#AtoZChallenge - H is for Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy

I started this site back in 2009 with one goal in mind:

To show writers ways to build a solid foundation for their writing. To provide tips and advice they could take right from these articles and apply directly to their work in progress. I wouldn't just say "show, don't tell" -- I'd give clear examples and advice on how to do that, so every writer could bring the story they wanted to write to life.

Not everything suggested on this site is going to work for everyone, but that's just the way writing is.

1- What made you decide you wanted to be an author?

I’m honestly not sure. I always loved to write and tell stories, but I can’t think of any particular moment when I thought, “I want to be an author.” I just always had that dream in my head. I wanted to be an author the same way I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was a kid. I fantasized about seeing a book with my name on it in the bookstore, but it wasn’t a “real goal” or anything I could actually do.

Then one day it dawned on me that I could be an author if I tried, and I decided to submit something just to see what happened (it got rejected). But that shift in perception changed how I viewed it—it was a real job, not just something to dream about. And I could go after it if I really wanted to.

2- In what category/genre do you write? Why?

Science fiction and fantasy, because I love those genres and I love making up worlds and magic systems. There’s something delightful about the notion of “What If…?”  Those are the genres I read the most as well, so my ideas naturally come from a speculative place. 

Speculative fiction has more freedom for me than writing in the “real world.” As long as it makes sense, I can do anything I want and not be bogged down by rules of how things work and how they “ought to be.”

3- What part of one of your stories was the most fun to write? The most challenging? (And which book/s are those in?)

The fight scenes in The Shifter were a blast, because the world mechanic behind shifting pain made for some interesting tactics. So were the moral quandaries I put my protagonist in. It was a fascinating mental exercise to debate the ethical consequences and what Nya would do and not do to save her sister. How far could I push her? Where was her line?

In general, though, my favorite parts are the dialogue. Conversations are so much fun! My first drafts are heavy on dialogue and I fill in the rest on the second pass.

Endings are the most challenging for me. By the time I get to the climax I just want it over so I can start revising. There’s nothing new to discover, and I tend to rush it and summarize more than dramatize, which means I have to rewrite it multiple times.

4- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Look at your story through your protagonist’s eyes, not yours. A strong POV avoids 95% of writing problems and shows you all you need to know about the scene.

5- Do you work on more than one book at a time? Why or why not?

I used to. I’d draft one while I revised another, and had two separate novels with two different critique groups in progress at once. But I found I wasn’t getting anything finished, so now I’m focusing on one project at a time. It’s going much better. I’m more productive and the writing is better since I’m not losing so much while task switching and holding too many details in my head.

I can work on one fiction and one nonfiction project at the same time, though. That takes different parts of my brain so I’m not getting burned out or overloading myself.

6- What do you love and hate most about being a published author?

The readers are awesome, of course! They’re the whole point of it all, and as a kidlit author, I have the best fans. Getting an email from a ten-year-old who says they never liked to read until they read your book—that’s the best. 

I also love the rush I get when a scene turns out better than I expected, and when something just clicks in my head and makes everything come together like I’d planned it all along. 

I don’t love the pressure, or the self-doubts. Publishing is a tough biz, and it’s hard not to judge yourself by what your peers and friends are doing. So much of it is out of your control, and that can lead to stress.

7- Do you publish traditional, self, hybrid, other? Why?

I do both traditional and indie. I started traditional since that was the dream and indie wasn’t a thing yet, but when I decided to publish nonfiction, it made more sense to do it myself. I already had the platform with my writing site, Fiction University.

I prefer traditional for my kidlit since kids have so many gatekeepers—parents, teachers, librarians. It’s much easier to reach them with a traditional publisher. Indie works better for my nonfiction. I have complete control and can publish what I want when I want to. 

I consider each book I write and decide what the best option is for it. For example, my adult urban fantasy, Blood Ties, has a vampire angle to it, and I knew it would be a very hard sell to a traditional publisher. The vampire market was saturated at that time (back around 2017). So I published it myself. But my current WIP is middle grade, so I’ll submit that one traditionally. Of course, if no one’s interested, then I’ll indie pub it and do the best I can to support and promote it.

8- What question are you dying to answer for our blog (about your writing, life, or even a fun fact)? What's the question and then answer.

Where do you get your ideas? I know this is a boring “common” question, but my answer is fun. My husband. If he were a superhero, he’d be Premise Boy. He comes up with ideas faster than anyone I’ve even met, and he’s constantly giving me new ones. I have four at the moment I’m dying to write, and the three projects in the works are all ideas he came up with. He’s the T in my pen name, J.T. Hardy, because he and I develop the world and ideas together, and then I figure out the plot and go write it.

9- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

If you could only have one type of cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

10- For our blog readers who haven't read anything by you, which of your books would you suggest they start with?

For writers trying to plot out and develop their novels, Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure. For those who want to work on their skills, I’d suggest Understanding Show, Don’t Tell (And Really Getting It).

Oh! I didn’t even think about fiction. Adults can try Blood Ties, and kids might like The Shifter.

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge 2023
a-to-zchallenge.com