Lisa Wingate - Welcome to Seekerville

Hello and welcome to Seekerville.

Sandra here with one of my favorite authors. I've been a Lisa Wingate fan ever since I read Texas Cooking. I'm thrilled to introduce you to an author who will entertain you with a great combination of inspiration and humor.

Lisa will be joining us so stop in during the day to answer any questions. She will be giving away a copy of her latest release NEVER SAY NEVER.

Let me introduce LISA WINGATE:



Q: Never Say Never is set in the fictional town of Daily, Texas. Are any of your characters based on personal experiences, living in Texas?

Though the names have been changed to protect reputations, and details have been altered to make everyone younger and better looking, many of the characters in Never Say Never were created from bits and pieces of real-life characters I’ve had the pleasure of meeting around town and in my travels. One of the most wonderful things about writing a story set close to home is that almost anything can serve as research. I find my characters at the gas station, the local movie theater, the feed store, football games on Friday night, and church potlucks on Sunday afternoon. Basically, no good joke goes unrecorded, and no one is safe. Writers are the people sitting at the ballpark with one eye on the game and one ear in the stands. You never know when the next great idea will land in your lap, or when the next potential character will stroll by on the way to the concession stand.

Some members of the Wingate family might also claim to recognize themselves among the citizens of Daily, Texas. I would offer the disclaimer that any resemblances are completely unintentional, but that would be a bald-faced lie. When you come from a family of great storytellers and colorful characters, there’s nothing to do but make use of what you’ve got.

Q: How did you develop the initial story idea/plot line for Never Say Never?

Some book ideas you search for, and some just blow in on the wind. During the past several years, we in Central Texas have been the recipients of massive influxes during hurricane evacuations. These exoduses of people, pets, and belongings are frightening, frustrating, challenging, and at times oddly wonderful. When so many are on the road seeking shelter, the worst, but also the best qualities of humanity come to the surface. We’ve enjoyed amazing moments of friendship, family reunions, and chances to share a food and space with strangers from other places. We’ve traded stories and recipes, laughter and tears.

One thing we’ve learned about hurricanes, living here, is that the paths are never predictable. Storms waver, hesitate, speed up, slow down, and sometimes change course unexpectedly. Evacuations can change and develop quickly. What better way for the three old girlfriends to break out of a rut, than for a trip to the coast to land them smack in the middle of a sudden and chaotic hurricane evacuation?

Having watched our little town mobilize to take in hurricane evacuees several times now, I’ve been reminded that sometimes the worst things that can happen bring out the best in people. Given the opportunity and faced with the need, regular people can rise to the occasion in amazing ways, as do the citizens of Daily in the book.

Q: When did you decide to become a writer? Are you a full time or part-time writer?

A very special first-grade teacher told me I would become a writer, and I believed her. It was always my dream to write books. In 1999, I wrote my first mainstream novel, Tending Roses. When the book was finished, I spent several months querying agents, received my share of rejections, found some interested agents, and signed with Lisa Hagan of Paraview. Lisa shopped Tending Roses to several of the big publishing houses, and again I received my share of rejections. Both Penguin Putnam and Warner Books showed interest. Within about eight or nine months, we inked a two-book deal with NAL/Penguin Putnam.

These days, I am a full time writer and have been since Tending Roses and Texas Cooking sold to Penguin. I now work for two publishers, NAL Penguin Group and Bethany House, writing a book each year for each house. Never Say Never is a February release from Bethany House, and Beyond Summer will be released by Penguin in July, 2010. Over the years, I’ve alternated between writing lighter stories of the small-town Texas, and mainstream relationship-based stories like Beyond Summer. I love both types of writing. For me, humor and the serious emotions coexist on the page just as they do in real life.

Q: What advice do you have for unpublished authors? How can we maximize our chances of getting off an unpub island?

First, remember that everyone starts out on the island. To get off, you have to work hard at building a raft. Make it the best raft you’re capable of creating, then have confidence in it. I know it sounds elementary, but don’t attempt to set sail until the raft is finished. In other words, you must begin by finishing a novel. It’s almost impossible to sell a partial manuscript if you’re unpublished. Polish it and send it out, because as much as we’d like them to, editors won’t come looking in your desk drawer. In effect, this is when you take to the water and start rowing. Yes, this involves some risk. Don’t let storms (rejections) wash you up on the beach and keep you there. While you’re waiting for news, write another book. If the first one sells, you’ll be set for a two-book deal. If the first one doesn’t sell, you have eggs in another basket.

Don’t take a critique too seriously if you hear it from one editor/agent, unless there’s an imminent contract involved. Editors and agents, just like the rest of us, are individuals. What works for one may not work for another. If you receive the same comment from multiple sources, consider revising your manuscript before you send it elsewhere. Be tenacious, be as thick-skinned as possible, keep writing while you wait for news.

If there is a particular area of your writing that seems to be holding you back (action scenes, dialog, description, characterization, etc) devote extensive study to this area. Seek out conference sessions and online workshops devoted to the topic. Study other authors’ techniques in this area. Don’t just read and admire—dissect, break down, make notes, keep a scrapbook of examples and notes-to-self. Read these notes-to-self when you’re stuck/struggling/editing something that isn’t working.

Watch for overbalance of narrative in your writing. Nothing slows down the pace of a story like huge patches of narrative. Narrative produces pages with big, blocky paragraphs that read slowly, and that tend to “tell” rather than “show”. When possible, work story elements into dialog, action, reaction, and short thought sequences, rather than using narrative. For example, rather than describing the main street of your town, have your character walk down Main, greet a neighbor or two, and reflect on a few random childhood memories of people/places. Be careful that you don’t slide down the slippery slope of having characters engage in meaningless chatter designed only to dump information to the reader, but always seek opportunities to work details in naturally during character interactions. Remember that body language speaks volumes, too.

Lastly, never marry yourself to one project. Keep creating new material—that’s where the joy is, and if you keep the joy of this business, you keep the magic of it.

Q: Do you have a favorite writing snack?

Iced coffee—the foo-foo kind with flavorings, creamer, and whipped cream on top. We live far, far from a Starbucks, so a refrigerator with crushed ice and a hand blender is a magical thing!

Q: How can readers keep up with your work?

Never Say Never hits the shelves February 1, and then the next book out will be Beyond Summer in July 2010. From there, I have several more contract commitments, and am working on the two books for 2011. For more information, stop by my e-home away from home, www.Lisawingate.com. I’m also on Facebook and Youtube, of course. Isn’t everybody? By signing up for the newsletter on www.Lisawingate.com, you can enter a monthly drawing for a free autographed book and receive occasional notes about upcoming happenings, new books, speeches and appearances, and anything else that’s newsworthy in Daily, Texas or in the real world. I love sharing my cyber-porches with friends who also know the joy of living within a story, then sending it out into the world.

Happy reading and writing, everyone!

Thank you Lisa. Be sure and leave your email addie if you're interested in winning a copy of NEVER SAY NEVER. I'll throw in another chance to win by offering to buy another copy.

Doesn't this cover look flirty and fun??

And let's have some of Lisa's favorite coffee and creamers. We have piping hot for you folks in cold weather or you can join Lisa with iced coffee, flavor of your choice and whipped cream.

She didn't mention food (which is probably why she is sporting that great figure) but I found some Texas fare on Grandma's Texas Cookbook.

So help yourself to Lone Star Barbeque spareribs, Texas oven brisket, bean and cornbread casserole, tamales and salsa and for you folks who like sweet- Peach cobbler, pecan pudding and Texas no bake grapefruit cheesecake.

Thanks again for joining us Lisa.