Ask the Author: Jane Hampton Cook
Answered Questions (5)
Jane Hampton Cook
Thinking and reading. I don't have time to write every concept that comes to my mind. Sometimes when I hear a news story, it will remind me of something from history and I'll want to write about it but don't have time. When writing my books, often I need to read research materials--letters, diaries, newspaper articles--and then think about them and synthesize them in my head. Once I have a direction I'd like to go, I simply start writing. I'd been doing that kind of research in my last stages of pregnancy. I was ready to write a chapter when I went into labor. The next day in the hospital when my infant son was in the nursery, I grabbed my computer and pounded out the chapter I'd been "conceiving" in my mind.
Jane Hampton Cook
If you're serious about writing books, attend a writer's conference. That's a great way to start and learn more about the publishing business. You'll meet people in the industry and others who share your passion and dreams.
Jane Hampton Cook
Years ago I went to the Library of Congress and came across a narrative by Louisa Adams about her 1815 journey from St. Petersburg, Russia, to Paris, France. Her account read like a movie and I knew then that I wanted to write a book about it. The scope grew to include her husband, John Quincy Adams, and the book took flight as American Phoenix.
Jane Hampton Cook
I'm currently working on a nonfiction book about the burning of the White House and U.S. Capitol. I also have a couple of children's books and gift books in the works.
Jane Hampton Cook
An actor/script writer years ago gave me the best advice about writer's block. Write whatever you can, even if you think it's terrible. You can always edit it and write it again. Often getting something on paper gives you a starting point, a reference for moving forward.
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