Reading time: About 3 minutes
JF Garrard encourages authors to write because they love doing it and because they love the craft. Don’t think too much about what others have accomplished, she advises….
JF Garrard is an award-winning speculative fiction writer (The Undead Sorceress, The Blue Son, Sasaeng Waves), editor (Belief, Immersion, Futuristic Canada) and publisher. She is the President of Dark Helix Press, host of The Artsy Raven literary podcast, President for the Canadian Authors Association’s Toronto branch, and Deputy Editor for Ricepaper Magazine.
I was excited to talk to JF Garrard about how she approaches writing.
Q. Roughly how much time do you spend writing every day?
It depends. Unfortunately, life gets in the way, but I would estimate 20 minutes to two hours which is never enough. I view writing as forming words about a daydream I am having. So even if I’m not writing, I’m always thinking about the plot and characters while doing other things. I used to paint, so I like to have my visuals and scenes in my head all ready before I write.
Q.What’s a simple activity or habit that makes you a better writer?
I listen to video game orchestral music when I write. For some reason, it helps open my creativity portal. This might be related to how I’m a visual person and music makes me think of scenes to match.
Q. What interferes with your writing?
Family. I have a young child (nickname – the Kraken) and elderly relatives who are constantly asking me for help. I was raised in a strict Chinese household where filial piety was ingrained into us, so writing feels like a luxury because I feel like I’m selfishly taking time to do something for myself. I also do a lot of volunteer work which also chips at my time. Another writer advised me to give up volunteer work, but I believe that helping others also helps yourself. I have cut back on volunteer work over the years, but it’s important to keep a connection with people as we work on a common goal of doing good in the world.
Q. How do you persuade yourself to sit down to write on days when you really, really DON’T feel like doing it?
I’m a writer, editor and publisher. On days I don’t want to write, I can edit other people’s work which helps my own writing in the long run or I can do promo stuff which is another form of writing. I also love doing cover design, so there are a lot of activities related to writing that I can focus on. On days when I know I should be writing but can’t find energy, I work on a picture board of characters and scenes. It’s just a simple word doc with images I find on the internet to help inspire writing for another day.
Q. Is there a particular motto or saying that you’ve found helpful for writing?
“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” – Robin Williams. This quote is on my website. It’s so easy to give up on writing because it’s so hard to do on some days! Once you find inspiration, run with it. Writing is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, translating what is in my head to page is a lot of work.
Q. Which stage of the writing process do you enjoy the most: researching, writing or editing/rewriting and why?
I love researching and writing. I’m a very curious person and I love research because I’m always learning new things. Writing is the act of creation and there is a lot of satisfaction with making something unique that is yours. Editing/rewriting my own work makes me anxious, because that’s when I start doubting myself. I’m a hoarder so I don’t throw out anything. For five years I queried a short story unsuccessfully, but it ended up winning a contest! Just keep chugging along and celebrate your successes because there will be a lot of failures.
Q. What’s the best book you’ve read (either fiction or non) in the last five years?
Since the birth of my child, I’ve been reading and writing more short fiction than novels. Ray Bradbury’s Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales is a collection of science fiction stories that I’ve read while dissecting it to figure out what makes a great short piece of work. I find it more of a challenge to write short fiction because the world-building and story needs to be complete within a few thousand words.
Q. What book are you reading right now?
Interior Chinatown is a 2020 novel by Charles Yu. There is a Disney+ tv series based on this book which came out recently starring Jimmy O. Yang and Ronny Chieng. The way it’s written is a bit jarring because it uses a screenplay format to tell the story of Willis Wu, a “Generic Asian Man” who is stuck playing “Background Oriental Male” and occasionally “Delivery Guy” in the fictional police procedural Black and White but who longs to be the “Kung Fu Guy” hero. As a generic Asian myself, I love the telling of a hero’s journey which has so many details about the struggles of what life is like for someone who longs to be more.
Q. What do you think is the biggest misperception that new writers have about the act of writing?
That you will get rich and famous fast! Writers are like snowflakes; we are all unique and there are lots of us. The ones that get super famous — such as J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Margaret Atwood — all won the writing lottery. It’s rare for writers to do it full time since it doesn’t pay much. Many have full-time or part-time jobs or a few have families that can support them. Write because you love doing it and focus on the craft; don’t think too much about what others have accomplished. I have seen jealousy poison the mind of writers and they stop writing since they sink into depression. Don’t take things personally because publishing is a business and the supply of writers is large, so publishers can be picky. It’s a long game and successful writers have developed grit because they survived much rejection.
A portfolio of books and short fiction for JF Garrard is listed on jfgarrard.com and you can find her on X @jfgarrard, Instagram @jfgarrard, Facebook @JFGarrardauthor.
