November is a time for giving thanks 🧡
One of the things I am thankful for is the supportive community I've connected with on Instagram. This month, I am happy to feature one of my favorite people on there, author Joanna Monahan.
Joanna Monahan lives in North Carolina with her husband, their two children, and one hangry cat. She is a member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association and the Author's Guild.
Before she began writing Women’s Fiction, Joanna worked in marketing and special events. When not writing, she enjoys theater, baseball, and bookmarking recipes she will never make.
A child of the 80s, Joanna regrets that she no longer receives pizza coupons in exchange for reading books.
Get to Know the Author
1. When did your writing journey begin? What was the inspiring moment?
Honestly? The pandemic. I’d been saying “I want to write a book” for 20+ years, and had, in fact, finished a YA manuscript (which currently lives in a drawer, waiting its turn). I had started working with a writing coach in December 2019 with a plan to write a little every month and maybe complete something in a year. Once the shutdown happened and my job disappeared, I needed a project, and ended up with a completed manuscript by June 2020.
2. What does your writing process look like? Pantser, planner, or plantser?
For my initial draft, I’m a complete pantser! My first full-length manuscript was completed during National Novel Writing Month in 2010, and I liked the adrenaline of sitting down and just writing – no plan, no edits. So that’s what I still do. I get more organized after that first draft, though, with an outline and sticky notes and focused revisions. With my first two manuscripts, I’ve found that 6 is the magic number of drafts. Right now, I’m on draft 4 of my current book, Welcome to Blooms, about an estranged sister and brother who must team up to save the family flower shop.
3. What was your biggest challenge pursuing your author dream?
I was never the kid who said I wanted to write a book. My goal was to become an actress, so while I loved reading, I was focused on picking out the roles I’d play rather than paying attention to how the words got on the page. It wasn’t until my twenties and thirties that I realized how much I enjoyed writing. So the biggest challenge for me has been trying to learn my craft as I go. I take advantage of every educational opportunity I find - classes at the local library, author talks at the bookstore. joining the Women’s Fiction Writers Association - in order to fill those gaps in my knowledge.
4. What are your author hopes for the future? Where do you see your writing career going in the next 5 years?
I want to have at least one more book published in that time - my hope is to find an agent with my next manuscript and go the traditional route. But I also want to stay open to all possibilities - there are so many career paths for writers now.
When the workload gets tough (because it does), or when I get discouraged (because I do), I also think about my kids and how I hope to model working hard and dreaming big. I want them to see me have the courage to try, even if it means failing along the way.
5. If your book was a playlist, what artists/songs would be on it?
I love that you asked this question! The name of my book actually comes from the song “Start A War” by The National. The opening lyrics are: “We expected something, something better than before. We expected something more.”
Thanks to the #WIPSoundtrack2021 challenge (hosted by you!) I have a complete soundtrack to Something Better. You can find the full playlist here.
All the Things Joanna Monahan
Thanks so much to Joanna for giving us the scoop inside her author life. You can find links to all things Joanna below. Until next time, stay classy 😎.
Corinne Fuller has regrets. Facing a stagnant marriage and an impending empty nest, she spends her days living halfway between fantasy and reality until an unexpected encounter with ex-boyfriend Nick offers a tempting glimpse of what might have been.
Now Corinne must choose between pursuing “what if” or embracing “what is” in this coming-of- (middle-) age tale of love, family, and the dangers of attending your high school reunion.
Genre: Women’s Fiction, family & relationships, second chances, small town fiction, book club fiction Triggers: Infidelity, light language
Check out where to hang with Joanna:
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