JAN HARRIS
Jan Harris writes contemporary inspirational romances with elements of action, mystery, or suspense. The characters are drawn from the military (her childhood background) or law enforcement (her husband’s profession). She has sold two short stories. She and her husband live in Arizona.
Welcome, Jan.
Please start off by telling us about yourself, where you were born, where you are now.
I was born in Fort Monroe, VA. That should tell you my Dad was in the Army and we moved a few times. I graduated from high school in Lawton, OK. I earned a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma, and worked as an engineer for about 14 years before dropping out to go to graduate school. I earned an MS in materials science and engineering from the University of Arizona and have been underemployed ever since in Tucson, AZ.
Is there anything about your life that would surprise most people?
I miss the creative aspects of my previous day jobs. I still think of myself as a wannabe metallurgist who writes fiction on the side. If I could find a part-time engineering job, I might take it depending on what I would be working on. I do temporary contract work so I’m always looking for another job!
Any strange jobs before you began writing?
I don’t think I’ve had a job that anyone would consider strange. The ones that were the worst fit were selling Girl Scout cookies and calendars, and working in a concessions booth at OU football games. Retail is just not one of my talents.
Please tell us about the stories you write.
My novels are contemporary inspirational romances with elements of action, mystery, or suspense. The characters are drawn from the military or law enforcement, or are strongly committed to some other profession. Some of my short stories have characters in law enforcement, some don’t. Most of my characters are Americans. I have a few British characters, and so far only two Scots, in some of my novels. Only one of my novels is set partially in Scotland. That’s the first reason I was surprised you wanted to interview me.
What are some of the ups and downs you have encountered before becoming published?
So far I’ve sold only two short stories. Perhaps it’s too early in my career to be a good interview subject. That’s the second reason your request surprised me. But here goes anyway.
What do you think is the key to a memorable romantic story?
Believable characters and a plot that doesn’t fit an obvious, predictable formula.
Where do you get your story ideas?
I read probably too much military history. I also listen to great law enforcement stories from my husband and some of his sheriff’s deputy and police officer buddies. Occasionally I listen to his police scanner. He’s a National Park Ranger, but I don’t write much about rangers because Nevada Barr does a much better job than I would. I also incorporate some events, situations, and characters from my own experiences.
Which of your stories has been your favorite to write?
This is hard to pick! My first novel was my favorite for about the first year I was working on it. Then I discovered the local RWA chapter and found out all the things I was doing wrong. In the meantime, I got more interested in the novel I’m working on now. So I’m finishing the second one first. Along the way, I’ve started five other novels because the stories came to me, and I wanted to capture the words before they escaped.
Which character have you had the most fun creating?
This is also hard to pick! Heroes tend to be more fun than heroines. My current favorite is Jay, the hero of the novel I decided to finish first. He’s a Marine experiencing PTSD after the battle of Fallujah in 2004. He’s also trying to convince the heroine to “adjust” her career in the Army to his. There are a few more sources of conflict between them, but I don’t want to give away too much!
Which character have you had the hardest time creating?
One of my heroines is a tall, blond, extrovert. I haven’t spent much time on her yet because she’s in novel number five on the submission list. She’s going to be trouble because I am nothing like her, but I’m going to have to project myself into her mind somehow.
How many hours a week do you spend writing?
I don’t count hours. I count pages and strive to average at least one page each day. I’m still working back up to that after recovering from packing, moving twice, buying a house, renovating it, and packing and moving again all within six months. I typically write about one page of new material an hour because I do a lot of editing while writing. Some days I get to spend three hours writing, some days it’s less. There are a few days when nothing’s coming out. I’m learning to go with the cycle instead of beating myself up for not writing the same amount every day.
What challenges do you face in your writing endeavors?
See above.
Do you believe a writer should pander to the current market trend in order to make a sale?
No way. You have to write the story that’s in you. If you try to write something that doesn’t fit, it’s going to be a clunker. If someone insisted I had to write about vampires or werewolves, I would tell them just to go ahead and shoot me.
What is the best advice you’ve received in your career?
Do what works for you and discard the rest. This has been the subtext of every presentation I’ve ever heard at an RWA meeting, and the main message of a few. I’ve also read similar comments in more than one place.
What is your take on the booming e-book industry?
It’s just another way of delivering content. I read somewhere that a lot of writers were upset when paperbacks first came out in the early 20th century. I think books-on-tape went through the same piracy problems that e-books are stirring up. There were probably people who complained about the move from hand illuminated manuscripts to the printing press. Once everyone gets used to it, it will be no big deal.
How many manuscripts did you submit before you were offered a contract, and have any of those rejected stories been published since?
So far the only contracts I’ve received were for short stories because I haven’t finished the novel, but here goes. At the age of 18, I stopped writing fiction for almost three decades after receiving my first rejection notice for a science fiction short story. That fall I left for college and concentrated on getting my degree. I don’t regret that. I think it was the right thing to do at the time. That SF story has since disappeared into a landfill somewhere. The second story I submitted in 2008 was published about three months later in True Romance. The latest one has been accepted for publication in True Story for May 2010 after being rejected by another magazine within the same family. One of the editors was holding another story for a future issue, but I decided to withdraw it because I believe it really needs to be longer, possibly novella length. The first short story I ever wrote for the Trues and submitted in 2008, I’ve just withdrawn from consideration. I believe it’s the best, and I decided I want to retain the rights so I can post it on my future web site as a teaser.
Any of your titles been translated into other languages?
Not yet.
How do you deal with reviews good or bad?
Take the useful advice and discard what doesn’t fit.
What’s next for you?
My goal is to finish the novel, recruit an agent, and get it published. Although I have a list of short story ideas, I’m not sufficiently interested in any of them to take time away from the novel.
Where can readers find you?
I don’t have a web site and blog yet, although I plan to set those up as I get closer to publishing No Better Friend. In the meantime, you can reach me at JanIsAWriter@ aol.com.
Your parting shot:
Persist in doing the right things.
Thanks, Jan, and good luck with your writing.