An Interview With Janet Evanovich

I knew Janet Evanovich needed no introduction when I mentioned this interview to my sister, the magazine reader, and she knew of Janet’s work. I’ve read all of Janet’s fiction. But I hadn’t read her one nonfiction book, How I Write. On page one, Janet spoke directly to me. “Rules For Successful Writing: Don’t fall into the trap of rewriting chapter one until it’s perfected.” I’ve committed that error too many times because first chapters give me the hot shivers. With Janet’s permission, I’ll give that up. Thanks for the interview, Janet, and Welcome to Writers Who Kill.                                                E. B. Davis

I loved the direction of Stephanie’s love life and career in Takedown Twenty, and I’m crossing my fingers there is a reason that Ranger sticks by her. Will you give our readers any hints about Top Secret Twenty-One (due for release June 2014)?

For national security reasons, my lips are sealed.

Presenting a tried and dried concept to agents and publishers may be safe for new writers, but if

they have an "out of the box" concept it won't attract agents and publishers without a successful sales record. How can new writers break through this contradiction of the "different but safe" traditional publishing sales model?

It's a tough fight for first time authors no matter what they write. I think the best way to get an agent's attention is by starting with a "hook" or snappy language or something to grab the reader's attention immediately. In present tense, state precisely and succinctly what the book is about. (Think in terms of how a TV show is explained in TV Guide.) For example: Out-of-work lingerie-buyer Stephanie Plum blackmails her cousin into hiring her into the unlikely position of bounty hunter. In a sentence or two, describe why you are "the one" to write this book. For example, you worked as a homicide detective for fifteen years in Los Angeles or you are a forensic medical specialist. All of this should be done with as much brevity as possible. And by no means should you tell anyone your book is out of the box because that’s an automatic rejection!

When you write, instead of reading, you watch TV or movies. Are these visual arts part of your market research to keep current and discover what is popular and selling?

Since I write about 12 hours a day, seven days a week, I find that watching a little TV is relaxing. I suppose, by osmosis, some of that gets imprinted on my brain, but I don't think I use what I see on the big or small screens to influence the books.

I gather that you create your characters first and the plot second. But your characters follow the plot, which you create before writing. Do you ever write pantser style? Has it ever changed your plots?

I don't really fly by the seat of my pants when I write. I pretty much know where I'm going. The beauty of a long running series is that you know the characters. In the beginning, I had to develop them, but now most of my effort goes toward plotting before I begin to write. Once I have a plot, I very seldom have to chuck it all and start fresh.

You've recommended joining writers' groups, such as SinC, to beginners. How many writers' groups do you belong to, and how much do you get involved with the groups?

Since I spend so much time writing these days, I'm not currently involved with any group. When I was starting out I belonged to RWA and Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers.

Why do you co-author books?

I like the energy. It's fun to collaborate with a pro. I really like writing with Lee Goldberg. He's hilarious.

What inspires you to write?

I love it. While some writers may cringe at the thought of that blank computer screen, I can't wait to fill it.

With all the changes in the market, would you recommend self-publishing to new authors?

Boy, that's a tough one. The self-publishing route is difficult because chain bookstores won't stock your books -- in most cases, they are not returnable. I know of a number of self-published authors with boxes of books in their garages that they can't unload. Thanks to e-publishing, that paradigm is shifting a bit. Booksellers like Amazon are now publishing e-books submitted directly by the author.

How I Write was published in 2006. Is there anything you would revise -- other than submission requirements -- due to changes in the industry?

Other than taking the slight shift toward e-publishing into consideration, I don't think there would be that much more to add.

I've read two of your graphic novels. Were they experiments?

I started out in life as an artist and am still a fan of comic books. My daughter, Alex, and I were given an opportunity to write for a terrific graphic novel company -- Dark Horse Comics -- and we jumped at the chance. It was fun, but it was a big collaborative effort that took over a year from concept to finished product. For now, I'm happy to just to write in the conventional way.

How would you describe your writing style?

Humorous romantic adventure.

Were you involved in writing the script for the movie of One For The Money? Were you satisfied that the film depicted your book? Are anymore movies being made from your series?

Like 99% of authors whose books get made into movies, I had no input. I liked the film. At present, I've not heard if the producers plan to make another.

When I search Amazon using your name, the first few titles are yours, but then other author's books appear. Does this bother you as much as it does me?

It's the way they market books. It really doesn't bother me.

Do you prefer beach or mountains, Janet?

Beach. I get altitude sickness.

On February 25^th, the second novel in the Fox and O’Hare series was released. Janet co-writes the series with Lee Goldberg (of Monk fame). I read the short story introducing the series and the first novel. I won’t spoil it for you, but the humor and main character dynamics that Janet and Lee devised make the series a must-read for mystery lovers.

Knowing that Janet wrote and received rejection slips for ten years before her first book was published consoles me. Thanks for the inspiration and the interview, Janet, and have a flute of champagne for me at the Turtle Club!