Stacy Juba
Massachusetts
USA
Good morning, Stacy, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for art and authors and those who love them. I have enjoyed your online classes in self- editing. Because of you, my writing has improved. I've eliminated many useless words and broken my addiction to the word and, almost. Can you tell us a little about what you've written?
I’ve written the chick lit/sweet romance novels Fooling Around With Cinderella and Prancing Around With Sleeping Beauty (Storybook Valley 1 and 2), the mystery novels Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and Sink or Swim, the young adult supernatural thriller Dark Before Dawn, and the young adult ice hockey novels Face-Off and Offsides. I’ve also published a patriotic children’s picture book called The Flag Keeper about the U.S. flag code, as well as the Teddy Bear Town Children’s Bundle.In addition to writing fiction, I’m a longtime journalist and have written over 3,000 articles for newspapers, magazines, and blogs.
What is your favorite genre to write?
That has evolved over the years, but right now, I’m really enjoying writing chick lit as it’s lighthearted and humorous.
Favorite food.
Spaghetti and meatballs
You are my kind of person! We could have linch and talk books.
Tea or coffee?
Tea
Pizza or ice cream?
Pizza
Wine or beer?
Wine
Where would you like to visit?
Hawaii
Oh, go! Go now. I loved Hawaii. Spend some time on one of the smaller islands away from the touristy spots to enjoy some true Hawaiian paradise after you are done with Waikiki, Diamond Head, and the Hawaiian shirt factory. Go to a luau. Eat all kinds of strange things you would never eat at home.
Favorite musical artist.
Bon Jovi
Do you listen to music when you write? What?
Not while I write, but I listen to music while I do chores such as laundry. I listen to a lot of 1980s hard rock. I like it quiet while I write.
What makes you laugh?
Watching a funny comedian on TV with my husband
This is an Art and Author site, so I am obligated to ask: Favorite work of art or sculpture.
A painting of Paris that my husband and I impulsively bought from a vendor near the Arc de Triomphe on our honeymoon. It was on a rolled-up canvas, and now it is hanging framed in our dining room.
That is so romantic... I love it. How old were you when you started writing?
I started writing in third grade, so I was about nine.
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
I plan with extensive outlines. Often the outline evolves, and I’ll update it, but I always write with a plan.
Describe your perfect evening.
Eating takeout with my family, playing a board game together, taking a walk, having some time to read and relax, and then watching TV with my husband.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Most recently, I was inspired by my love of theme parks like Disney World. Visiting them with my family inspired me to create my fictional Storybook Valley fairy tale theme park. For other books, I’ve been inspired by my interest in ice hockey, my interest in psychics and intuition, my childhood love of mystery novels, and past jobs like working as a newspaper editorial assistant and reporter.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I’ll take a walk or do another form of exercise to clear my head. Sometimes I’ll take a day or two off. Usually the words will start flowing once I’m not trying so hard.
Who is your favorite author?
Sophie Kinsella
Best book you ever read.
My all-time favorite book is The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. It was such a big part of my adolescence, as I read it over and over again, and I don’t think another book will ever replace it in my heart.
Last book you read.
American Royals by Katharine McGee
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
I studied exercise science in college and was considering working with cardiac rehabilitation patients or pursuing a degree in physical therapy.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My parents fostered my love of reading. My mom and I used to walk down to the library, and I was always excited to pick out books. They took me to lots of bookstores also. Without my love of reading, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
I’d love to talk to J.K. Rowling and find out how she kept track of all the details in the Harry Potter series and how much of it was outlined in advance.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? I’m also a freelance developmental editor and creator of online courses for writers, and my motto is “Let’s make editing simple.” A lot of new writers spend several hundred dollars, or even over a thousand, on hiring an editor for a draft that has many basic beginner problems. They don’t realize their book will need multiple rounds of editing that they probably won’t be able to afford. I encourage writers to improve their self-editing skills so that they can learn how to make their draft as strong as possible on their own. Then when they do hire an editor, it will be for a much stronger draft and they’ll get much more value for their money.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
Websites for readers: http://stacyjuba.com/blog/ and http://hockeyrivalsbooks.com
For writers: http://www.shortcutsforwriters.com
Shortcuts for Writers: Editing Made Simple Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/shortcutsforwriters/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stacy-Juba/100155471301
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stacyjuba
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stacy_juba/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrgMQBA-1VkSyLxE_Itcaw
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