Interview with Cathy Bryant

This week I’m hosting Sandra Robbins with Yuletide Defender and Cathy Bryant with A Path Less Traveled. If you want to enter the drawings, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (December 19th) evening.

Interview with Cathy Bryant:

1. What made you start writing?

I see my writing as just another way to proclaim Jesus as Lord. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write, but I believe that God has given me this particular chapter in my life to write for Him.

2. How long have you been writing? When did you sell your first book?

I’ve been writing since I was a child. During high school, my after-school job was at the local newspaper. I also wrote competitively in high school. My first book, TEXAS ROADS, went to print in March 2010. (My imprint, WordVessel Press)

3. How do you handle rejections?

No matter the occupation, everyone faces rejection of some sort, and in my own life experience, rejection starts early. You have to reach a point where you don’t take it personally. Life is subjective. People are always going to form an opinion of you, just as you form an opinion of them.

It’s no different in the world of writing/reading. What one person likes may not be another’s cup of tea. As Christian writers, our job is to write what God gives us, and then follow where He leads. Nothing more, nothing less.

4. Why do you write?

Part of my life mission statement is “To know Him and make Him known.” My writing is one way that I seek to do this. In my writing, whether a story, devotional or blog post, I want to ultimately glorify God, encourage believers, and point others to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

5. What would you be doing with your free time if you weren’t writing?

Hmmm, I can’t see myself NOT writing (even if only journaling or blogging), but there are other activities I enjoy, too. I love being creative, and there are many channels of creativity I get pleasure from—scrapbooking, home improvement projects, gardening, writing music. I also enjoy being outside—camping, hiking, canoeing, biking, walking, swimming. In addition to these activities, I like to read, bargain hunt/shop, play piano, and watch movies and some reality TV shows.

6. What are you working on right now?

I’m writing the first draft of Book 3 in the Miller’s Creek series, entitled THE WAY OF GRACE. The story is basically about a perfectionist “good girl” who, in trying to bestow grace and mercy on someone else, comes face-to-face with the unsavory parts of herself.

7. Do you put yourself into your books/characters?

My window on the world comes from my own life experiences, so I don’t think any writer can keep from putting bits and pieces of themselves and their experiences in their books and characters. Every character I write, male or female, has tidbits of me embedded in them. The female lead in the book I’m writing now is more like me than any character I’ve ever written.

8. Tell us about the book you have out right now.

My latest book (November 2010) is A PATH LESS TRAVELED (Book 2 in the Miller’s Creek novels), and tells the story of a young widow who is grieving the loss of her husband while helping her young son cope with the trauma of witnessing the accident that claimed his daddy’s life.
The spiritual theme of the story is trusting God when nothing makes sense. Many times throughout the Bible, God asked His people to do things that didn’t make sense (e.g. the route of the exodus, Abraham offering up Isaac, Jonah going to the Ninevites, Ananias going to Saul/Paul, Noah building an ark). Faith isn’t easy; it’s radical.

9. Do you have any advice for other writers?

Seek God first. Study the craft. Read widely and voraciously. Apply what you learn. Pray.

10. How important is faith in your books?

Extremely important. I don’t think I could write a story without faith in God coming out in some aspect of the story. So far, every book I’ve written deals with part of my personal spiritual journey—a lesson God has taught me—which I’ve incorporated into a story.

11. What themes do you like to write about?

So far the themes in my books cover finding home in God (TEXAS ROADS), trusting God when nothing makes sense (A PATH LESS TRAVELED), and grace, mercy, and forgiveness (THE WAY OF GRACE).

12. What is your favorite book you’ve written and why?

I’ve heard other writers say that the book they’re currently working on is their favorite. That proves true in my case with THE WAY OF GRACE, and I think it’s because this is the story that currently has me gripped by the throat. But TEXAS ROADS will always hold a special place in my heart because it was my first book.

13. What is your writing schedule like?

When I’m writing a book, I set a daily word count and do my best to stick to it. For THE WAY OF GRACE, it’s been 2400 words a day. Most days I reach that goal, but some days I don’t (usually because some part of the story hasn’t yet been revealed to me). Then I take at least a week (usually longer) away from the story. Once I start edits, I work myself into oblivion, going through the story several times focusing on different aspects of story—emotions, senses, over-used words and phrases, hooks and endings, wording, sentence structure, punctuation, etc.

The amount of time I write each day depends on the day. Since I also teach private music lessons and serve as a church accompanist, my writing time is squeezed in around these other responsibilities.

Thanks for the opportunity to be on your blog, Margaret! I enjoyed it!