Q&A with featured writer Jen Craven
Jen talks about her approach to writing, editing and crafting compelling book blurbs
Q&As are available to all subscribers, with early access granted to paid subscribers. Access will be granted to free subscribers about a week later.
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When you receive a newsletter from a writer, what compels you to open it? When you read it, what drives you to select a link or purchase the writer’s book?
Wouldn’t we all like to know the answer so that we can find the right words to communicate to someone that our story is one they’ll want to read?
There’s a reason Jen Craven’s story blurbs caught my attention, and I know why.
The blurb for Jen’s book The Baby Left Behind was written in such a memorable way: it immediately presents you with a situation that probably surprises you almost as much as it surprises the main character. You’re starting to feel with and think like the main character—you’ll probably start to think about what this means to this character and what in the world they’re going to do next—which brings you into the story fast.
The goal of the blurb is to catch your attention and make you want to read more—in my experience, it succeeded.
Jen’s newsletters caught my attention a second time because she talked to we readers directly by asking compelling questions:
“What would you do if your best friend’s daughter—who’s like your own—came to you with a big secret and made you promise not to tell? Would you honor her request at the risk of betraying your best friend? Or would you break your vow to ease your conscience?”
I am a big fan of the address-your-audience technique; it helps you connect with your audience and, very importantly, it helps your audience connect with the content (so they can see why it’s relevant to them). Asking a question is powerful and effective; when someone is asked a question, the brain may start to work on an answer even before we realize it, which brings us into the conversation.
After reading not one but two engaging book blurbs from Jen’s newsletters, I reached out to her and Jen kindly agreed to be featured in this month’s Q&A!
Bio: Jen Craven
“Jen Craven is the author of five novels, both indie and traditionally published. Her
contemporary debut, Best Years of Your Life, was inspired by over a decade of teaching at a small liberal arts university. In 2023, she signed with Bookouture, where she publishes domestic suspense: The Baby Left Behind (Sept. 2023) and Her Daughter (March 2024).
Aside from fiction, Jen has personal essay bylines in national outlets, including The Washington Post, HuffPost, Today’s Parent, Scary Mommy and many more. She writes from northwestern Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and three children. When not working on her books, she can be found thrift shopping, taking long walks and kicking butt in backgammon.
Learn more at www.jencraven.com or by following her on Facebook and Instagram at @jencravenauthor.”
Q&A with Jen Craven
When did you first know you’re a writer, and that you wanted to write books?
Jen: Like most writers, I’ve been a book lover for as long as I can remember. I enjoyed English and writing classes in high school, and minored in journalism in college, but it never occurred to me to write a book.
After my first daughter was born, I started writing personal essays about motherhood, and had many placed in publications like HuffPost, Washington Post, Scary Mommy and more. It wasn’t until years later, as my writing evolved and strengthened, that I got the idea to write a book. Once I did, I was hooked.
2. Can you tell us about your writing process? For example, when do you do most of your writing, and how deeply do you plan or not plan as you write a new story?
Jen: I’m a plotter through and through, so my process starts with the central idea and then I outline the story. I like to use Post-it Notes to map out each chapter and colour-coordinate if I’m writing more than one POV. For me, I need to have a clear picture of the whole story before writing. I use it as a guide to keep me on track, and help prevent excessive revisions down the road.
In terms of my writing schedule, it varies depending on the stage of a project. There are stretches when I write every day, and other times when I take days (or weeks!) off. I’m definitely more of a morning person, so my creative energy is highest at the beginning of the day. Now that my kids are all in school, it’s much easier to be productive with my time.
3. When you’re done writing your first draft, what is your editing process?
Jen: After a first draft, I usually go back through, reading for big-picture issues (sort of like a developmental edit). That pass helps me deepen the story, slowing things down where first-draft fingers might have been a little too brief. Along the way, I’ll fix any glaring typos or grammatical errors that Spellcheck didn’t catch. Once I’m happy with the manuscript, I send it off to a few trusted beta readers.
4. What was your experience like with finding a publishing path/opportunity for your first published novel?
Jen: When I started out, I (admittedly) knew very little about publishing. I wrote my first book and plopped it up on Amazon without any sort of plan.
Moving forward, I did more and more research into the publishing industry, paths to publications, and pros and cons for each approach. I decided to remain an indie author for the next two books, each time learning more about the process and getting better with marketing. I liked self-publishing—there are plenty of pros and cons to every path—but for my latest release, The Baby Left Behind, I was looking for a larger readership base, and that’s what led me to Bookouture.
All this to say, there’s no right or wrong publishing choice—it really depends on the author and the project. Today more than ever, there are so many viable options for writers.
5. In one of your recent newsletters, you ask a question that compelled me to keep reading.
That question was the beginning of the story blurb of your next novel, Her Daughter (coming soon in March 2024). The story blurb for your previous novel, The Baby Left Behind, is also super compelling. I find that it can be so much "easier" to write a 90,000-word novel than to write a few paragraphs describing a story in a way that keeps a reader gripped and engaged. Do you have any advice to help guide writers as they approach writing a compelling synopsis/blurb that accurately captures their story in an engaging way?
Jen: Writing synopses and blurbs is so tough! It’s definitely a skill and takes a unique way of thinking compared to writing the whole novel. However, these two things are different—synopses are usually included in pitches to literary agents or publishers, whereas blurbs read more like back cover copy and are much shorter in length.
Style wise, synopses go through the entire story from beginning to end, hitting on all the major plot points. Blurbs are designed to keep a lot of the narrative hidden, and their aim is to hook the reader’s attention.
For me, writing a blurb for one of my books is fun. I think of ways I can explain the concept of the novel, while also creating intrigue—this is where rhetorical questions come into play! A good back cover will have high stakes, tension and clear themes that the reader hopefully finds relatable.
6. On your website, underneath your name, it says, "Stories where one decision can change everything." When did you first notice this theme in your writing, and what do you think draws you back to it again and again?
Jen: I love the idea of flawed protagonists making questionable decisions. These are the characters who feel like real people, the ones readers can see themselves in and ask, “What would I do in this situation?” I’m fascinated by the moments in life where people have to make impossible choices—ethically, morally, legally—and then the fallout of those choices. For me, it shows that even good people can make bad decisions. It wasn’t until after my third book that I realized this was a theme in my writing. Now with each story, I centre the narrative around this inciting incident.
7. In a blog post last year, you wrote about the experience of discovering one of your novels reached #1 for new releases on Amazon. Congratulations!! I know you shared mixed feelings on the subject, and I really appreciate that you wrote about that experience along with multiple helpful lessons, including some thoughts on the awkwardness many writers feel regarding self-promotion. I agree with you that it can feel awkward and that it's also an important part of helping stories reach readers, and readers find stories. Can you tell us again about what helped you to get past the awkwardness sometimes felt with self-promotion, or what fellow writers could do to cope with it so that they can support their writing? (Thank you!)
Jen: For many authors (myself included), the idea of marketing our own work comes with a cringe. Many writers are, by nature, introverts who would rather just stick to the craft. But that’s not how today’s publishing world works. If you want your work to get out there, you have to actively engage.
Over the years, I’ve become more comfortable with social media—posting videos, reels and photos of myself—as well as talking about my books. I try to think of it as a business. My books are a product that I’m selling. Once I shifted my mindset to more of a business-focus, I was able to overcome some of the awkwardness of self-promotion.
8. You joined and helped form a group of writers, the Eleventh Chapter, who support each other and celebrate writing successes. On the group's website, it says, "They envisioned a safe place where women authors could turn to one another for advice on marketing, querying, and publishing in a highly competitive writing industry." Can you tell us more about how writers can become members or benefit from or learn from the Eleventh Chapter?
Jen: The Eleventh Chapter came together after myself and two author friends discussed our desire for a collective of like-minded women. We reached out to a handful of authors we respected and admired, asking if they would like to join us. To our delight, we now have a group of 10 authors from the U.S. and Canada, who write across genres and take different paths to publishing. We talk daily, share our triumphs and our failures, our highs and lows (and as writers know, the publishing industry is full of them!).
In addition to supporting each other, the group’s goal is to connect with readers by sharing our love of books. We regularly hype up books and authors we’re loving, and share reading lists and other reader-focused articles on our blog.
At this time, we’re not accepting new members; however, that it something that we’ve discussed for the future. Until then, we’d love readers and writers to follow along at @theeleventhchapter and www.eleventhchapter.com.
What’s some advice that has helped you grow as a writer?
Jen: Gosh, I’ve received so much incredible advice over the years. My entire journey thus far has been about learning and growing.
To other writers, I would say: Don’t get caught up in what others are doing. I refer to this as “comparisonitis.” It’s easy to compare yourself or think there’s only one way of doing something, but that’s not true. Stay true to your own vision and always trust your gut!
Jen, thank you so much for sharing your insights and experiences with us!
Dear readers, you can also visit Jen’s website to learn more about her books and essays or to explore her blog.
Q&As are available to all subscribers, with early access granted to paid subscribers. Access is granted to free subscribers a couple of weeks later.
I hope you enjoy and wish you happy writing!
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