Stephanie Bearce - August 2024 Featured Author
Tell us about your latest/upcoming release.
The Secret of Moonrise Manor will be released by Shadow Mountain Publishing on February 4. It’s the first book in the Raven Gallows Mystery series. It centers around a quirky 12-year-old girl who my editor describes as a cross between Wednesday Addams and Sherlock Holmes. She’s a budding forensic scientist/mortician who lives in her family’s funeral home and loves logic, science, and solving mysteries.
How has the changing publishing world changed how you operate as an author?
Wow. A lot. My first two books were published WAAAAY back in 2000 when a kidlit writer didn’t need agents and most houses were open. Now there are so many more options. You can be an indie publisher, traditional, or hybrid. It’s an exciting time for authors with more choices.
What was the inspiration behind your most recent book?
Raven Gallows has lived in my head for several years. I’ve written lots of nonfiction books about all sorts of weird and disgusting topics like dehydrated mummies, exploding science experiments, and the history of gangsters. In my mind I think I was always writing for Raven. She loves all those topics and more.
How do you go about finding story ideas?
Reading, podcasts, eavesdropping in restaurants, touring haunted mansions, and visiting graveyards.
We'd love to hear more about your writing journey. What have you learned along the way?
Find yourself a tribe and stick with them. Writing is hard. Publishing is harder. You need people who understand the joy and pain of this industry and will help you grow in your talent and support you. Plus - invest in dark chocolate and cheap wine. You’ll need it.
You recently started a podcast and hosted a writing retreat. Why?
To help build community. Heather Cashman, Nicki Jacobsmeyer and I want to help authors connect with each other on deeper and more meaningful levels. Retreats are the perfect format for that. But we can’t spend our lives on retreat so we also offer a podcast where writers can meet editors, learn craft techniques and
Do you have an agent? If so, what's that relationship like, and how long have you been together?
I have the BEST agent I the world, Heather Cashman – Senior Agent at Storm Literary. We’ve been together over five years, and I love working with her. Heather is supportive and encouraging. She also challenges me to push myself and elevate my writing.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting?
Be open to criticism and be ready to revise, revise, revise. Be open to teaching and critique. The only writers who succeed in the professional world are those who are willing to start over again, and again, and again. Remember – dark chocolate and cheap wine.
Do you have a critique group? And if so, how has that group been beneficial to your career?
My critique partners are the BEST! Some of us have been working together for over 20 years. When we started out, we were unpublished. Now our list of published books numbers in the hundreds. Iron sharpens iron. Find a group of strong willed, determined authors and hang on for dear life. It will make all the difference in the world.
How have you stayed connected to the writing community?
Covid sure did a number on that. I don’t think the writing community has fully recovered from the pandemic with many events staying virtual. And while I like saving money and attending workshops in my pajamas, nothing can replace in-person. That’s how you really make friends and connections. To that end I’ve started gathering with my writing groups at private retreats. We spend a week writing, critiquing, and helping move our manuscripts forward. Our agents love the results and its amazing how many manuscripts get contracts because of our retreat work.
What do you love about being a writer?
Research, creating stories, and unleashing my imagination.
What is the best advice you've ever been given about writing?
Keep going.
What is the best conference you've ever attended and why?
I like retreats because you get the opportunity know the participants better and make new friends.
How has networking with other writers helped you along the way?
Writing is a business, and like any other, it requires networking. While we hope an editor will fall in love with our manuscript, often it's a referral from a writing buddy that lands us a contract. If a friend recommends you to their editor, it could lead to new opportunities. Doing a good job can prompt the editor to ask for more of your work. Connections and networking are crucial for your writing career.
What do you do when you are not writing?
Read, sew, travel as much as my budget will allow, hunt for fossils, teach Sunday school, and hang out with my family.
What is your daily writing routine?
That varies. I’m doing the business of writing every day. Sometimes its recording a podcast, sometimes it’s revising a manuscript, sometimes it’s doing school visits. I keep running lists of all my projects and what needs to be done next. I work on them in a time sensitive manner so that I can meet all my deadlines and try to keep people happy. Sometimes I fail and the calendar has to be rearranged. But everyday I see what’s on the list and try to chunk through it. Writing is a business for me. It’s not all “Louisa Alcott writing in my garret.” It’s more like Stephanie juggling phone calls and writing snippets while waiting in the carpool line.
What's next for you, or what goals do you have for 2024 and beyond?
I have a contract for the second book in the Raven Gallows series and I must have that story finished and delivered to my editor by January. I also have a contract with Bushel and Peck for a nonfiction book, “God Created Science.” We sold that on proposal, so I kind of need to finish that book, too. Plus, I have a few new ideas that are percolating. I think I’ll have enough work to keep me busy.