An Interview with Writer Jo Jo Jensen on writing a book
At what age did you begin writing?
At about 33, I started writing a book. I had been writing business stuff and marketing content. I had been doing that a long time.
Was Dirt Farmer Wisdom your first book?
Yes. The good thing is my first book got published. The bad thing is that it gave me a weird kind of expectation that my work was gold and that next time would be as easy at the first. The next book was a subsequent Dirt Farmer book. The publisher said they would take the next book and they didn't.
Can you tell me more about Dirt Farmer Wisdom?
Dirt Farmer Wisdom is non-fiction book about my family's language that supported me in the ups and downs of life.
How many publishers did you send your book to before it was accepted?
I still have a stack of rejection letters- 200. It's just part of the deal. But I didn't make my connection sending my book out. I made it the old fashioned way; at a writers conference. I talked to one editor and gave her some information and she refereed me to an agent. That agent sold my book.
Writers conferences are a great way to pitch your book, it's a lot hard to say “no” to someone face- to- face. The first conference I went to was the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference in Seattle. It was a good one. It was very overwhelming, for someone who didn't know what they were doing. The next one was Willamette Writers Conference. It was great. That one has a lot of film and television people who came and talked. That's not true for most conferences.
How do you deal with rejection?
By not taking it personally. They are not rejecting me, because there are a million reasons why they won't take what you are selling and you will never know. If you take it personally you will hide under your bed for a month or it will derail you from writing.
Do you currently have an agent?
No, I don't currently have an agent. You don't have to have an agent. I would rather just make the calls myself. You should respect submission policies, if they say they don't accept unagented work, don't send them anything; it will just end up in the trash and piss them off. But if the guidelines don't say anything about it, then you can just send it. All they can do is say “no,” and all you need is one yes.
You should look for an agent and a publisher simultaneously. There is no agent who will not agree to work with you if you have found a publisher willing to publish your book. I didn't query one at a time, multiple queries is the way to go.
How did you learn about the publishing world?
I learned at the writers conference. I read a lot of books, and I talked to a lot of other writers.
What is the most important publishing lesson you have learned?
Write what I want to write, not what someone tells me to write. I tried to write what my publisher wanted and then they turned me down and it wasn't what I wanted to write about. If you want to go from cookbooks to a nonfiction book about trees, rock on. This was a huge lesson for me.
Can you tell me about your writing process?
It took me forever to find my own writing process. I read Steven King's book, I read Amy Tan's book, I went to Cynthia Whitcomb's class to hear her process, and I listened to other writers. Every time I tried to change mine or incorporate others' processes into mine I wouldn't be able to write. You have to find what works for you. I can't work at 2 in the morning. If that is your process, God bless you. I get up, get my coffee and start writing between 7:30 am and 9 am and then I work until noon. But, that is not just sitting and typing my little fingers to the bone the whole time, it's getting up to get more coffee and thinking. But I am also not looping my house; I am in my office. I work between 4 and 7 days a week. It varies. It depends on what I am working on and how fast I need to get it done. Some days I am percolating on something or need a break to recharge the battery. It varies. I don't have a page count or anything like that. Having the butt in the seat is what matters. Self-imposed deadlines also help me, but I don't suffer from lack of motivation.
Are you able to live off of writing?
I do freelance writing, editing and I do voice talent; radio spots, promotional pieces. Basically a girl for hire.
What is your educational and professional background?
I graduated from University of Oregon with a degree in Political Science and I have an International Business degree from a university in Holland. After graduating, I worked for a small business. When you work for a small company you learn all the jobs. Some of the writing stuff got foisted off of me. I learned how to write copy and content for brochures, ads and manuals. I think I have done just about every kind of writing there is.
How did you get into editing?
Editing happened by chance. A friend was writing a book on hand drumming and she had gone through four editors and she hadn't gotten what she needed. She asked me to look at her work and we worked really well together. She published her book and is working on her second. There is huge satisfaction for me in editing. In my opinion, a good editor is one who gives you directions, but has you do it yourself so you learn. My writing has improved as a result of working as an editor.
Can you tell me about the screenplay that you wrote?
It's a romantic comedy called “Well-Rounded”. Here's the log line: When a pampered gold digger gets booted form her million dollar lifestyle, will she be able to fend for herself or run back to a life that doesn't fit her or her hips anymore?
Right now I am working on selling the script. I am using my contacts and networking. There are lots of books with contact information. You have to find the appropriate person to send your work to. If I have a personal contact, I will do a cold call and try to sell them on my screenplay. It's enough to make you puke, but if you can't sell your book, no one is going to do it for you.
You should spend the money to learn how to do a query letter, because if you don't do it right, they probably won't read your book.
Why did you get into screen writing and how did you learn about it?
I got into TV and screenwriting because I liked movies and I thought it would be groovy. I took a couple of classes since any professional should improve their skills. I took a screen writing class by Cynthia Whitcomb. She is awesome. That class is where I learned most of what I know. I also took several classes in Seattle.
What is your revision process like?
That's a very personal thing. I do the first draft on the computer, then I print it out and revise it on paper, then I put the revisions into the computer and then print it out again. I generally do two drafts and then I show it to somebody to my editor and then I revise again. My screenplay was done by the third draft.
It took me eight days for a first draft of “Well-Rounded”, but I don't think that's normal for me. I have been working on a novel for a couple years. It's on its second draft. The speed I write at depends on how good my outline is. For me to do a really good story, for me to hit all the points, I have to have a roadmap that tells me where I need to go. If I don't, I sit there with my finger up my nose wondering where to go. The outline takes longer than the first draft. The better the outline, the better the first draft. The outline gives me the general plot arc and the character arc and any snappy dialogue I don't want to forget. The outlines are short and choppy. Right now I am writing a horror movie and it's so helpful, because you can see from one place to the next if you are building tension. I can see where I am going.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
First, write, write, write, write, write. Don't worry about agents and editors. Finish your product first, have it completely done. And then hire someone to look at it. It will save you a lot of heartache. I know that it's expensive, but it's really worth it. Have someone else look at it, someone who wants you to succeed. And then send it into the world.
If you have a story to tell I hope you do, but its crazy-making work. Enjoy the ride.
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