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S7 Ep 12 - Last Light Over Galveston
Historical fiction meets raw human resilience in this rich conversation with award-winning author Jennifer Wright on this episode of the True Fiction Project. Jennifer’s book, Last Light Over Galveston, centers on women's empowerment during the turn of the century, following a young woman who defies her wealthy family in search of purpose, only to find herself stranded in Galveston as a monster hurricane bears down. Jennifer reveals how writing fiction based on real historical events gives readers the empathy that dry textbooks simply cannot. From her journalism roots to her life as an Air Force wife abroad, Jennifer brings an outsider's curiosity and an insider's discipline to every story she tells. Tune in to hear an excerpt of the book to when the character Kathleen arrives in Galveston, contemplating a decision as she arrives at the ocean.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why historical fiction is one of the most powerful tools for helping readers connect emotionally with real historical events, and how award-winning author Jennifer Wright uses storytelling to bring the human side of history to life in ways that journalism and textbooks simply cannot.
How women's empowerment in the early 1900s was both revolutionary and dangerous, and what it cost a young woman to walk away from wealth and family in pursuit of purpose and passion during the turn of the century.
What the research process looks like for a fiction writing project rooted in a real natural disaster, including how firsthand newspaper accounts from 1900 shaped the world of The Last Light Over Galveston.
Why the period voice of historical fiction is one of the most challenging craft elements to master, and how collaboration with a skilled editor protects the authenticity of the story.
Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal
Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Jennifer Wright, award-winning author, introduces Kathleen, a wealthy woman craving purpose beyond marriage at the turn of the century
02:27 Jennifer shares her journey from journalism to marriage to historical fiction and explains why historical storytelling can reveal the human side of history
07:30 The plot of Last Light Over Galveston unfolds: women's empowerment, family conflict, and survival during the Galveston Hurricane
10:30 Jennifer discusses the different time periods she chooses to write about and how books are marketed
15:30 Jennifer and Reenita discuss the challenge of period voice and how editors protect the authenticity of historical fiction
18:34 Jennifer Wright reads a snippet of the prologue of Last Light Over Galveston, of character Kathleen's arrival in Galveston
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Historical fiction has a unique power to draw readers into events they might otherwise dismiss. Jennifer Wright's work proves that when you place a fully realized human being inside a natural disaster, readers stop seeing history as a subject and start feeling it as an experience.
Jennifer Wright's creative process begins with six months of deep research into a historical event before a single word of fiction is written. Her ability to compress that into three months under a publishing contract for Last Light Over Galveston speaks to both her discipline and her instincts as a fiction writing professional.
Labeling books by age category, such as young adult or new adult, can quietly shrink an award-winning author's readership. Wright argues that a compelling protagonist transcends age and that character development should be the draw, not a marketing bracket.
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Jennifer Wright has been writing since middle school and eventually earned a master’s degree in journalism from Indiana University. However, it took only a few short months of covering the local news to realize that writing fiction is much better for the soul–and definitely way more fun. A born-and-bred Hoosier, she was swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot and has spent the past decade traveling the world and, every few years, attempting to fit old curtains into the windows of a new home. She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband and two children.
Her debut novel, 'If It Rains,' was nominated for a Kipp Award, and her second novel, 'Come Down Somewhere,' was a 2023 Carol Award finalist. She is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).
Jennifer Wright - Facebook
Jennifer Wright - Instagram
Jennifer Wright - Website
Last Light over Galveston: by Wright, Jennifer L. - Amazon
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
View all episodes
By Reenita Hora
4.5
66 ratings
Historical fiction meets raw human resilience in this rich conversation with award-winning author Jennifer Wright on this episode of the True Fiction Project. Jennifer’s book, Last Light Over Galveston, centers on women's empowerment during the turn of the century, following a young woman who defies her wealthy family in search of purpose, only to find herself stranded in Galveston as a monster hurricane bears down. Jennifer reveals how writing fiction based on real historical events gives readers the empathy that dry textbooks simply cannot. From her journalism roots to her life as an Air Force wife abroad, Jennifer brings an outsider's curiosity and an insider's discipline to every story she tells. Tune in to hear an excerpt of the book to when the character Kathleen arrives in Galveston, contemplating a decision as she arrives at the ocean.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why historical fiction is one of the most powerful tools for helping readers connect emotionally with real historical events, and how award-winning author Jennifer Wright uses storytelling to bring the human side of history to life in ways that journalism and textbooks simply cannot.
How women's empowerment in the early 1900s was both revolutionary and dangerous, and what it cost a young woman to walk away from wealth and family in pursuit of purpose and passion during the turn of the century.
What the research process looks like for a fiction writing project rooted in a real natural disaster, including how firsthand newspaper accounts from 1900 shaped the world of The Last Light Over Galveston.
Why the period voice of historical fiction is one of the most challenging craft elements to master, and how collaboration with a skilled editor protects the authenticity of the story.
Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal
Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Jennifer Wright, award-winning author, introduces Kathleen, a wealthy woman craving purpose beyond marriage at the turn of the century
02:27 Jennifer shares her journey from journalism to marriage to historical fiction and explains why historical storytelling can reveal the human side of history
07:30 The plot of Last Light Over Galveston unfolds: women's empowerment, family conflict, and survival during the Galveston Hurricane
10:30 Jennifer discusses the different time periods she chooses to write about and how books are marketed
15:30 Jennifer and Reenita discuss the challenge of period voice and how editors protect the authenticity of historical fiction
18:34 Jennifer Wright reads a snippet of the prologue of Last Light Over Galveston, of character Kathleen's arrival in Galveston
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Historical fiction has a unique power to draw readers into events they might otherwise dismiss. Jennifer Wright's work proves that when you place a fully realized human being inside a natural disaster, readers stop seeing history as a subject and start feeling it as an experience.
Jennifer Wright's creative process begins with six months of deep research into a historical event before a single word of fiction is written. Her ability to compress that into three months under a publishing contract for Last Light Over Galveston speaks to both her discipline and her instincts as a fiction writing professional.
Labeling books by age category, such as young adult or new adult, can quietly shrink an award-winning author's readership. Wright argues that a compelling protagonist transcends age and that character development should be the draw, not a marketing bracket.
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Jennifer Wright has been writing since middle school and eventually earned a master’s degree in journalism from Indiana University. However, it took only a few short months of covering the local news to realize that writing fiction is much better for the soul–and definitely way more fun. A born-and-bred Hoosier, she was swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot and has spent the past decade traveling the world and, every few years, attempting to fit old curtains into the windows of a new home. She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband and two children.
Her debut novel, 'If It Rains,' was nominated for a Kipp Award, and her second novel, 'Come Down Somewhere,' was a 2023 Carol Award finalist. She is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).
Jennifer Wright - Facebook
Jennifer Wright - Instagram
Jennifer Wright - Website
Last Light over Galveston: by Wright, Jennifer L. - Amazon
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy