Glenda Goertzen is the author of ‘Prairie Dogs’ and ‘Lady Oak Abroad,’ among other books.
This is the most I’ve laughed from an interview yet, and considering my greatest writing aspiration is to write a really funny book, that is high praise. If Glenda can go so seamlessly from funny to poignant in a four-question interview, it speaks volumes about her ability with words. I, for one, went in search of her books immediately after reading this.
You can find Glenda on Facebook and You Tube, or on her website.
Enjoy!
QUESTION: What obstacles did you overcome to write your books?
GLENDA: I suppose the greatest obstacle I faced was rejection, or rather, the fear of it. I gave up on The Prairie Dogs after my first rejection letter. In my defense, I was in my early twenties and didn’t understand the value of persistence in the publishing world. I didn’t even look at the manuscript until years later, when I grabbed a piece of scrap paper and noticed it was a page from an old draft of The Prairie Dogs. The long break helped me realize everything that was wrong with the manuscript. I ran it through several more drafts and shrugged off the growing pile of rejection letters. Coincidentally, the eventual acceptance letter was from the editor who first rejected it 8 years earlier.
QUESTION: What has writing brought to your life?
GLENDA: While sharing my inner realms with the outside world has brought me a tremendous amount of satisfaction, more than anything writing has brought me people. Being autistic, I don’t find it easy to build connections. Working with people in the publishing industry, pursuing research contacts, joining colleagues at writing events, and of course meeting my readers has had quite a positive impact on my introverted life.
QUESTION: What is a skill you had to work on in your writing?
GLENDA: Revision was a task I wasn’t thrilled with in the early days, when my novels were written by hand. My idea of rewriting was copying the entire manuscript a second time with neater handwriting. Now when I work on second, third, and tenth drafts, I’m not hesitant to make extensive changes to plot, setting and character if it will serve the story.
QUESTION: What advice would you give to someone who is trying to write a book?
GLENDA: Start with the idea that writers are tour guides, taking readers to places they can’t find on their own. Whether you lead your literary tourists to new worlds or new ideas, the journey will be as exciting for you as it is for them. Basically, I follow this path:
1. Have an idea.
2. Come up with more ideas related to the first idea. Stick all the ideas together and decide if you have enough to make a book.
3. Write an outline.
4. Write the book.
5. Take a break. Work on another project for a while. Call your friends and assure them you weren’t kidnapped for the past year; you were just working on a book.
6. Revise. Rewrite the book until you can’t stand to look at it anymore.
The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC) offers an excellent overview of the manuscript submission process. Their Get Published page will tell you how to find a publisher, how to make a submission to a publisher, including that most dreaded of all tasks, composing a cover letter. https://www.writersunion.ca/
When I have a new manuscript to send out, I go to the bookstore or Goodreads and write down the names of all the publishers who have published books similar to mine. I check each publisher’s website for manuscript submission guidelines (Google the publisher’s name and the word submission). Guidelines vary from publisher to publisher.
Joining a writing group is helpful for some people. I was lucky enough to join a group with published writers who gave me much-needed encouragement and excellent advice. Joining professional writing organizations such as your provincial writers’ guild and CANSCAIP (Canadian Society for Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers) will provide a wealth of information and support. CANSCAIP has a FAQ page for aspiring authors: https://www.canscaip.org/CANSCAIPFAQs.
Tip: When searching a library catalogue for resources about writing, use the subject keyword authorship.
(note from interviewer: as someone who has scoured the library catalogue for resources, this tip is so, so valuable!)
