Episode Summary

In this episode, Joann discusses how she hesitated to write because she thought that it was only something that “smart” people could do. She talks about the fear of publishing and having people that she knew be critical as well as what event inspired her to finally write and publish her books.

Highlights

•Joann started writing small stories when she was a child to give to people as gifts.
•She wrote her first novel around the age of 12.
•She earned her master’s degree in creative writing.
•For a long time, she didn’t think that writing was for her. She thought it was something that only smart people could do.
•She was inspired to start writing while she was sitting at her husband’s bedside in the hospital. She realized that she may not get the chance if she didn’t act now.
•She likes to write in coffee shops but also has a tent that she writes in outside.
•Joann likes to start her writing with a loose framework but along the path she can veer into unexpected directions.
•In her spare time, Joann enjoys taking hikes and being in nature.
•Covid removed distractions and allowed Joann to focus on her writing.
•Joann loves Fannie Flagg.
•Joann found it difficult to publish her first book because she was worried about the feedback from people that she knew.
•Her advice to anybody thinking about writing is to just write. Everyone’s definition of success is different.
•Joann still finds it difficult to plot.
•Her favorite part of the process is editing, and she sometimes has 8 to 9 drafts before publishing.