An Interview with Janet Evanovich

Janet Evanovich is an American romance, suspense, and mystery writer. She found her start writing romance novels under the pen name Steffie Hall. Janet Evanovich is most popular for her Stephanie Plum series. Each of the fifteen books in the series has made the New York Times Best Seller list.

How did you get into writing? At what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I studied art in college but I was allergic to the pigments in the paint. I started to write in my early thirties, when my kids were in school.

What was your first book or story that you completed? Did you ever get it published?

The first story was about a fairy who lived in a forest in Pennsylvania. It was never published.

How did you finally get published? When were you able to write on a full time basis? Please explain your success story?

Ten years later, after three novels and lots and lots of rejections, I finally sold my first book in the mid-'80s. I was a stay at home Mom, and I wrote while my kids were in school. I wrote 12 romance novels before I wrote my first Stephanie Plum novel.

How do you stay motivated to finish a novel? How do you stay focused?

I use an outline that keeps the story from running off the rails. When you write two books a year, you have no choice but to stay focused. Plus I don't get paid unless I finish the book.

What is your writing schedule like? Do you write in the mornings, evenings, and for how long?

I'm up very early in the morning and I work most of the day.

How do you get your ideas? What is your method for remembering them?

Ideas come from everywhere, newspapers, movies, real life, etc. There's always something interesting going on somewhere. I write ideas down in a notebook.

How do you get over writer's block?

I don't believe in writer's block. Some days you get one sentence, and some days you get ten pages.

What piece of advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a writer? What is a good starting point for them?

Make writing a daily discipline by carving out a specific time each day. It can be a short period, but it has to be a time when nothing else interferes. Don't do email, don't play video games or answer the phone -- just write.

To find out more about Janet Evanovich and her work, check out Janet Evanovich's website.