WiDo Publishing: What kind of writer are you ie. where do you get your ideas? What
is your inspiration? Do you find any recurring themes in your writing?
Tamara Hart Heiner: I get my ideas from just about everywhere. Often I'll wake up from a
dream with a strong feeling or emotional connection to characters in my
dreams. Not so much the dream sequence, which is usually quite silly.
But sometimes, the people feel so real that I want to write about them.
I'm also quite inspired by songs. Whether whimsical or romantic, I
start picturing what kind of movie they would be the soundtrack to.
That always gets my mind working. And of course, I write from
experience. I've had so many interesting things happen to me, if I put
it all in one novel, I'm sure my readers would roll their eyes and say,
"Yeah, right, this can't all happen to one person." So it gives me an
infinite number of books to write! One recurring theme I notice is that
of birth, or rebirth. It can be in a literal sense, as in a pregnancy,
or a figurative sense, as in a total change of heart. Sometimes both
are used.
WP: When did you start writing? How long have you wanted to be a
writer?
Heiner: I attempted my first novel at age 9. I think I got the first
three chapters done. I never really thought that I wanted to be a
writer. I just enjoyed writing. I realized that I should pursue writing
during my senior year of high school. I was taking a psychology class
and my second AP English class. Honestly, I was taking the AP classes
to get those credits out of the way so I wouldn't need to take English
in college. I was taking psychology because that's what I wanted to
major in (I'd already declared it at Brigham Young University). I
excelled in the class, having the highest grade at the end of the
semester. But I got a very strong feeling that I wasn't supposed to
major in psychology. I had done very well in my AP English class the
previous year, and so I decided to major in English. It felt right.
It wasn't until I had my first child and quit my
full-time job that I decided I wanted to be a writer. It's something I
can do while I have little ones (as long as I'm not sleeping!), and
since I already don't work, any income that comes from writing is
purely beneficial.
WP: What are your passions and hobbies?
Heiner: My absolute favorite thing to
do (besides writing) is cooking. I love it. I also enjoy scrapbooking.
I detest housework.
WP: What do you feel your strengths and
weaknesses are as a writer?
Heiner: I really don't know. Grammar, obviously, is
a strength, but that's learned (anyone can learn it). Even though high
school was more than a decade ago, I remember it very clearly. Perhaps
because I kept a daily journal (I have 17 journals just from 9th to
12th grade!) that I frequently refer to. Never in my life did I feel so
many strong and conflicting emotions. I think one of my strengths is
capturing the feelings of a teenager. Of course, one of my weaknesses
is that, as a teenager, I often didn't understand the feelings of those
around me. So the feelings I capture are, more often, the feelings of
myself as a teenager. Another big weakness of mine is setting. I'm all
about action and dialogue and sometimes forget to put any setting in!
WP: Who is your favorite protagonist and who is your favorite villain
in Perilous?
Heiner: My favorite protagonist is Jaci, the main character. I
can't help but see so much of myself in her. She relies a lot on her
feelings, and really cares about people. My favorite villain is The
Hand. We cut his point of view from the novel, but I like him because
he's very three-dimensional. He feels bad for what he does and manages
to rationalize away his guilt, seeing himself as a good guy stuck up a
creek.
WP: What is your favorite book or books?
Heiner: My favorite book is A Rustle
in the Grass by Robin Hawdon. There is simply no other book like it.
WP: Why
did you decide to submit your manuscript to WiDo?
Heiner: After making some
drastic changes to my manuscript, I started researching all the LDS
publishers available. Quite a few had popped up since the last time I
had searched a few years ago, WiDo being one of them. I made plans to
submit to all of them, but I remember as I looked over WiDo's website,
I got that feeling: the one that says, "This is the one." I just knew
it was. I submitted to the others anyway (lack of faith?),
but received a contract from WiDo before I'd even heard back from the
others.
About Tamara Hart Heiner: I live in Arkansas with my husband and two children (and one on the
way!). I graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in
English. I teach English in the mornings and spend the rest of the day
avoiding the laundry and other chores, all in the name of parenting.
Sometimes I get to sit down in front of the computer and write for a
few hours. And if my husband's lucky, I make something for dinner
besides macaroni and cheese.