| Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace |
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| Written by Editor |
| Wednesday, 30 April 2008 13:20 |
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A Virtual Book Review Network exclusive... An Interview with author Catherine JohnsonThe Virtual Book Review Network is pleased to interview Catherine Johnson, author of Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, her first novel. Inspired by a true story, the captivating and heart-stopping Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace unveils the malice, betrayal, and violence running beneath the wholesome exterior of a close-knit Midwestern family in a classic case of good versus evil.  Shades of Darkenss, Shades of Grace LAUREN SMITH: Since this book is based on a true story, how did you pick and choose the facts to use for the story, and what did you omit, and why? Catherine Johnson: In writing the book, I chose to use the facts and events that not only best told the story, but also had the most universal appeal for readers. Family and the many dynamics that comprise those relationships, the difficulty of divorce even when it’s necessary, and the existence of evil in ordinary lives are all themes that I think everyone can relate to on some level. What I omitted were the aspects of the story that while still true, were so bizarre that I felt readers would not accept them as believable. This also helped me to keep the narrative focused on what was important and moving the story forward. Another element that falls into the category of what is in the book and what was omitted concerns the time frame. The period of five years over which the story takes place was greatly compressed. In real life, the events occurred over a much longer period of time, making for an unwieldy narrative. The five-year span kept the story moving at a pace that didn’t bog down and kept the reader engaged. LAUREN SMITH: Did having personal knowledge of this story make it easier – or harder – to tell this story? Catherine Johnson: Harder, because even though this a fictionalized story, I know what my family went through. And it was devastating. However, writing this book was also cathartic for me as an author because you can give the story the ending you wished it had had in real life, or an ending that was at least was more just from your perspective. LAUREN SMITH: Your website includes information on alcoholism resources; do you hope the book also raises awareness on this and other issues? Catherine Johnson: Absolutely. As you know, a key subplot of the book concerns Kay and Paul’s struggles with alcoholism and a family history that has scarred many lives. Because my family has that kind of destructive history, I wanted to accomplish two things. First, I wanted to show readers that chemical dependency can be overcome, even though confronting the issue is not an easy journey. And secondly, I wanted to offer helpful resources for readers who might recognize themselves or other members of their family within this story. Alcoholism and chemical dependency truly show no prejudice, and if I can increase people’s awareness of the issue and help them to deal with and overcome this problem, that’s great. LAUREN SMITH: How do you develop characters for fiction based on truth – are the characters close to their real-life counterparts or did you want (or need) to make changes? Catherine Johnson: While all of the characters have a core of truth that evolved from the people who lived this story, many changes have been made. Family dynamics, physical characteristics and appearances, locations, backgrounds, and timelines have all been revised. This isn’t a memoir, as you note it’s fiction based on truth. LAUREN SMITH: How long did it take you to write the book – (was it longer or less time than you expected)? Catherine Johnson: Much longer than expected, but life has a way of intervening at inopportune times. From that first initial draft to publication took ten years. LAUREN SMITH: Did you seek the support of a writer’s group or class? Catherine Johnson: Where I found the greatest support was from good editors. After the first draft was complete, I sent the manuscript to an editor I had learned of through one of my writing groups. Her feedback and suggestions helped me tremendously in focusing the story and improving my writing. Other writers may find the same kind of support and feedback through writing groups, but for me personally it came from editors who excelled at their craft. LAUREN SMITH: What surprised you the most about this process? Catherine Johnson: The first thing I found surprising was how long it took to develop a polished manuscript that told a good story. There’s an old adage that writing is really only a tiny component of the process, it’s revision that makes up the majority of an author’s work. The second thing I found surprising is that if an author isn’t careful, they can get too many editorial opinions, and if you try to make everyone happy, you risk losing ownership of your work. So, I learned to consider all criticism, but to take only what I believed would benefit this particular story. LAUREN SMITH: What tips would you offer to anyone writing a book for the first time? Catherine Johnson: First, I strongly suggest planning out your story. One of the best pieces of advice an editor gave me was to lay out the story against a real calendar, or in the case of non-fiction, an outline. The second thing I would tell an author writing a book for the first time is after you’ve completed that first draft; hire a good editor to look at everything from the plot, structure, character development, and grammatical aspects. This can be expensive, but I would encourage authors to budget for at least two editorial reviews. If an author can’t afford an editor, another avenue I found beneficial was to enter the manuscript into a contest where feedback was provided. Finally, regardless of how an author is choosing to publish, be it through traditional agency representation or self-publishing, before that manuscript is sent out, it needs to be perfect. There are a number of well respected organizations that offer both editorial and/or proofreading services that can help an author polish their work. LAUREN SMITH: What can we look forward to in your next book? Catherine Johnson: Besides promoting the novel, what I’m working on now are a number of short stories. These are again based on real life events and what I’m working towards is publishing a group of stories or an anthology. When that will occur, I don’t know, but hopefully in the not too distant future. LAUREN SMITH: Is there anything we haven’t covered that you would like to include? Catherine Johnson: Only that I hope readers enjoy the book and tell others about it. LAUREN SMITH: Thank you for taking the time to be part of this interview! |
| Last Updated on Wednesday, 30 April 2008 13:23 |
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