperate life becomes, there is always a reason to keep looking for the light. Because it will shine and hope will be restored.
My hope is that readers will remember my characters long after "The End!"
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Don't be afraid of the blank page. If it doesn't speak to you be still. Be silent. Eventually you will hear what it wants you to say.
What do you enjoy most about being an author?
The delicious freedom of living in someone else's head. Well, the heads of many someone else's.
If you could have dinner with any author, living or dead, who would it be?
I would love to dally with The Bard.
What are you currently working on?
Book III in my Time Flies series. This time, 80's air hostess Chantelle who dreamed about her soulmate on board a 747 at 36,000 feet, will have to go back to Herculaneum in 78 AD, just before Mount Versuvius erupted. FUN FUN FUN. I have butterflies!
Do you have any quirky writing habits?
Having my dog, Umtwani next me seems to help me along nicely!
What’s your favorite genre to write, and why?
I am a genre jumper so I love them all!
How do you balance writing with the other aspects of your life?
Sometimes with difficulty. I often wish I was able to write all the time...it's other aspects of my life that keep me accumulating material.
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your work?
Receiving my first award for my first book and a $500 check. I nearly fainted.
If your book were turned into a movie, who would you cast?
Easy Peasy. War Serenade's female lead would be Rebecca Ferguson.
Zebra's white protagonist would be Kit Harington.
How do you celebrate when you finish a book?
I've never given birth, but I reckon publishing a book must feel like giving birth. You don't know how you got there - through all the pain and frustration and feelings of discomfort, the tears and the fears, when at last it pops out, it's like a miracle. You have no idea how it was created but you're thrilled you can call it your own.
What do you want your legacy as an author to be?
That my readers remember the names of my characters forever.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself through writing?
How MUCH I love it. I regret not having started writing decades ago.
How do you handle negative reviews or criticism?
Negative reviews astound me. Its so easy to anonymously criticize. I try to take them with a pinch of salt. But I listen to criticism very closely. I want to be the best I can be so if the criticism makes sense to me, I will apply it.
Do you write by hand or use a computer?
I have one million, seven-hundred and sixty-three hand written notes, most of which end up on my computer once I've typed in "Chapter One."
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
Your books can't possibly appeal to everyone. Ask John Lydgate or Abraham Lincoln. It took me awhile to accept that...
How do you name your characters?
The nice ones after the ones I love or admire. The horrible ones after the ones who've wronged me. Revenge in ink is sweet.
Have you ever based a character on someone you know?
Oh hell yeah!
How do you stay motivated to write?
As long as the endgame excitements me I'm in the best place. Literally - as long as I know how the book ends and it's thrilling to me, nothing stops me from getting there. Sure it might be clumsy the first and second times, hell, even the third, fourth and fifth...but, when eventually I can write the last scene, I'm able to close my circle.
What’s your writing kryptonite (biggest distraction)?
My phone!
Which book of yours was the most difficult to write, and why?
Zebra was my most difficult. It was inspired by my husband's life growing up in the mountains of South Africa. There was tons of tango-ing, trying to please and appease him while at the same time telling a story I was proud of. He let me handle the relationship elements and the ending so that helped. Writing to me is a selfish immersion into people I am getting to know. Knowing somebody so well going into the book was a challenge. But one I believe we overcame, since that's the book my readers really lapped up.
What’s your ideal writing environment?
I have one of those retro swings, shaped like an egg, that stands on its own. Its on our back patio overlooking the pool. It's my best place in the world to write from.
What’s a fun fact about you that most readers wouldn’t know?
I was an extra in a TV commercial for Canadian Beer when we just arrived from South Africa. I played the waitress and the director invited me to go for the second shoot at Ron Wood's then party venue on South Beach in Miami. It was a thrill. I never got to see the ads so I could imagine (falsely no doubt) that I was fabulous. My good sense tells me I ended up on the cutting room floor. That's why I HATE good sense most of the time. ;o)
How do you celebrate your book launches?
Usually one of my friends who owns a store or a company hosts my launches. I am so lucky!
Do you believe in writer’s block? How do you overcome it?
I believe in writing horse manure if nothing else will come. Just wild ramblings vaguely in tune with the book's theme and the character's mindset. I learned early that you can't edit a blank page. Any writing is better than none.
If you could live in one of your book’s worlds, which one would it be?
I go through such agony in my own books' worlds until I see the light, I much prefer living in other author's worlds. It's they who inspire me. Talking to you Erin Morgenstern of 'The Night Circus!'
How do you decide on a book’s title?
It's an integral part of story telling. For me it's the very first step. Without a title, I am uninspired. It's like being given a fluffy stuffed animal when you're little. If it doesn't have a name its not important.
What’s the best fan interaction you’ve ever had?
A fan flew from New Hampshire to Florida only for my live book launch of "Zebra." I was so flattered. So humbled. And so sick. (Because she contracted Covid on the flight and she thought it was just a cold!) But it was worth it.
How do you keep track of your ideas?
In a thousand notebooks I can never find when I need them.
Do you write with a specific audience in mind?
No. If I did I would likely sell more books. I really write books I would like to read. Sometimes my taste might be a little obscure for the mass market...
What do you love most about connecting with your readers?
I see connecting with readers as my greatest joy as an author. It's invigorating and their love is what keeps me writing.
How do you approach world-building in your stories?
One layer at a time.
How do you handle balancing multiple projects at once?
I allocate dedicated time for each. I am not a multitasker but I can do many different things in a day.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever researched for a book?
The ritual that turns a teenage Zulu boy into a man for 'Zebra'.
How do you deal with self-doubt as a writer?
I just keep writing. Oh, and I read the wonderful reviews and I think of Abe Lincoln. And I try to accept nobody can please all of the people all of the time.
Do you read reviews of your books? Why or why not?
I do. I shouldn't but I do.
How do you prepare for book signings or public readings?
Other than having product and feeling good about my books, I don't. Preparing would feel fake. I just wing it with the intention of meeting people and having fun.
What’s a writing challenge you’d like to tackle someday?
Writing two books at a time.
Which of your characters do you relate to the most?
All of them. There is a little bit of me in each. Just the goofy bits mostly.
What’s the most rewarding part of being an author?
Smiling as you write or when you close your book before it goes off to the editor.
What’s the hardest decision you’ve had to make while writing a book?
To change the names of friends of my family whose story I intended to tell, because the producer of my screenplay said "War Serenade" was 'too happy' for Hollywood. When I lamented it was indeed a happy story. He said "Too bad, Hollywood wants conflict...if you change your mind..." It took me a whole year of nothingness to discover that by renaming them I could make him more of a bastard and her more promiscuous. It was liberating. And my producer's call in which he exclaimed "NOW we have a movie" made my heart stop.
If you could live in any book’s setting (yours or someone else’s), which would it be?
"The Night Circus" I just finished and its still rolling around in my head. I loved the richness of the prose and the incredible imagination that went into making everything that was impossible so easily believable. I would love to have been the contortionist in that book!
What do you do when you get stuck on a particular scene?
I brainstorm with everyone from the garbage guy to my husband, to as many author friends I can wrangle long enough to hear me out. It's sincerely because of other authors that I write at all. Their grace and their unconditional sharing of our craft, continues to make me a better author.
What do you think makes a story truly unforgettable?
To me a story must first intrigue me, then it must grip me tightly and never let me go. I want to go on a roller coaster ride - up ... higher than I ever expected, down ... as low as one can go....around an unexpected corner...into a dark room that terrifies me until I see a light...and as I come out the other side I want to smell, taste and feeeeeeeel that thrill, and know beyond a shadow of doubt, that was the ride of my life.
How do you decide which idea to pursue when you have multiple story concepts?
I believe story telling is the universe whispering in your ear. As an author, I am the scribe.
How do you find the perfect balance between dialogue and narrative in your books?
My characters tell me what they want to say and when they want to say it. Same goes for what happens in between for them to act or react. I just watch the movie in my head and listen intently...
What’s the one thing you hope readers remember about your books?
The story. The characters. The setting. South Africa. All of it. I want them to laugh and cry and read lines over and over because those works spoke directly to their hearts.
How do you come up with your book titles?
They come up by themselves. I have very little to with it.
Do you have a favorite writing quote that inspires you?
"To thine own self be true." Thanks Shakespeare. It's really a life quote more than anything. But writing is a big part of my life.