Interview with

Roberta Olsen Major & Sara Olds

authors of Yours in Haste

by

Karen Sandler

Q: What first inspired you to become a writer?

Roberta: Being a voracious reader! That was the spark, I think. But there have been a lot of sulfur-tipped matches along the way. When I finally figured out how ill-suited a career in theater would be to my desire for a family and children, I shifted my creative energy into writing. But I have always written. Always. Ever since I learned how.

Sara: Reading. I am a bookaholic. When I was a child I was always reading and I loved the worlds I visited and people I met. I started spinning my own versions of books I’d read, always putting me in as a character and soon it blossomed into telling my own stories.

Q: How have you developed yourself as a writer--classes? books? critique groups? self-taught?

Roberta: I have taken a few classes, worked with a few writer's groups. One of the best experiences I ever had was in a writer's workshop at a San Diego junior college when I was a new mother. The leader of the workshop never allowed the authors to "defend" their work. We could ask two questions of the group, but we could never justify what we had written. It had to stand on its own merits. I went to a great writer's conference two summers ago at Brigham Young University, too. But I think the most development has come from just doing it. And, if it didn't work the first time (And it rarely does!) re-doing it!

Sara: All of the above. I once took a novel writing workshop, which was one of the most helpful things I’ve done because not only did it teach about writing and construction, but about the business of writing. I must admit, I’m very wary of critique groups. They can be wonderful. But they can also be places were things fester and go sour--and I’ve seen and heard about the blind leading the blind straight off a cliff! So I believe people need to be very careful and often re-evaluate the usefulness of their individual critique groups. (Sorry, I’ll leap off my soapbox.)

Q: Is this your first sale? Whether yes or no, what was the experience of your first sale like?

Roberta: YOURS IN HASTE was my first sale of a book-length work. But my first writing sale--where someone actually wanted to pay me real money for words I had put together--was a short play for PLAYS: The Drama Magazine for Young People. What was it like? Oh, I surfed the thrill of that one for several weeks--and got thrilled all over again when I actually held the magazine, with my play in it, in my hands.

Sara: Nope. Gosh…when my first article was sold, I nearly cried. And when my first electronic book was sold, I think I called every person I know. (Let’s hope they all are buying the books <g>.)

Q: What is one piece of advice you've received as a writer that you consider most valuable?

Roberta: Write the story you want to tell--not the one you think will sell. If it's good enough, it will find a niche somewhere. If it's not good enough yet, keep at it and it one day will be.

Sara: You, as a writer, are not sitting on the shoulder of your readers, so when they get confused, you can’t simply shout in their ear, “No, no! I didn’t mean it that way. I meant it like this!” So when someone gives you criticism or a critique, it’s important to listen and take time to think through what they meant because if it doesn’t work for your reader, it just doesn’t work. And it’s your job to clarify the problem.

Q: What advice would you give a writer just starting out?

Roberta: Avoid adverbalizing everything! Nothing screams "Novice!" faster than someone who tags every line of dialogue with an adverb. And be careful when fictionalizing events from your life. Make sure there's some fiction in there. You don’t want to give away all your secrets.

Sara: Take a class or join a group so you can have some feedback on your writing. And do not think that every word that comes out of your mouth is gold, because if you’re just starting out, it’s most likely going to need some polishing.

Q: How do you create your characters?

Roberta: I usually start with a single idea. For example, I have always loved governess stories, so I knew my character in YOURS IN HASTE would be a governess. From there, I also knew Fraser would be the antithesis of Sara's character of Catherine, which meant Fraser would NOT be a beauty. She would not be of a highly romantic nature. She would be practical, dependable, short (Because I am!), red-headed (Because I've always wanted to be!) and strong. (I have a real antipathy for "damsels in distress" characters. I like a woman to take charge of her own destiny.) And Fraser had to have a sense of humor.

Sara: Let’s see. First, I need a time period for them--like in Yours In Haste--the Bonnie Prince Charlie period. Then I need a circumstance--rich, poor, bright, dense, charming, annoying. Then I start playing with options, sorta like a mental version of Mr. Potato Head, I guess. Hair, eyes. Family. Personality. Catherine Beauchamp--of YIH (as we lovingly call it) was easy. She’s soft, beautiful, intelligent, rich, snotty without knowing she is and yet, there’s a darkness about her life with her quite abusive father and just really unkind brothers, frankly she’s powerless to control her circumstances. She had to have some depth or she would’ve been too cliché. I think that’s really important. One mistake MANY writers make is their characters are perfect--handsome, wealthy, kind, brain surgeon, rescues small dogs etc, etc…and I just don’t understand how authors can work with characters who have no room to grow or change.

Q: How do you develop an idea into a book?

Roberta: In the case of YOURS IN HASTE, Sara and I began it as a writing exercise. I'd read a book that two authors had written simply by creating a character each and then having those characters write to one another. It sounded like fun--and Sara was moving out of town, so we thought we might enjoy giving it a try. We batted around a few historical eras, and settled on the very romantic days of Bonny Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. We talked about the relationship between our two characters and figured out (in general) why they'd be writing to one another--and then we let the letters do the rest. Other than talking about how many more letters we'd need to finish, we didn't share any details of plot or character. For me, the plot twists and turns came as I went. I had a general idea about where I wanted to end up--but not how I was going to get there.

Sara: Some ideas don’t flower into books. They’ll weaken early and fail. But generally, I just keep asking: “Then what?” And the story will unfold. Yours in Haste and the entire LETTERS FROM THE ATTIC series is highly unusual because it unfolds two separate stories in each book. In this case of YIH as in the second of the series, Lately of England, due out in the fall, this is done through actual letters written back and forth between the two main characters--Fraser Hollyforth and Catherine Beauchamp. Roberta sent me the first letter and I had to react to it as well as put forward my own storyline. Sometimes it was a real challenge--I kept sending her characters from my storyline, which she would then have to meld into her story. (She returned the favor in Lately). But it was terribly exciting waiting to see what would happen next as each of us would wait for the next letter. The most interesting part of the process was when both of us just knew when we were through telling the story and tied up the details and stopped. When we started we had not planned the number of letters or the length of time for the story (It takes about a year to tell.) but we were so in synch that we just understood when we were through. It was so much fun, we’ve developed the families and proceeding generations into the series. At this time, we are writing the third of the series, Overtures, which takes place in the War of 1812. We’re hoping that will be out in late 2002 or early 2003.

Q: What's your favorite part of writing? your least favorite?

Roberta: Working on the second draft of anything is my favorite part--because then, good or bad, I have something tangible to work with. Writing dialogue is fun, too!

My least favorite part? Hmmm. That's tough. I like all aspects of writing--even galley corrections! It's the self-promotion I don't enjoy very much. But that's a big part of a successful writing career.

Sara: Favorite--creating. Ah! There’s nothing like the rush of typing out a scene with smells and voices and pictures in your head. Hate??? Picking titles and writing synopses.

Q: Do you have a day job, and if so, what is it?

Roberta: I'm a mother. That's my day--and night!--job. Though I also work as a freelance storyteller and occasional small-scale theatrical costumer. I used to be a children's librarian--but that was before I had kids.

Sara: I am first and foremost a mom. I’m lucky that way--my husband can support my writing habit. But I also can be found teaching college level history classes, teaching private violin, directing plays for the elementary school and certainly not least, I’m the Senior Editor for Historicals at Wings. In between time, I’m desperate to squeeze in my writing.

Q: While on a cruise, you're washed overboard and can save only five of your most treasured books. Which ones are they?

Roberta: Okay, if I'm going to be a castaway for awhile (In other words, if I'm not going to have access to a library!) then I'm going to go for the following:

1. a "complete works" of Shakespeare--Lots of layers to unpeel while I'm waiting for rescue!

2. Scriptures--for the same reason as above

3. a "complete works" of Georgette Heyer Regencies (I know! This is cheating! I've never actually seen them in "complete works" form!)

4. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgsen Burnett

5. An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

Sara: Well…I wouldn’t take my fav books on a cruise. LOL! But if you’re asking what would have to read again and again? I think the answers will surprise you.

1. Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I'll never tire of that. It’s one of the most vivid books in my mind even after all the years of having read it.

2. SickHeart River by John Buchan. He is one of my most favorite authors and this book he wrote as he was dying of cancer. I didn’t know that until I read the first chapter when I could just tell by the story and his writing. And I haven’t been able to bring myself to read the rest…I’m saving it for just the right time and if I was going to be stuck, I think that might be the right time.

3. Complete works of Shakespeare…I guess I’d have time to finally reach my dream to be able to quote long passages.

4. A set of scriptures--this goes without saying because my spiritual life is extremely important me.

5. King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry--the book that opened the world of horses to me as a child and set me on the path of dreams. But I would demand a blank book to write in and I might even take a dictionary if I could extend that list a bit.