I’m Fran Hawthorne: I used to write award-winning nonfiction about consumer activism, the financial world, and the drug industry, but now I’m having much more fun writing novels. AMA about writing

Submitted by franhawthorne t3_yv7yrg in books

A lot of people write “books” in childhood, but for me it was always my career plan. (In fact, one novel I wrote in middle school wasn’t too bad; I wish I could find it now.) However, in my sophomore year at UC Berkeley, a roommate suggested that I try writing for the student newspaper, The Daily Californian – and after just one news article, fiction disappeared from my view for three decades. I became an editor at the Daily Cal, got hired by a prize-winning newspaper chain in Silicon Valley, then moved to New York City, then on to BusinessWeek and other business publications, then my first nonfiction book contract, followed by four more books and some nice awards … Well, somehow I never had time for writing fiction. Until that old novelistic cliché -- two life-changing events -- really woke me up, nine years ago. Now, finally, I know why I had to write novels back when I was four years old.

My first published novel, The Heirs (Stephen F. Austin State University Press, 2018), was about second-generation Holocaust guilt among two families in New Jersey. My newest, I Meant to Tell You (SFASU Press again, November 2022), is about a kidnapping, the limits of friendship, secrets, and political activism. I’m now working on two more books -- after all, I have a lot of lost years to catch up on!

Please check out my Website and/or follow me on Twitter and Instagram:

PROOF: https://i.redd.it/n7cqnhfhnor91.jpg

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A_Human_Rambler t1_iwcvngk wrote

What's a good way to avoid distractions and focus on writing?

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwd1s7y wrote

Some people are so well-disciplined that they're able to avoid checking email, etc. for a pre-determined period of time while they write. Other people use exterior, physical means to stay focused; they'll rent a cubicle somewhere outside their home, with no WiFi, no TV, no one to talk to...I'm somewhere in-between. Most days, I interrupt my work too much to check email, Instagram etc (on the theory that that's work, too, LOL). But honestly, if I'm really going on a scene, I don't get up for anything. I just wish that happened more often.

I hope this helps. Thanks for joining my AMA.

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Armored-Elder t1_iwcvnzf wrote

what's the best way to get your work published?

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwd2lbn wrote

Wow... The best (and most difficult) is to get a literary agent and then get published by one of the big houses. Okay, but what's the most feasible and also respectable for us mortals? There are 100s of traditional small presses that don't require agents and also don't ask you to pay for the privilege; many have niche focuses, while many others are generalists. The NYTimes today has an Opinion piece about the importance and growth of university presses, in particular. (Of course I'm a big fan of university presses, since a university press has published both of my novels!)

I hope this helps. Thanks for being part of my AMA.

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hungrytiredandbored t1_iwcuz0w wrote

If someone is good at writing but has no motivation, what advice would you give them?

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwd0ysc wrote

I think the important question is: Do you like to write? Even if you're good at something, you may not like to do it. (For instance, I was good at math in HS but I had zero interest in taking advanced math classes.) Then, if you do like to write, think about why you like it -- what is about writing that you enjoy?

I hope this helps. Thanks for asking me.

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OptimisticByChoice t1_iwcxc4n wrote

  1. Would you consider yourself optimistic about political activism and why? Check my username I’m always looking for fuel 😉

  2. I want to be able to afford ramen and rent in the next six months by writing about finance related topics.

I have a MA in finance, been published in the school paper, academic journals, and a couple of blogs. Free of course.

How do I get from 0 to ramen and rent money?

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwd59nl wrote

If you want to make a living through writing, you've chosen a great specialty. I spent most of my journalism career covering business and finance, and I think that's an area that will never cease being of interest to a wide range of readers -- from corporate leaders, to hedge fund and pension managers, to individuals who like to track the markets and make their own investment decisions. Your combination of an MA and published writing experience should really help. But as with most careers, you'll probably have to start small. Luckily, there are a slew of small newsletters, newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc that focus on different aspects of finance. (Yes, they pay, though not Manhattan-rent-level wages.)

As for your political question: I feel like I have to be an activist-optimist, even if that means having a lot of patience, suffering a lot of hits, and taking the long view sometimes. Otherwise, I'm ceding the battle to the optimists who disagree with me politically. Does that make sense?

I hope this helps. Thanks for reaching out.

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IndyDude11 t1_iwcz56w wrote

What is your story making process? What tools do you use? Say you have a story idea in mind where you're going to take a female through college where X, Y, and Z situations happen and she ends up changed in some way. How do you go about organizing everything and plotting the plot out?

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwd7lck wrote

Outline outline outline! I know that a lot of novelists don't use them, but my novels would wander hopelessly out of control if I didn't start with a detailed outline-- for the first draft. Along the way, wonderfully, the characters and plot take on lives of their own and discover trails (and new characters) I hadn't envisioned. So I just add them to my outline. So I guess I'm saying I need a combination of structure and flexibility. (Maybe like making a marriage or relationship work???)

I hope this helps. Thanks for asking.

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IndyDude11 t1_iwd9g26 wrote

Very interesting. Thanks for responding. Are there any books that you know of that are helpful on the topic?

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Warm-Enthusiasm-9534 t1_iwcx5iy wrote

Did you have an agent from before? If so, did you keep the same agent, or did you have to switch when you switched markets?

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwd3iny wrote

It's a true cliche that publishing is a business of personal contacts: An editor will simply pay more attention to the recommendations of an agent she/he knows. And I suspect that it's rare for an agent who's been specializing in, say, business books for 10 years to have good contacts as well among children's book editors. That was definitely true in my case: My (happily successful!) nonfiction agent had no experience in fiction, when I switched genres.

I hope this helps. Thanks for logging in to my AMA.

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Warm-Enthusiasm-9534 t1_iwd53z2 wrote

Thank you for the response. I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

So you did switch? I wasn't 100% clear.

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwd7zye wrote

Hmm, I replied but it doesn't seem to have registered. I'll try again:

I ended up happily getting both my novels (so far) published by a small university press that doesn't require an agent. There are, fortunately, a slew of small traditional presses like that.

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Vinkartong t1_iwd6ldi wrote

How many hours do you write for each day?

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwdaa92 wrote

There are writers with a set schedule (they write from 8 am to noon, or whatever), but I'm not one of them. Life sets its own schedule! Maybe today my friend will need my help, or a cousin will show up unexpectedly from out of town; I have one class on Wed, another on Thurs, and I volunteer at the museum on Fri... On the other hand, I've tried setting word-count goals, and I find that's a great motivation. I can't stop today until I've written 3000 words-- even if I delete 2500 of them tomorrow.

I hope this helps. Thanks for joining the AMA.

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PeanutSalsa t1_iwdbmpb wrote

What do you like about writing fiction books over nonfiction books and vice versa?

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwdgflh wrote

I love the freedom of fiction! In journalism you can't put snappy, snazzy words into people's mouths; in fiction, you can-- and must. (Of course, often the characters in my novels will say something I never planned.) In journalism, most of my articles were limited to a tight 2000 to 3000 words at best; in fiction -- wow, 80,000? 100,000? I've been trained well enough as a journalist that I do ridiculous amounts of research to get the facts and details right, but still, if my character really needs to be working on a laptop at her mother's house in January 2003 to search for her long-lost friend in Israel, she can. (Strictly speaking, her mother -- a Luddite-ish social worker -- would've been unlikely to own a laptop then.)

Of course, journalism has one big advantage: You don't have to invent characters or plot. You take the facts and just try to organize them and retell them in an interesting way.

I hope this helps. Thanks for being part of my AMA.

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwdihl3 wrote

Hi all -- I'm done for now, but I'll be back tomorrow. Thanks for all your comments. Fran

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satanspanties t1_iwd3abs wrote

What drew you to write your novels on these topics, and do they relate to your non-fiction writing at all?

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwd94ut wrote

I've had two novels published (so far! working on Number 3), and both were inspired by family stories, in different ways. However, a political issue that I covered as a journalist plays an important role in a subplot in the newest, "I Meant to Tell You." (The novel's protagonist works for a think-tank in Washington DC that specializes in healthcare, and her big project involves the cost of prescription drugs.) I did that deliberately; why not take advantage of my knowledge and some of my actual interviews?

I hope this helps. Thanks for joining my AMA conversation.

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BohoPhoenix t1_iwd4k2b wrote

Did you find it difficult to switch between the different writing styles of journalism and novels?

I loved writing when I was younger, but after pursuing a journalism degree, I find I lack the imagination to write in the style of novels where you want to engage all the senses.

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwdbrct wrote

It was definitely hard at first. I had to learn to loosen up, to do all the things we were specifically told not to do in journalism, such as reveal opinions and personality. (And I still haven't shaken all those old habits. For instance, I still write too tight, as though I had to fit an entire novel into 2000 words!) I wonder if you could try an in-between route, like long-form magazine or nonfiction book writing? I was lucky that I did a lot of that sort of journalism, where there's room for multisensory descriptions and describing people's clothing, accents, and backgrounds.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your writing.

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uniqueusername209 t1_iwd504k wrote

How do you keep a story coherent through different subplots? I try to have multiple storylines but end up with them confused and unresolved.

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwdexvp wrote

A detailed outline, plus the Search function! My outlines are so detailed that they're color-coded. (Okay, this is slightly embarrassing.) For instance, in the outline for my newest novel "I Meant to Tell You," any subplot involving the protagonist Miranda's strained history with her future father-in-law is highlighted in red in the chapters that reference it. The subplot about Miranda's effort to expand her job is in blue in those chapters.... and on and on. So when the characters go off on their own and rip up my original outline (as they always do), it's easy to find the places that need changing.

I hope this helps. Thanks for being part of this AMA.

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TheCaliforniaOp t1_iwe0xkf wrote

That’s a brilliant hack to keep track of who’s where, doing what. The image reached my brain and my face started smiling!

That color-coding could be a good self-therapeutic tool as well.

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iamthezoidberg t1_iwcywyz wrote

How political is the writing space as it relates to what books get pushed/get put on a stand in B&N while others hide on shelves/etc?

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwd60hg wrote

I'm not an expert on the inner workings of the publishing industry, sorry. But as a former business writer, I'd guess (based on my knowledge of how businesses in general operate) that politics with a capital P -- Democratic, Republican, Libertarian etc -- is irrelevant to book publishing, placement and marketing. What matters, as always, is potential sales: Is the author famous? Is it a hot topic? Is the book backed by a major publisher?

I hope this helps. Thanks for being part of my AMA.

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iamthezoidberg t1_iwdjnnj wrote

Ah, my apologies! I worded that super poorly in my haste to get my question out there haha. I meant moreso the inner political workings of the publishing industry, not so much with the capital P. Thank you for your answer!

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwienke wrote

Yes, that's what I figured. And really, it's like the small-p politics of any ethical business -- how can they make the most money turning out products they won't be completely ashamed of.

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extra-boo t1_iwczehw wrote

any advice for those of us who want to write a fiction book? how to get started, how to organize everything, create specific details for the story etc.

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwdi65t wrote

Some fiction-writers say they begin with an image: A girl in a yellow dress sitting on a boulder. Or a brief incident they encounter: An argument in the cereal aisle at the grocery store. Then they ask themselves questions about who, what, why: Why is that girl sitting there? What is the relationship between the two people arguing?

In my case, I typically begin with a what-if -- a very short thread of a plot. What if someone was engaged to be married, and she'd never told her fiance about something bad in her past, and then she learned that he was going to find out... In fact, a key aspect of that thread eventually got altered as I outlined my newest novel, but the basic setup remained. From there, I plot out a very detailed outline. Most of the details just come to me as I write. And the finished product? I'd say only about 20% is true to the original outline!

My other major piece of advice is: Take a writing class. I've learned so much from other people, both the teachers and the other writing students.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your writing.

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extra-boo t1_iwdpb8r wrote

great advice, i will definitely be giving these suggestions a try!! thank you very much for the detailed reply!

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[deleted] t1_iwcy14v wrote

how to improve your writing ( fiction/creative & essay )

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PMzyox t1_iwd4h7s wrote

I have a really specific question about writing a novel. I’ve personally been working on one for many years. I have a really good story and have outlined it down to what actually happens in each chapter. Now I’ve got 50% of it written but have the rest of the book to basically fill in with content. I feel like I’m just writing trashy filler for these parts. There are essential plot points that take place over these filler chapters, but the feel of them doesn’t seem to have any soul, whereas the rest of the story I have written has all only come when I’ve felt particularly inspired. I’ve also written and rewritten the half of the book I have finished several times, because honestly every time I get into a new author (for my personal reading) it seems to change my writing, so when I go back and reread what I have written, I decide it’s crap and rewrite it in my new more blended style.

So I guess, how do you write the boring parts of your book. How do you still make them good? Do you just simply wait for inspiration, because that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing so far. I love my story so much, I don’t think there is justice in just rushing it for the sake of finishing it…

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwihbdb wrote

I'm glad you love your story and have felt inspired in writing parts of it. But you can't wait to be inspired for the rest of it.

I have my more-favorite and less-loved scenes and chapters, of course, and I understand that not every chapter will gallop for you. But are you sure that the slower ones actually need "trashy filler"? Okay, you need to take a break between brilliant Chapter 8 and brilliant Chapter 10 to give your hero a moment to pull all the clues together (and your reader a moment to catch her breath), or to move from CA to Chi. But maybe you can take care of that necessary plot movement in just a couple of sharp pages. How much of the "filler" content is truly necessary?

So that's some advice to get started. I hope it helps.

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PMzyox t1_iwiqzxg wrote

Thank you, I really appreciate the response. This actually will help me. I’ve had a lingering suspicion that if I can’t get excited about something I really just need to reevaluate it’s relevance to the plot.

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all_mybitches t1_iwe7uyg wrote

Any advice for someone who constantly struggles with editing while writing, as opposed to after? I often find myself completely stuck at points because I've only ever written this way and can't seem to be ok with writing garbage until some gold starts showing itself.

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwig3dl wrote

On the first draft, I tell myself: "Just get something on paper (or screen), no matter how terrible. You can always revise it later." I think a lot of writers follow this same tactic. That first draft is so hard!! Remind yourself that revising will be easier.

I hope this helps. Thanks for joining my AMA.

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laconicflow t1_iwh3oah wrote

How do you know when to stop messing with a sentence or a paragraph to make it better? this can be done endlessly, after all.

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwifgyq wrote

Yup -- and I may be the wrong person to ask. My novels go through 12 to 18 revisions. (Truly.) In part, that's because I physically FEEL a badly worded phrase; I will search and rewrite and twist a sentence around to avoid having two sentences within a page use the same adverb, for instance. So how do I know when to stop? When I can't stand reading the ms. any more. When a teacher, agent or editor says it's good. When I've reached the deadline when the galleys are due...

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwihgzf wrote

Thanks for all your questions. Enjoy your writing!

Fran

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DaBi5cu1t t1_iwcyml3 wrote

Hello there.

Are you aware of the ongoing GameStop saga and how it is flying in the face of Wall Street. Retail investors registering their shares and making hedge funds go bust along the way? If not I can guide you. Would make some great material for a business based fiction based on real world events.

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwd6yt6 wrote

Thanks for the idea! I've been slightly aware of the story, as much as any casual reader of the business pages, I guess. Why not try writing it yourself, or with a co-author who's experienced in the business-thriller genre? (There are lots of such books. I've reviewed about five of them for the New York Journal of Books.) It sounds like it would be very marketable.

I hope this helps. Thanks for following my AMA.

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DaBi5cu1t t1_iwd7m4b wrote

I wouldn't know the first thing about writing fiction. My wife has had a go a couple times. She's gotten about a third of her way into writing two books then stops and gives up! Any idea how I can encourage her to keep at it?

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franhawthorne OP t1_iwd89zn wrote

Of course she has to encourage herself, but maybe you could help -- for instance, offering to do more household chores? (Of course I have no idea how you two already divide the workload.) You could ask why she keeps stopping.

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