Texas Roads

by Cathy Bryant

Interview with Cathy Bryant, author of TEXAS ROADS




Tell us about yourself.


I enjoy just about anything outdoors. I also enjoy creative activities—DIY, scrapbooking, painting, composing, and of course, writing. I’m a HUGE reality TV fan. Believe it or not, I like to use these shows as research to see how people interact—great novel fodder!!

What genre do you prefer writing/reading?

I definitely like to write the same type of books I enjoy reading. I love romantic comedy. I also enjoy a dark women’s fiction novel every once in a while. Biblical fiction and allegorical fantasy are also areas I’d like to explore someday.

Tell us about your latest book.

TEXAS ROADS is a 2009 Genesis finalist and tells the story of a disillusioned woman’s quest for home. Here’s the back-cover copy:

City gal Dani Davis just wants a place to call home. Miller’s Creek, Texas, with its quirky residents, quaint charm, and business potential, seems like the perfect place to start over. . .except for the cowboy who gives her a ride into town. Dani secretly finances renovations to downtown Miller’s Creek, but malicious rumors force her to choose between keeping her involvement a secret and the home for which she’s always longed. Then a devastating discovery propels her down a road she never expected to travel.

Steve Miller is determined to save his dying hometown. When vandalism jeopardizes the Miller's Creek restoration project, he can’t help but suspect Dani, whose strange behavior has become fodder for local gossips. Can Steve and Dani call a truce for a higher cause, and in the process help Dani understand the true meaning of home?

What inspired you to write TEXAS ROADS?

The theme of the story really came from my own desire to put down roots. For several years, my family and I moved from one small Texas town to another. Just about the time we’d start to feel like we’d found home, God would move us somewhere else. Through the process, He helped me realize that home isn’t a place, but a person. Jesus. Nothing else will ever satisfy that home-sized hole in our hearts.

Tell us how you come up with characters.

The characters introduce themselves to me. For example, the heroine in Book Three of the Miller’s Creek series, entitled The Way of Grace, made her appearance while I was on my daily two-mile jaunt. Without warning, her prim and prissy voice said, “Tyler, Dent, and Snodgrass. Hold please.” (Weird, huh? Now the truth is out—I’m demented AND certifiable!)

But after the characters make their appearance, I fill out extensive character charts to flesh them out, including taking personality tests for them. In my humble opinion, readers relate to characters, which makes them central to the story. Yes, a good plot is important, but not as important as great characters.

What kind of planning do you do before writing a novel?

In addition to extensive character charts, I also try to follow classic story structure. So I plot out the entire novel in synopsis form to make sure I have everything in place. By the time I finish the charts and synopsis, I usually have a hundred pages of material. I would LOVE to be able to just sit down and write the story without all the prior planning, but the thought of doing so gives me the hives! I liken writing a story to setting out on a long trip. I plan my stops, my overnight stays, which roads I’m going to take, where I want to spend lots of time. I take my map. If I don’t plan ahead, I’m afraid I’d get…well, um…LOST! One good thing about all the prior planning is that first draft is very easy to write.

Do you edit as you go or wait until completing the first draft?

I’m a big believer in getting that lousy first draft down. When my kids were still at home, I tried on several occasions during summer break to write a novel. One thing that kept me from finishing was trying to make the chapters I’d already written perfect. Get the story down. And be prepared--it won’t be pretty. Very few writers can write a good story the first time—even best-selling authors. (Stephen King has a…ahem… colorful description of first drafts. If his aren’t good, why do we expect ours to be?) But the good thing in getting that lousy first draft down is that the bones of the story will be there. In my humble opinion, great stories come in the rewrites.

Which books on writing have been the most helpful to you and why?

James Scott Bell’s Plot and Structure (along with The Hero’s Two Journeys, the DVD workshop by Michael Hauge and Christopher Vogler) have been instrumental to me in learning to plot a novel. Brandilyn Collin’s Getting Into Character (as well as Dynamic Characters by Nancy Kress and Creating Character Emotion by Ann Hood) have helped me hone my characters into multi-dimensional beings. Writing the Christian Romance by Gail Gaymer Martin showed me the essential elements of a romance. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King and The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman

Where can TEXAS ROADS be purchased?

E-books copies are available at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/8963. (Readers can read half the book for free at this site.) Print copies are available at Amazon.com or my e-store at https://www.createspace.com/3429242. If the reader would like an autographed copy they can contact me at catbry1 (at) yahoo (dot) com. I'm also giving away a free chapter of TEXAS ROADS every week at http://TexasRoadsbyCathyBryant.blogspot.com, where readers can also find a corresponding Bible study, discussion questions, Mama Beth's recipes and more!