Lori Benton, author of the acclaimed
Burning Sky, was raised east
of the Appalachian Mountains,
surrounded by early American and family history going back three
hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century,
where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of
American history. When
she isn’t writing, Lori
enjoys exploring beautiful Oregon with her
husband.
VS: What do you do to help
balance your writing life with your family life?
Lori: Finding balance isn’t as much of an
issue for me as it can be for writers who have an additional day job apart from
writing, or who have children. My hat is off to writers who manage to produce
books as well as additional income, and raise children too. I know what writing
a book a year demands, and don’t believe I could do it if I had to work it in
around a career or raising a family, both of which are full time jobs in my
opinion.
VS: How long have you been
writing?
Lori: Since 1978, when I was nine years
old. How long have I been writing with the goal of being published? Since 1991.
VS: What inspired you to write
your book?
Lori: Inspiration for
The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn came
straight out of the pages of history. While researching material for an earlier
novel set in 18
th century North Carolina, I came across mention of
the “Lost” State of Franklin—an attempt of the citizens of western North
Carolina to break away and form a separate state. Had they succeeded (and they
nearly did) Franklin would have been the fourteenth state admitted into the
Union, instead of Vermont.
This first post-Revolutionary War
attempt at independent statehood spanned a relatively short (1784—1789) but
tumultuous period marked by
courthouse
raids, fisticuffs, siege, and battle. For a little over four years the people
of the Tennessee Valley region lived under the jurisdiction of two governments
vying for the same territory, the allegiance (and taxes) of the same settlers.
How, I wondered, could such a situation result in anything but chaos—and a
setting that begged for a story to be woven through it?
VS: What is a typical
writing day like for you?
Lori: I get to the computer by 8:30am, check email,
social media, read blogs, and more or less goof off until around 9am, when I
get to work. I write until lunchtime. After lunch and either exercise or
running errands, I come back to the computer and write until my brain is mush
for the day. That might be anywhere from 3pm to 5pm. I’ll leave the files open
though, in case I get a second wind, but that rarely happens.
VS: Is your family supportive
of your writing?
Lori: My husband is supportive in every
way. He’s worked hard for decades so I could focus on writing.
VS: If this isn’t your first
publication, what was the first thing you ever had published?
Lori: My debut novel,
Burning Sky, was published by WaterBrook
Press in August 2013.
VS: Can you share with us
a little about your current book(s)?
Lori: The
Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn (WaterBrook Press, April 2014), set in 1787,
is a story about identity, and what happens when that particular rug is pulled
out from under a person. That’s already happened to Jesse Bird, the hero in the
story, who doesn’t remember his parents or where he comes from. It happens to
the heroine, Tamsen Littlejohn, when she discovers the family history she
thought she knew isn’t even half the story. Jesse and Tamsen are thrown
together in a moment of crises, and flee
across the Blue Ridge Mountains in
search of safety. Along the way, Tamsen learns she has more say in the matter
of who she is, and who she will become, than she once thought.
As the historical backdrop of the
story, there’s a backcountry settlement of people in conflict over their
collective identity—are they still part of North Carolina, or the newly
proclaimed State of Franklin? Depends on who you ask, and you better be careful
if you
do ask.
But none of these issues of
identity will be resolved without Tamsen and Jesse facing great sacrifice,
danger, and risk.
VS: What did you find to
be the most challenging part of writing your book(s)?
Lori: Finding my way into an authentic mindset of
men and women who lived in the 18th century and allowing them to see
the world from the beliefs of that time and place continues to be a challenge.
It becomes even more of a challenge when these characters belong to a culture
even more distant from my own than a separation of 250 years, such as African
or Native American.
VS: Do you have any other
works in progress? Can you share a little about them?
Lori: My next two books,
The Wood’s Edge (coming 2015 from
WaterBrook Press) and its sequel (2016), are well underway. These books will
take readers back to a setting similar to my debut novel, the 18
th
century Mohawk Valley of New York. The series begins in 1757 with the fall of
Fort William Henry, and continues into the Revolutionary War, exploring the
conflicts experienced by the Six Nations of the Iroquois during this time, with
a special focus on the Oneida Nation, which broke with most of the Iroquois
League and sided with the Americans during the war. It’s also the story of two
families, one white, one Oneida, irrevocably linked by war, betrayal, grief,
hatred, guilt, forgiveness, and love.
VS: What do you think are the basic ingredients of a good book?
Lori: Relatable and fully realized characters who want something.
Conflict—there have to be obstacles standing between those characters and their
wants. Action—the characters have to take active steps to get what they want.
Character, goal, conflict. Story flows from that.
VS: What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create
yours?
Lori: I’m going to say that empathy is required. A writer has to be able to
view a situation from multiple viewpoints, and find a point of connection to,
or sympathy for, even viewpoints that are opposite of her own, in order to
create believable characters who hold them.
Character creation is a mysterious process. I wish I could break it down
into steps, or a teachable formula, but it’s far too organic in my case. I
usually start with a situation, a point of conflict, perhaps an inciting
incident for the opening of a story, and I think about it until I see a face,
and a figure, moving and speaking within context of this conflict or inciting
incident, and I watch them, and listen to what they say, and gradually get a feel
for what sort of person they are. It’s a lot of daydreaming, and it could go on
for days or weeks until something feels right and solid. Then I start getting
it down into words. Then I daydream some more. Eventually they no longer feel
like creations, but real people.
VS: Have you received any awards for your writing?
Lori: Burning
Sky, my debut novel, was honored in June by receiving two Christy Awards
(for First Novel and Historical) for Excellence in Christian Fiction.
Burning Sky also received the Christy 2014
Book of the Year Award.
VS: Where can the readers of
The Writing Mama find out more about and your writing?
Lori: At my website,
loribenton.blogspot.com, readers will find
links to the first two chapters of
Burning
Sky and
The Pursuit of Tamsen
Littlejohn, as well as links to connect with me on Facebook and Pinterest.
There’s also behind-the-scenes content for my books.
