Rachel Starr Thomson

Not long ago, I received the following email from a homeschool student who, like me, loves to write. She asked some questions that I thought were interesting, so after answering them, I asked if she’d mind my posting the short correspondence here. She didn’t mind, because she’s very nice that way, so here it is . Feel free to join the conversation!

Dear Rachel,
 
I am a 10th grade homeschooled student, and I am trying to develop as a writer.  My family is rather large (there are seven members), and I am the eldest child.  It’s difficult for me to find time to write my novels.  Could you give me some tips about the way you managed to write amidst a large family?
 
I have read Tales of the Heartily Homeschooled and I loved it!  I babysit a lot, and I can certainly relate to the chapter where you said babysitting is like tennis.  I also loved the chapter about The Great December Games.  Seems to me that my family plays Try-To-Go-Home every time we have to travel somewhere, even to places such as church.  It takes half a decade’s time to get all seven of us into the van. (slight exaggeration )  
 
I have also read Worlds Unseen.  I simply couldn’t put it down!  I’ve been trying to draw pictures of the characters.  Is the plot of the exiled king who would return one day allegorical to Jesus’ return?  What exactly did you mean when you said that some of the characters were Gifted?  I can’t wait for the other two books!  I think you do a great job of writing.
 
Sincerely,
Elisabeth

I answered:

Dear Elisabeth,

Thanks for writing! I love to “meet” my readers, and I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed some of my writing. My favourite thing about “Tales” has been hearing how other families and homeschoolers can relate to it, so thanks for sharing bits of your own life .

How to find time to write: Treat it like a job. If you need to, talk to your parents and let them know that you’re hoping to write for X amount of time each day so they can help you clear yourself of responsibilities for a little while. Schedule the time. Get rid of distractions (don’t check your email!). Often, you’ll feel like X is being wasted because you’re not inspired just then, but show up on schedule and try to write, even if you feel like you’re writing junk. The more disciplined you are, the more inspiration will learn to come when you call it . Novels may look like big ponderous works of art, but they’re written one word at a time, so whatever amount of time you can take, it will be enough .

I personally find that I work best if I can work in one solid chunk in the day, rather than trying to come back to it at different times. I also like to use headphones with instrumental music (movie soundtracks work really well), because the noise helps me concentrate and drowns out the cheerful sounds of the household — but music with lyrics is distracting, because I’ll think about the lyrics and I’ll end up singing along!

I also write best when I have a cup of tea beside me, but that’s just me . For a special treat, or if I really need to concentrate to get some serious work done, I’ll go sit at a local coffee shop for a few hours.

Hopefully some of the above is helpful to you!

I’m so glad you enjoyed Worlds Unseen! I’m just finishing up a major revision of its sequel, Burning Light, so that should be out in December — right on schedule . Worlds is not straight allegory, but it definitely borrows from our-world truths. In other words, the King is not Jesus, but he’s certainly based on Jesus, or at least on certain aspects of Him. I’d like people who read the trilogy to feel an urgency to know their own Lord better. The Gifted are people who possess unusual abilities or enhanced “gifts”; they’re fictional, but in some ways they parallel many of us. I blogged about that a while ago, you can read it here:

http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/2008/03/gifted/

Now, with all that said, would you mind if I posted your email and my response on my blog?

Blessings!

Rachel

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