In Conversation ... with Jane Smith

  

In Conversation with 

Jane Smith

Tell us about your most recent publication. 

The Lady with the Lamp is the fourth book in the ‘Carly Mills, Pioneer Girl’ series. The series features a contemporary girl who travels back in time to have adventures with women who changed the world. In this episode, Carly meets Florence Nightingale, otherwise known as ‘the mother of modern nursing’. Carly and her friends Dora and Simone are visiting Simone’s parents in London for a holiday, when they slip back in time the mid-nineteenth century. 

There they meet the young Florence Nightingale on the brink of her nursing career, and later travel with her to the Crimean War to help nurse the sick and wounded soldiers in the military hospital. Through their adventures with the legendary nurse, they come to understand the value of her work, and the true value of courage. It’s full of adventure and danger - and the discomfort of corsets and chamber pots! All the books come with illustrations, a historical note at the end and a mock Q&A with the historical figure.

Published by: BIG SKY PUBLISHING 

Available at: BOOKTOPIA

Carly Mills Website

What do you enjoy most about writing?

Because my books are based on history, I do a lot of research. This means I often contact people all over the world to try to find answers to curly questions. I love that! I also love hearing from readers who have enjoyed the books. Writing is mostly pretty solitary, but the type of contact that it does give me with people is really positive and rewarding, and I think it’s one of the best parts of being a writer.

I also love the freedom to work in my own time and to wear my ugg boots to work on cold days.

Other than writing, what else do you love?

The beach, cats, reading, having coffee with friends, dark chocolate, vigorous massages, old buildings, watching historical dramas on TV in front of the fire on cold nights.

How much research goes into your story?

It depends. For my fiction books like the Carly Mills series, I usually read a few biographies of the historical figure before I start planning the story. Then while I’m writing, sometimes questions pop up that I can’t find answers to in the biographies, and I might need to investigate further. For example, when I was writing a scene for book five, which features Amelia Earhart (coming out next year!), I needed to get a really clear picture in my head about the interior of the old-fashioned plane she flew. Luckily my brother is a pilot, and he was able to answer all my questions and then fact-check my draft! In my non-fiction books, I’ve gone into a lot more depth with my research, consulting primary sources in archives and libraries all over the country and sometimes overseas. (Yes, I’ve even travelled overseas for research purposes – tough gig but someone has to do it!)

Writer's are sometimes influenced by things that happen in their own lives? Are you?

My plots are not really influenced by things that happen in my own life, as I prefer to write about other people’s lives. But some little details from my life sneak in now and then. For example, Carly Mills’ best friend Dora is named after my late cat. And the cat was named after a street I used to live in. I have another series called ‘Tommy Bell, Bushranger Boy’, about a boy who goes back in time to have adventures with bushrangers. Tommy likes climbing trees – and I was a big tree-climber as a kid. (I spent most of my childhood in an African tulip tree in our front yard!) So I like to throw in little details like that occasionally just for fun.

What is the most surprising thing about writing/publishing you have learnt? 

I was amazed at how much more work there is after you’ve finished writing the manuscript. Signing the contract is only the beginning. Then there’s the editing, the discussions about design and illustrations and covers, the blurb-writing, the proofreading, and of course the ongoing marketing and promotions. I don’t do all of that myself, of course, but I’m involved in each step. I’m not complaining; it’s all very exciting – especially the design part. But it was quite a surprise!

What writing resources would you recommend?

I recommend you do everything you can to improve your writing skills. That means reading books about writing, joining your state’s writing centre (for me, it’s QLD Writers Centre), joining your local writing group if you have one, and joining Facebook groups in whatever genre you write – and participating actively in them.

A book I’d highly recommend is Self-editing for fiction writers: how to edit yourself into print by Renni Browne & Dave King. Another interesting and helpful one is On writing by Stephen King.

I’d also suggest you read widely in the genre you write - with a critical eye. I don’t mean looking at it negatively; I mean reading analytically, figuring out what works and why, and what doesn’t work and why. It might even help to write your thoughts down. It’s amazing how much that can help you improve your own writing.

How can we learn more about you? 

   

 

    

Thank you for joining In Conversation this week. Remember to always 

Dream Big ... Read Often.