Today I’m pleased to introduce you to friend and fellow author, Darlene Polachic. As a long-time journalist/columnist for the Saskatoon Star Phoenix in Saskatoon, SK Canada, Darlene has featured many local Christian authors and writing events in her columns. Thank you from all of us for the exposure. Now it’s my turn to interview you!
JAN: Darlene, welcome to my blog and thanks for your willingness to do this interview with me. To begin, how long have you been writing?
DARLENE: I’ve been an avid reader and writer all my life, but I began writing for profit about 25 years ago. I’d read a book by Dennis Hensley entitled You Can Write Magazine Articles and Sell Them and I thought, I could do that. When my first two stories sold, I took that as God telling me: “This is what I want you to do now.” More recently, I have branched into fiction writing.
JAN: What is your preferred genre?
DARLENE: I’ve always enjoyed reading a good romance, and for me, in today’s culture and market, a good romance has to be a Christian or inspirational one. I prefer contemporary settings and characters over period, historic, or Amish genres.
Not surprisingly, contemporary Christian romance is what I enjoy writing. My tagline is: From the heart for the heart.
I am currently working on the Ever Green Romance Series, having published Books 1, 2 and 3 on Amazon in e-book and print book formats. The first two: To Have, To Hold and For Richer, For Poorer, came out in 2017. Book Three, To Love, To Cherish, was recently released. All being well, Book Four, From This Day Forward, will come out this summer. I plan to begin work soon on a Christmas romance to be released around November (no title yet).
JAN: Wow, Darlene, you are obviously a determined and self-disciplined author. Congrats on your achievements and all the best in the future. Now tell me, what do you like most and least about writing?
DARLENE: Most? I love writing description and dialogue. I enjoy putting myself in the scene and imagining a realistic give-and-take conversation.
Least? Definitely marketing. Creating is a strength of writers and other artistic types; putting yourself and your work out there isn’t. Marketing is definitely my weak spot.
JAN: For interest sake, how and where do you write?
DARLENE: I have a bizarre system for writing my novels. I do my preliminary writing in longhand, on recycled paper, sitting by a sunny window (whenever possible) in a coffee shop. Then I go home and transcribe the day’s writing into a computer file, editing and polishing as I go.
My very first step in writing a novel is to find an on-line image of what I envision my lead characters to look like, print it off and keep it close at hand as a reminder. [Jan says, “I’ve done that too, and find it very helpful.”] I also fill out a detailed character profile for each of them using a questionnaire posted by Becky Wade in one of her blogs—which leads to the next question:
Who is my favourite author?
Inspirational romance writer Becky Wade. Hands down.
Others include Denise Hunter, Nancy Rue, Ruth Logan Herne, Katherine Reay, Melissa Tagg, Irene Hannon, Kara Isaac, Hillary Manton Lodge, Jan Karon…
JAN: That’s quite a list. Do you prefer reading digital or print?
DARLENE: I read both. If it’s a book I’m marginally interested in or curious about, I’ll buy the e-book version. If it’s an author I really like, and whose work I know, I’ll buy the print book. I still like the feel of a book in my hands. (Also, you can’t really read on a Kindle when you’re soaking in the tub, now can you?)
JAN: You’ve got that right! Would you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?
DARLENE: I am a plotter and outliner, though my plots and outlines don’t always end up where I’ve headed them. I divide a long sheet of paper into segments to know approximately where and when key elements and events need to take place. As the scenes are written, I chop off that part (kind of like crossing things off my To-Do List). Very satisfying.
JAN: How do you balance your professional time with personal time?
DARLENE: Having to meet magazine and newspaper deadlines for many years has disciplined me to write daily—except on weekends. It also taught me not to panic when unexpected interruptions come. I rarely experience writer’s block, perhaps for the same reason. Self-publishing on Amazon eliminates deadline pressure except for what I impose on myself.
JAN: As a writer with a Christian worldview, how would you say your faith is reflected in your writing?
DARLENE: My overarching goal in all I do is to honour God, and that includes my writing. I do a lot of praying while I’m writing, and have found that when I’m stymied, God is always faithful with fresh inspiration and ideas when I ask. He is, after all, the Creator of creativity. My hope is to incorporate nuggets of spiritual truth in my stories in a way that is natural and unobtrusive, but which may encourage, enlighten, or speak to readers.
JAN: A great reminder. As a last question, what advice would you give beginning writers?
DARLENE: One way I’ve found to improve one’s writing is to read good writers. Look at their work analytically. Figure out what you like about it, and why. What makes it stand out above others? Study the pace of the story. I have a couple of books that bristle with Post-It notes that I go back to frequently for fresh insight.
Also, once you’ve finished your novel and proofread and edited the manuscript (maybe more than once), don’t be in a hurry to submit it until you’ve had at least three other readers go over it for errors. I learned this from unhappy experience. Yes, it takes extra time, but it might save you a lifetime of embarrassment.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
I have a Facebook page, though I confess I’m not very active on it, other than announcing the release of my latest book. My novels are available on Amazon. I can be contacted by email at: polachd@sasktel.net.