Interview with Writing Mom and Author Jody Hedlund

Be a Trailblazer Contest: During the month of September, Jody is running an epic contest with a prize package worth $300. Here’s the link to the contest page: http://jodyhedlund.com/contest/

Tell us a little about your family and your call to write.

I’ve been married for twenty years to my college sweetheart. My husband has been one of my biggest cheerleaders over the years, doing his best to understand and support my writing even in the days when publication was only the whisper of a dream.

I also have five children ranging from 14 down to 5, with a set of twin daughters mixed in to make things more lively. I homeschool my crew, and so my days are spent giving math lessons, spelling lists, and grading tests. In teaching my children, not only have they learned a lot, so have I! One of my favorite subjects to teach is world history, which has been a huge inspiration to me in my writing.

How did you get your first “writing break?”

During the time that I began querying The Preacher’s Bride, Rachelle was a fairly new agent (I think she’d been an agent about a year.) When my query came in, she liked my story and sample chapter and subsequently requested to see the full of my manuscript.

But like most unknown writers, my manuscript went into the TBR slush pile where it languished. However, while waiting for her to get to it, I didn’t sit around idly twirling my thumbs. I worked hard during those months and went on to write another book. I kept building my online presence. And I entered some contests.

After two manuscripts finaled in ACFW’s Genesis contest (one of them The Preacher’s Bride), I re-contacted Rachelle to let her know. She pulled my manuscript to the top of her slush pile, read it, and offered me representation with a couple of days. She went on to land me a three-book contract within a few month’s time.

What do you write and why this genre?

I love reading historicals, so naturally that’s what I’m drawn to write. I’m fascinated with all of the things that happen in other times and places that seem so foreign to us now. I really appreciate when historical facts are woven into books seamlessly so that I’m learning but don’t really realize I am. And I hope that I can do that in my books too.

Do you have any recent contracts and up coming releases?

My second book, The Doctor’s Lady, just hit shelves. This book is inspired by the true-life story of Narcissa Whitman, the first white woman to brave the dangers of overland trail and travel west. In 1836, she married Dr. Whitman, and then the next day left her childhood home and would never return for the purpose of starting a mission among the Nez Perce natives.

It was my hope in this story to bring Narcissa Whitman to life. This heroic woman has often been ignored and at times even disparaged. In reality, she exuded incredible courage to attempt a trip many proclaimed foolishly dangerous. It was called an “unheard-of-journey for females.” Because of her willingness to brave the unknown, she led the way for the many women who would follow in her footsteps in what would later become known as the Oregon Trail

And now for the tough questions…
How do you balance being a mom, wife, and writer?

Actually, I’m not always skilled at balancing all my roles! I found that I do better if I try to live in the moment. For example, when I’m spending time with my children (teaching them or just having fun), I try not worry about my writing or checking emails or going on Twitter. I want to give them my fullest attention. I carve out concentrated times when I can focus on being a mom or focus on my writing (or whatever it is). If I allow myself those focused times, I find that I’m not stressed so much!

Do you think it’s possible to give yourself fully to raising children, homeschooling, writing, and keeping in shape? If not, which one for you has to take a back seat?

No it’s not possible to do it all and do it well. I can’t shoulder all of those full time responsibilities by myself. Fortunately, my husband is excited about my writing career and wants to support me and see me succeed. As my writing career has gained momentum, he’s been willing to evaluate what he can do to help with homeschooling (he teaches the kids a couple of mornings a week so that I can write). And he also fully embraces helping raise our children which allows me to then to retreat to my office on Saturdays for a full day of writing without interruptions.

When do you find the time to write, and do you ever feel like you’re neglecting your children when you write?

Of course, any working mom is going to have to spend time concentrating on her work at the sacrifice of other things in her life. I’m sure if I weren’t writing, I’d have more time to do extra activities with my kids.

But because I spend all day with my children during school days, when my afternoon writing time comes around, my kids are usually ready for a break from me. And I’m ready for a break from them too! Even so, they know I’m available to them for anything. I actually sit in the middle of the kitchen to work in the afternoons so that they can come to me for anything they need.

How do you handle interruptions in your writing life?

I rarely allow anything to derail my writing. I’ve made a commitment to a writing career and to my publisher, so I take my writing time and the work involved very seriously. That means I give myself daily goals, I block in work time as best I can every day, and then I stick to it.

However, invariably, I am interrupted every day, multiple times! Especially during those times when I’m working at my kitchen table! While I try to minimize the interruptions, I’ve learned that I just need to attend to whatever the need is (whether it’s a child needing a snack or the cat getting outside, etc.) and then get back to my writing as soon as possible. In other words, I don’t let the interruptions paralyze me.

What do you do to encourage yourself during those stormy days every homeschooling mom has?

I’ve learned that it helps to surround myself with people who believe in me and what I’m doing. As I mentioned, my husband is very supportive. Whenever I’m having a meltdown, he always looks for ways that he can step in and support me. And my mom is a huge encourager to me too. She prays for me regularly, and she also offers me godly and wise advice that helps keep me focused on God’s plan for my family and writing.

Has there ever been a time God told you to set aside your writing to focus on other areas of your life? If so, how did you handle that?

After the birth of my twins (12 years ago!), God took me off the writing path for quite a number of years. He used that time to strengthen me spiritually, help me mature as a parent, solidify my obedience to him, and enrich me in many ways. When I finally felt the nudge to begin writing, I wanted to make sure he was truly directing me. I believe my writing is richer as a result.

What advice would you give to writing moms who are have their hearts set on publication?

It is possible to juggle being a mom and writing. It’s NOT easy, but it is possible! If we set aside a little bit of time to write every day and make ourselves just sit down and do it, then before we know it we’ll have completed the first chapter, then the first half of the book, and finally we’ll have a finished book in front of us.

My encouragement is to keep writing (and learning about writing!). Don’t stop with the first book. Move on to the next one. And the next one after that. It takes time to not only develop our writing skill but to also find our break-in book.

Jody, you are an inspiration to all writing moms out there and an encouragement to me! Thanks for sharing your experience with us!