Jaclyn Weist is an
Idaho farm girl who adores reading. She met Steve at BYU and they have six
crazy children that encourage her writing. After owning a bookstore and running
away to Australia, they settled back down in Utah. Jaclyn now spends her days
herding kids to various activities and trying to remember what she was supposed
to do next.
What do you do to help balance your writing life
with your family life?
~ I have my computer in the living room so my kids can hang
out around me while I write. I let them help me brainstorm when I’m stuck. There are
times when I do a lot more family things than writing, and other times I get
caught up in my writing and forget everything around me. I just make sure that
after that happens, I go find something fun to do with my kids. After school
every day, I’m
usually running around to various activities for them, so I wait until they’re in bed to write.
Every day is a new day and a new way to work around what needs to be done.
How long have you been writing?
~ I wrote all the time in high school and a little in
college. Then in 2010 when I had a bookstore, I joined a writing group. That’s when the
floodgates opened up. I had several book ideas and I’ve written several books since.
What inspired you to write your book (if this is
a personal story about you, please share about the decision to open up about
your life)?
~ Each of my books have their own stories. My first
leprechaun book came from a writing prompt. My princess book, The Princess and
the Prom Queen came from a daydream I used to have. “What if I woke up one day to find out
I was really a princess?” My Atlantis book, which is my newest
release came from a group of us. We wanted to do a series and came up with
Atlantis. When I choosing my characters, a friend of mine suggested having the
two characters meet online. My story was born!
What is a typical writing day like for you?
~ Chaos. I wake up, get a few things done around the house
and make sure my kids have their chores done. I sit on my spot on the couch and
pull out my computer. Then I write for as long as I can in between getting
meals done, homework, and sports. Once the kids are in bed, I write until I can’t keep my eyes
open.
Is your family supportive of your writing?
~They’re
all very supportive. There are times when they just want me to play with them
and I completely understand that. But they love to see my next book when they
come in the mail. I’ve
been very blessed by them.
If this isn’t
your first publication, what was the first thing you ever had published?
~ Stolen Luck was my
first book I’ve
published. It’s
about a girl who has her luck stolen by a leprechaun. It was a really fun story.
And there may or may not be some of my more embarrassing moments written into
it.
Can you share with us a little about your
current book(s)?
~Magicians of the Deep is about two characters, Colin and
Alleya. Colin is a boy who lives in Hawaii. He is finally adopted and his new
family takes him to Hawaii. There he becomes exposed to the magic world. Alleya
is part mermaid, part Atlantian. She’s
in hiding. Together, they learn that gates are closing and magic is dying. They
have to find a way to defeat Phoibos to save the world as they know it.
What did you find to be the most challenging
part of writing your book(s)?
~ I am very much a discovery writer (I just write and see
where it takes me) and this time I had more of an outline than I am used to having.
It was a challenge to stay within the boundaries and keep my story fitting with
everyone else’s.
What part of your book do you feel really stands
out to you personally?
~Family is a big deal to me and that’s what
stuck out to me. Both characters wanted a strong family and will do
anything to make that happen.
If this is a work of fiction, what character is
most like you?
~I don’t
relate as much to the characters in my Magicians of the Deep book. I think out
of all my characters, I relate to Megan from my Luck books. My husband laughs
when he reads them because she says and does things I would do. My son,
however, relates to Colin in Magicians of the Deep. As he started reading he
kept saying “You
know this is exactly me, right?”
Do you have any other works in progress? Can you
share a little about them?
~ I have a book coming out later this year that is my own
take on Cinderella. I loved writing this book. I had a recurring dream about a
staircase that never ends. It evolved in to this story. I also have a book
about Neverland in the works.
What tips can you give writing parents with
children at home to help them see publication?
~ Don’t
give up. Use the free time you have to just keep writing and finish the book.
It will happen if you write something every single day.
What do you think are the basic ingredients of a
good book?
~It needs to have a good plot, good dialogue, flowing storyline,
and for me, I love a little humor and a good, sweet romance.
What is required for a character to be
believable? How do you create yours? (answer only if your book is fiction)
~They need to have depth. What are their favorite things?
What are their hobbies. Do they have a sense of humor? How do they get along
with others? Usually I just come up with a character and see how they interact
with others. For my Cinderella book, I used my nieces and nephew as characters
and that was fun. I knew how they’d
react to events and the book easier to write.
What do you feel as parents we need to do to
help our children see success?
~I think we need to show them that anything is possible.
Live your dreams so they know they can too. Let them be involved with what you’re doing.
Where can the readers of The Writing Mama find
out more about and your writing?
~My blog is jaclynweist.blogspot.com and
they can also follow me on my facebook page, www.facebook.com/jaclynweistauthor
Is there anything else you would like to share
with us about being a “Writing
Mama or Dad”?
Being a Writing Mama is one of the most rewarding things I
could have ever dreamed of. I get to do what I’ve
always wanted to and I get to share it with my kids. Allowing them to
brainstorm with me as I write my stories has opened up their creativity. Some
of my best plot twists have come from them.
