Interview of Jeanette Cottrell

by

Joan M. Fox

1)         What started you writing fiction?  When?  Why?

Ideas tend to whiz around in my head, such as ‘what if a dragon popped into my classroom?’ ‘What if a student suddenly disappeared, and really was abducted by fairies?’ Well, I’m a bit of an obsessive person. Given a question like that, there’s nothing to do  but to try to answer it! And so I write, so I can find out what did happen!

2)           Tell me about your currently published book from Wings ePress.

Sliding on Rainbows is a contemporary fantasy, in which a normal sixth grade girl discovers herself in a fantasy world. Crystal has a nutty little sister. Lissie sets the whole school by the ears, and Crystal is sick of taking the flak for it.  Then Lissie disappears, only to pop up again, as good as new.  The problem is, Lissie's suddenly acting normal. It's like someone carved away all the special bits of Lissie, and left the dregs behind.  With the unwilling help of an teenaged skateboarder, Miguel, Crystal tracks Lissie's last moves.  To her horrified amazement, the trail leads to a fantasy world, filled with elves, goblins and unicorns.  Worse, there's danger, and her only help is a boy she doesn't trust.  Is it really worth it, just to turn her sister back into her oddball self?

3)           What gave you your idea for it? How long did it take you to write the first draft? The revisions?

I’ve been teaching high school for many years. Most kids feel like outsiders sometimes, and some kids really are outsiders. They suffer a tremendous amount of pain. Society picks at them, and tries to make them fit into a safe mold, but some will never be able to adapt. While I was thinking about this, years ago, Lissie’s character jumped into my head, full-blown. The story has gone through several incarnations since then, but Lissie herself has never changed a whit.

4)           In what genre do you write and why? Do you prefer writing historicals or contemporaries?

I write in fantasy, both children’s and adults’. I’ve also been writing a contemporary mystery novel. Both styles appeal to me tremendously. Contemporary is easier since I don’t have to create the world. I do, however, have to be sure to stick to reality, which is sometimes difficult for me! Fantasy takes longer since I’m piecing together an entire world, but the result, when it turns out well, is a great triumph.

5)           What, if any, is your daily writing routine?

I don’t think I have one. Sometimes the urge to grab my computer hits me, and other times it doesn’t. I find that if I go without writing for a week, I get very edgy. Sometimes, I feel I’m feeding my own addiction!

6)         What kind of characters interest you enough to write about them? How do you feel about writing love scenes?

I like complex characters, mixtures of good intentions, poor decisions, and the occasional strain of orneriness. Fortunately, most people seem to fit into this category, so it’s natural to create characters with flaws.  Personally, I’m not comfortable writing love scenes. I’m a teacher, and a number of my students know I write. If I wrote the slightest bit of ‘steam,’ it would instantly backfire on me in the classroom.

7)           Are there outside problems, social or otherwise, that creep into your stories? Are there some topics that are close to your heart right at the moment?

Society lacks tolerance for outsiders. We discriminate against different people of all kinds: people of different races, homosexuals, people of different faiths, or people who simply want to express themselves through music, clothing, or other choices. Sometimes the ostracism isn’t even recognized. I once took five teenaged boys into a convenience store, and instantly, every person in the store gave them a wary look and shifted away from them. I announced loudly that they were all with me, and if they gave any trouble, to just ‘bat them one.’ My boys all grinned, and right away the people in the store bounced back with affectionate, tolerant looks. They didn’t intend to ostracize my boys. They were simply uncomfortable around them.

They suffer a tremendous amount of pain. Society picks at them, and tries to make them fit into a safe mold, but some will never be able to adapt. As adults, they still feel like misfits, just as I do, even though they may be loved, productive members of their community. Society needs to loosen, become more tolerant and accepting. The best way I know to encourage that is write stories centering on some of those misfits. Perhaps they’ll encourage a few people to look around them with a more discerning eye.

8)           What else have you published?

My first book, There’s No Such Thing!, came out in August here at Wings ePress.

9)           Are you planning to switch to writing other genres in the future?

Fantasy and mystery are the styles I’m most comfortable reading, so I suspect that’s what I’ll be writing for the next few years. But who knows?

10)        What projects do you have in the works?

I have an adult fantasy book coming out late next year from Dragon Moon Press. I’m currently writing another adult fantasy novel.

11)      What advice do you have for budding authors of any genre?

Accepting constructive criticism is always painful, but it’s the only way to improve. As a shy person, I found it very hard to submit my manuscripts to anyone for help, until I discovered online courses.  I’ve fortunate enough to take a number of courses this way from wonderful instructors.  Many of them are taught by published writers and college professors who teach these courses on the side. They do it for love. They sure don’t make much money at it! The courses cost a little bit, but far less than a college course would, and in general the writer gets a lot more individual attention.