JAN: My guest today is Helena Smrcek, an author from Ontario, Canada. Helena, how long have you been writing and how did you come to it?
HELENA: I was born a storyteller. Since early childhood I’ve been creating stories, imaginary friends, made dolls out of kindling, and gave them names and backgrounds.
Grandma set up a puppet theatre for me. A pet chicken and our cat were faithful listeners, as I told stories to them. My siblings participated, on a good day, at times even with some enthusiasm, in the one act plays, directed by yours truly; my imagination ran wild.
At school, writing, reading and grammar took all the fun out of storytelling. I battled undiagnosed dyslexia most of my childhood. My saving grace was the gift of audible memory, as I could recall precisely what the teacher taught, just like I can still recall the old stories my grandparents used to share.
Writing was a natural progression, and once I overcame the fear of forming letters and the pitfalls of spelling, I discovered a new way to tell my stories. Running out of paper was a common problem for me during our composition classes.
The dreams of becoming a journalist were crushed by the reality of living in a communist country. The curse put on our family by the socialist government was broken once we defected in mid-eighties. I faced a new challenge. Although I was free to write, and tell my stories, I lacked the language to do so.
English is my fourth, and currently the most-used tongue. I’m so grateful for God’s providence, as most of the educated world uses English. Our stories can travel far and wide, over the invisible highways of the Internet, beyond geographical borders. Our writing can deliver hope, for hope is what our hurting world needs. Hope for a better future, hope of salvation, and hope for eternal life, after the curtain drops on this one.
JAN: Who are some of the people who most influenced your decision to write?
HELENA: Lorna Dueck was the initial spark. She asked me a simple question, over two decades ago, right after I confessed that I’d love to write. “Why don’t you,” she said. And that afternoon I thought to myself, why don’t I?
JAN: Love that!
HELENA: Following her advice, I went to our local library and borrowed books on writing. I did what the books suggested, and it worked; over one hundred by-lines in two years.
In 2001, I met Cec Murphey. If you have not heard of this man, just plug his name into Google. He asked me again, what I wanted to do. I said, I’d love to write fiction.
Cec marked my first page with a sea of red, but I rewrote that page, once, twice, three times…as many times as it took for him to say that I could start working on the second one. He also said he’d pray for me, every day, for one entire year.
JAN: Wow! Amazing.
HELENA: I can’t forget DiAnn Mills, my mentor and dear friend; Jerry Jenkins, who invested so much in development of Christian writers; Donald Maass, a N.Y.C. literary agent, but also one of the best fiction writing instructors in the world; Chris Vogler and his Hero’s Journey; Angie Hunt and Nancy Rue, who mentored me and, in the process, became such inspiration. There have been so many wonderful people God placed along my journey of becoming a writer.
JAN: What’s your preferred genre?
HELENA: I’m an omnivore when it comes to reading. I read far and wide, biographies, books about finance, how-to gardening books, thrillers, romantic suspense, sci-fi, history, classics, Russian masters, twentieth century American fiction, and of course Christian fiction, as I have many friends in the industry, and it is a good thing to keep up with their work.
By I read, I actually mean, I listen. Audio books are my companion in the garden, the laundry room, in my car or our barn. I always felt I was too busy, and often too intimidated to tackle works like Anna Karenina, but thanks to audio books, and my large garden, I checked off dozens of books on the proverbial bucket list.
JAN: I too love audio books, and they can distract me through the most mundane tasks. Why do you write?
HELENA: You may have heard someone say: “Because I have to.” I also write because I like it. I can get so lost in my stories that my writing friends have to make me get off the chair and join them for a walk. Give me a good pot of tea, a pumpkin scented candle and some soothing nature sounds, and I will give you a chapter or two, sometimes even three.
JAN: How and where do you write? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
HELENA: I’m a super busy human being. I love having my fingers in several pots at once. So, I plot. Definitely. I work on the story for weeks, sometimes for months. My secret: I have a friend who owns a cottage and loves having writer friends come up and work. Three of us, twice a year, nested in a cozy cottage by a lake, writing. We take turns making meals, and they drag me out for walks, and we watch movies in the evenings, and read to each other the first drafts, but mostly we write.
JAN: What a gift that is. Both the setting and the writing friends. How much can you get done in a week at the cottage?
HELENA: With proper planning, plotting and preparation, I’m able to produce a full first draft. It’s pretty close to writers’ heaven as it gets on this side of the pearly gates.
JAN: Where do you get your ideas? What inspires you?
HELENA: Let’s say we are on a family vacation, and I look at the yachts anchoring in Fort Lauderdale harbor, and I think, there are homeless people, sleeping on benches, not that far from here. Color of Money sprouted out of that thought.
Or our visit to French Lick, Indiana, and the tour filled with Al Capone stories, conducted by a former police chief, then a quick stop at an Amish house. Here I thought, organized crime, pacifists, and how about just war. Burning Justice came out of that one.
Las Vegas is filled with inspiration, if one looks past the glitter and talks to the locals. That is how Glitter and Sorrow came to life.
Each of my books has a similar story, except the last one. Pitchforks and Pedicures is a story that we actually lived, although sometimes it reads better than fiction.
JAN: I have read Pitchforks and Pedicures and loved it. A recommended read. How do you research and how do you know you can trust your sources?
HELENA: That depends. Internet is an awesome resource, but boots-on-the-ground approach offers so much more, as Google Earth can’t convey the feeling of the place.
Last spring my daughter and I went on a research trip to Berlin, as I was preparing to write the first draft of ReziMaria, a story of a Jewish baby hidden, and then raised by a German family.
Fast-forward fifty years and look at the history from the perspective of two college-age women, who are thrilled by their Oma’s story.
To be honest, I did change the tone of the draft after walking through the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, visiting museums and seeing the WWII damage on the buildings.
JAN: Nothing like experiencing the feel of the setting firsthand. What do you like most / least about writing?
HELENA: I’m not good at grammar. And here comes a great big shoutout to Sara Davison, who has been faithfully editing my books for at least a decade now. A great editor is hard to find, and I’m thankful I was blessed with a friend who has the skill, patience, and understanding of where I’m coming from.
JAN: What are some of the best methods of promoting your work?
HELENA: We have all heard of social media, but I have recently started to experiment with small local events, gatherings at friends’ homes, tea parties, and author readings. Not only do I love a good party, but there is something much more intimate about meeting face-to-face. Talking to my readers feeds my soul. Amazon is great, as it reaches all corners of the world, but a good chat with a reader – well, there is nothing like it.
JAN: What are your favorite / most effective social media?
HELENA: I try to divide my time among the most popular platforms, as each serves a different segment of my readership. Understanding the rules of engagement when it comes to social media is a science, if you ask me. I’m learning to love it.
JAN: I’m happy for you! It’s a challenge, to be sure. How do you balance professional time with personal time?
HELENA: Balance? If there is one person who is able to do this consistently, please give her my e-mail. I need to find out how such a thing is achieved. I love variety in life. Things kind of blend together when living on a farm.
I love the yard, my animals, the gardens, our four dogs, cats, crafts, cheese-making, canning, smoking sausage, making jam, cooking meals for fifteen people, and listening to those who need to share.
I’ve hosted our writers’ group for several years now, and throw a big party or two each year, inviting neighbors and friends we don’t get to see that often. I help to run our business, manage our finances, worry about retirement, and also try to write. Now, I’m sure everyone understands why the lake-side cottage is such a treat.
JAN: I’m exhausted just listening to you! But what a great opportunity to experience rural life. What are you currently reading? Do you prefer digital or print?
HELENA: I’m reading Zecharia Sitchen’s The 12th Planet in print. Also an early author’s copy of Border Breach, a debut novel by a dear friend, Darlene L. Turner, and Stephen King’s Bazzar of Bad Dreams, a collection of short stories, on audio.
I have been challenged by my writing partners to produce three short stories before our next cottage week so we can publish a book. I have never written a short story, so what’s better than learning from the King himself. He is a true master of fiction.
JAN: What are some of your favorite things? What makes you unique, besides the busy life you’ve described for us?
HELENA: I love Value Village shopping trips with my daughter, as we hunt for more teacups. I have already mentioned the farm. I love to travel. A restful vacation is one thing, but a good research trip, or expedition, is another.
JAN: What keeps you going in your writing career?
HELENA: There is a drive I can’t describe, as the stories download from somewhere out there, and sit in my brain till I put my fingers on the keyboard and let them out. I get really agitated when I skip writing for a period of time. I need to do it. I see it as a gift from God, not to be taken lightly, neglected or misused.
JAN: How is your faith reflected in your writing?
HELENA: Same as in my life. My first name means light, and that is really all that I can be. A little glimmer of light in the darkness, just bright enough to catch someone’s attention and consider that there is much more to life then what we see.
JAN: What are some things you learned from your own writing?
HELENA: You can never stop learning.
JAN: Amen to that. What is your ultimate writing goal?
HELENA: New York Times Bestseller List. What better platform to give a story wings?
JAN: Do you have any advice for beginning writer?
HELENA: Nike said it best. Just do it.
Sorry to cut this one short, but it is getting dark outside, and I need to feed the goats, and close the chicken coop. But to any new writer out there, feel free to reach out through social media, I’d love to be of help.
JAN: Thanks for a fascinating interview, Helena. This has been most interesting. Blessings as you continue on your journey, in writing as well as in your other multiple pursuits.
Readers, check out Helena’s blog as well as the linked book titles throughout this interview.