Interview with Shanna Swendson

Q: Why did you start writing?

I’ve always entertained myself by making up stories in my head. From there, it seemed like a natural progression into writing those stories down.

Q: I just got into your Enchanted series. I was always a fan of shows such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and I love reading these magical adventures. Where was the inspiration for these novels?

When I first came up with the idea, chick lit was the big publishing trend, and I loved those books that reflected the kind of life I was having as a single woman, with difficulty finding Mr. Right, bad dates, crazy bosses, and all that. At the same time, I’d just discovered the Harry Potter series. I’d always been a big fantasy fan, but hadn’t read a lot of fantasy novels that took place in modern times in more or less the “real” world, and I really loved that aspect of the series. I loved the places where the magical world intersected with the real world or where the magical people tried to hide what they really were — like the secret entrance to Diagon Alley or the mysterious Platform 9 3/4. I also liked the whimsical way the magical world duplicated many of the familiar elements of the real world, like the mail service, the school and the shops. The school parts of those books reminded me of my own school days because I am essentially Hermione Granger, and I was just like her when I was that age. I even have the bushy hair, and I was generally best friends with guys, many of whom I had crushes on even while they didn’t realize I was female. I found myself mentally merging the chick lit world and a Harry Potter-like modern magical world, and then I realized that was exactly what I wanted to read — something like chick lit that reflected my adult life, but with magic in it, or else something like the magical world of Harry Potter, but about adults. At first, it was mostly what I wanted to read, but when I couldn’t find anything like that, I decided to write it myself.

Q: I just had a guest post about first timers at a writer conference. You gave some details on your website about your first conference. What was one of the most important lessons you took away from that?

I honestly don’t remember anything from any of the session I attended at that first conference. The main thing I learned from just being at the conference was that writing was something I could do and maybe even eventually do as a job. Up to that point, being an author seemed like dreaming of being a movie star, not like something an ordinary person could do. Meeting real writers and seeing that they were just people was eye-opening. I also met editors and agents for the first time at that conference, and even chatted with them, and that taught me that they weren’t superhuman beings sitting on Mount Olympus, but that they were people who loved books and reading, just like me. It made being a published author seem like a real possibility instead of just a wild dream.

Q: You contributed an essay to Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume. How did it feel to be included in that piece?

I felt so honored. I still get a thrill out of the thought that Judy Blume now might have the slightest idea that I exist.

Q: Are you currently working on any novels?

I’m working on a book that may spawn an entirely new series, but I haven’t sold it to a publisher yet. Right now, I’m mostly writing it for fun, and then I hope it will be published. Meanwhile, I’m researching the next book I hope to write, which will be very different for me and probably rather challenging.

Q: What is your biggest personal accomplishment?

I’m pretty proud of the fact that I’ve been self-employed for eight years now and am making a living as a novelist, which is the fulfillment of a life-long dream.

Q: What is your favorite part about being a writer?

Working at home, on my own schedule, with no boss and no office politics. It’s wonderful that I can get up when I want, wear what I want and work when I want. This job offers so much freedom and flexibility. Plus, I make money for doing the things that I do to amuse myself.

Q: How long does it take you to finish writing a book?

It really depends, and the writing comes in phases that may not be connected, with multiple projects overlapping. I can generally write a first draft in a couple of months, but it may take me months before that to research and think about the story and months after that to revise the book. I guess if I crammed together all the parts of work on a book, it would take me about four or five months. Some books come more quickly than others, and some take a lot longer.

Q: What is your advice to aspiring writers?

You need to be persistent. One of the biggest mistakes I see in aspiring authors is giving up too soon — thinking that the first round of rejections means they aren’t going to make it or falling prey to vanity publishing scams and spending a lot of money to publish a book that isn’t really ready instead of getting back to work and writing something new that stands a chance of being published the right way (where the author gets paid). At the same time, you need to know when to give up — not on writing entirely, but know when to give up on a project and try something new instead of getting bogged down on something that may not ever go anywhere.

Q: What is or do you think would be your favorite place to travel?

 I have two favorites. One is New York City. I love how you’re seeing an entirely different city, depending on where you go and what you do. Oddly, I’ve always been there for business or to research books, so I haven’t done the standard tourist stuff (I’ve never been to the Statue of Liberty!), but I’ve discovered a lot of fun nooks and crannies that aren’t in guidebooks. Then I also love going to England. The English countryside is gorgeous, and I love how there are walking paths all over the country, going from village to village across fields. It’s a wonderful place to escape from day-to-day life and clear your head.

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