Author Interview - Linda Evans Shepherd - Part 2

For those of you who missed Part I of the interview last Wednesday, Linda Evans Shepherd is a multi-published, award-winning author and speaker. She shared on her beginnings as a speaker, as well as how she and her co-author, Eva Marie Everson, collaborate on their books.

3) Welcome back, Linda! Where do you get your story ideas?

Once someone asked me how it feels to write fluff. HA! Eva and I don't write fluff. We write about serious issues - with humor. As Eva and I plan each book, we decide on the issues and challenges that our characters will work through. But we let our characters tell their stories themselves. It's amazing to see how the stories come to life.

4) You've also written a non-fiction book. What are some of the challenges writing both non-fiction and fiction?

With novels, I feel like I'm creating a parable, letting the fiction speak truth to the reader. But with my non-fiction, as in When You Don't Know What to Pray - How to Talk to God About Anything, I use my personal stories as parables to point to truth. Plus, I get to share my personal insights as well as deeper Biblical truths through my point-of-view.

With fiction, I spend my research time talking to people who have been through some of the scenarios in our books, but with non-fiction I spend my research time in deep Bible study and Biblical research.

5) When you have too many ideas for stories, how do you decide which ones to pursue?

You have to ask yourself the question, which story leads to the most compelling read? Once  you determine that, then you know which story to tell.

When it's my turn to write the next chapter of The Potluck Catering Club Series, I try to think of several scenarios but pick the one which seems more dramatic, fun, comical or exciting. Once I know which direction I'm heading, I let the character take over. It's a fun process.

Thanks for a great interview, Linda. At left is one of Linda and Eva's books. I haven't read any of them as yet, but they're on my Wish List.

Question for our readers:  How do you decide which story ideas are worthy of pursuit?