Writer, not

I recently had the good fortune to interview Sara J. Henry, author of LEARNING TO SWIM. Sara has been a soil scientist, sports writer, correspondence writing school instructor, book editor, freelance writer, magazine editor, bicycle mechanic, and webmaster. Her first novel, Learning to Swim, has been called “emotional, intense, and engrossing” by Lisa Unger and “an auspicious debut” by Daniel Woodrell. It’s available for pre-order and will be in stores Feb. 22 – you can read the first chapter on Sara’s website.

So, without further ado, a few questions for Sara J. Henry.

Q: LEARNING TO SWIM opens with a disturbing scene, that of a young child being thrown off a ferry into Lake Champlain. What was the inspiration for that scene? And was that one scene the inspiration for the entire book itself?
I was driving along Lake Champlain in upstate New York on an overcast day and just imagined that scene. It stuck with me, and when I finally sat down to write a novel, that was the first chapter. And yes, it was the inspiration for the whole book, and I can tell you, it was a challenge coming up with a plot that fit that little boy and that woman, and explained how they ended up on those passing ferries and how their lives intertwined.

Q: This is your debut, but it is your first novel? Do you have others in your desk drawer?
Yes, it’s my first novel, not counting the one I began in pencil in a composition book when I was 12. Mind you, this one lived in my drawer for a very long time before I pulled it out, dusted it off, and applied to Squaw Valley Writers Conference in a last-ditch effort to find out if I could actually write and if this novel was worth working on.

Q: Release of LEARNING TO SWIM is just days away now. Your book has already generated some positive reviews and glowing recommendations from name authors such as Jamie Ford and Daniel Woodrell. Did you have any idea your book would get off to such a great start?
No. You could say it’s every writer’s dream, but I hadn’t even dared to dream. I just wanted to write, and was determined to make this book work. I knew Jamie from Squaw Valley – he later told me he knew from hearing my first two pages that my book was going to be a success (this I wish he’d told me sooner!). I met Daniel at Bouchercon, the big annual mystery conference – you could have knocked me over with a feather when he offered to blurb my book.

Q: Can you describe your experience in writing LEARNING TO SWIM? Did it come to you quickly? Was there very much research required on your part?
I wrote the first draft quickly, partly because I had two friends waiting for chapters: Linda Yoder, a neighbor, and Mac Clayton, a writer I was meeting with weekly. But the middle part of the book didn’t work and I had no idea how to rewrite, so it got shelved for a very long time. I ended up tackling the rewrite during a five-week house swap outside Sydney, Australia, right after I’d broken my foot and had surgery. Cold, rainy weather + painful broken foot + no friends nearby + limited internet = perfect time to learn to rewrite. As far as research: I know the areas I wrote about, so initially I didn’t do much, but later I did lots of little fact-checking, looking up details of the Lake Champlain ferries, menus of Ottawa restaurants, street maps of Burlington, emailing and talking with the RCMP and Ottawa Police Service. Two Canadian friends read the manuscript to review the Canadian section; two French friends and two French-Canadian ones vetted the French dialogue. Of course mistakes inevitably slip through, so I’ll fall back on what Harlan Coben says, “It’s fiction!”

Q: Was it difficult to get an agent and publisher interested in LEARNING TO SWIM?
No. I know that sounds cheeky, but once the rewrite was done, it all happened very quickly. Mind you, I revised until I was wearing Band-aids on my fingers and I thought my brain would break. (And long ago a friend had offered the manuscript to half a dozen publishers, who said politely: Er, the middle needs work. One friend’s agent had taken a look and said, My, you certainly can write, which translates to But you can’t plot worth a damn!) But once the rewrite was done I sent out queries and my first chapter, and requests came rolling in. It was surreal. Like winning a lottery you didn’t know you’d entered.

Q: How has your background in journalism influenced your approach to writing fiction? Is fiction more challenging for you to write, as opposed to non-fiction?
I think in journalism, as in nonfiction books, you learn rhythm and flow. I edited and rewrote a lot of nonfiction books, and I learned to work fast and analyze entire manuscripts. Fiction is both easier and harder – but I love it. It’s what I always wanted to do.

Q: Can you describe your reading habits? What do you like to read, and who are your favorite authors? Are there books that you return to again and again?
I read voraciously, although not when I’m writing intently. If it’s not moving, I’ll read it. I grew up devouring the “oldies”: John D. MacDonald, Mary Stewart, Nevil Shute, Charlotte Armstrong, Alastair MacLean, Helen MacInnes, Arthur Conan Doyle, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers. Some of the authors I read today, in no particular order – ignore that, I’m going to alphabetize them – Jodi Compton, Tana French, Francis Fyfield, PD James, John Lescroart, Laura Lippman, Denise Mina, Ian Rankin, Ruth Rendell, Peter Temple, Lisa Unger, Minette Walters, plus the writer friends I mention in this interview. I’ll admit I’ve reread BRAT FARRAR by Josephine Tey a ridiculous number of times. I loved Ron McLarty’s THE MEMORY OF RUNNING and a book called BENIGHTED by Kit Whitfield. And my two favorites this year, from authors who have become two of my best friends: Reed Farrel Coleman’s INNOCENT MONSTER and A.S. King’s PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ.

Q: If you had the chance to sit down for coffee with any writer, past or present, who would you choose?
This is probably an absurd answer, but the ones I know and love now: the writing friends who have supported me on this journey – Jamie, Daniel, Reed Farrel Coleman, Amy King, Michael Robotham, Meg Waite Clayton, Teresa Rhyne, Weronika Janczuk, Quinn Cummings, Cat Connor, Steph Bowe, my pals from Squaw Valley, and others. They know who they are.

Q: What can we expect to see from you in the future?
The sequel to this book should be out in about a year, and I’ve roughly planned books 3 and 4, all with the same main character.

My thanks to Sara for her time, and best wishes for her success.

Now, go out and read LEARNING TO SWIM!

(Somewhat) related posts:

1. Meet Sara J. Henry on Thursday
2. An interview with writer Benoit Lelievre
3. Is everything YA now?