Meet Jackie
Clickety, Click, Click!
I’m tapping away at the computer in my Massachusetts home. Outside, my flower gardens border meadows and woods. A family of wild turkeys struts by, or perhaps deer or a lone fox. Hummingbirds hover over the flowers, and a resident Red-tailed Hawk soars overhead. Sometimes it’s hard to keep my mind on my work—but I do!
The Story Behind My Stories
Every book I write goes through a long process before it’s published. I use historical settings for most of my books, so I spend lots of time at the library. It takes months of research for me to learn about a long-ago time before I begin a story.
At last, I create a character. Then I write a plot outline, deciding what will happen in each chapter. I always know the ending before I write a single word.
I make lots of changes to my books before I’m satisfied. Sometimes I add characters, or a new plot twist.
Walking in My Characters’ Footsteps
Background research for a book involves more than sitting in the library. I like to walk in my characters’ footsteps so I can make their world come alive for you. I pack my bags and travel!
When I was writing Out of Many Waters, I toured the Mayflower II so I could feel what it was like to be hidden in a cramped sailing ship 400 years ago. When I wrote One Foot Ashore, I traveled to Amsterdam and walked through Rembrandt’s house. I could picture him standing at his easel in front of the open window. I visited museums and studied paintings of Amsterdam as it looked in 1654. There was even a picture of a rat-catcher who later appeared in my book.
I’ve hiked the desert in the American Southwest, and climbed remote Maya pyramids in Mexico. Those experiences helped me write about Native American cultures, and they inspired a novel I’m working on now. I’ve visited cities and villages in Russia, hiked glaciers in Alaska, tramped the rain forest in Costa Rica, climbed a volcano, and sailed beside Iceland’s cliffs. Eventually, each of these exotic places will find their way into a story.
Critters and Characters
Many personal experiences have helped me in my writing. I grew up in a rural part of Connecticut, so nature is usually part of my books. You’ll find scenes featuring plants, animals, birds, and even changing weather.
My sons, Matthew and Ken, had a menagerie of pets when they were young. We had bought and borrowed parrots, parakeets, chirping finches, biting hermit crabs, nibbling hamsters, swishy fish, morphing tadpoles, hopping frogs, and even a hissing Madagascar cockroach.
To my surprise, my favorite pet was a brown and white rat named Piper.
I decided to write about rats in One Foot Ashore so readers would see that these creatures are clean, smart and affectionate.
Still, I wouldn’t have featured a rat for a character if I hadn’t learned that rats were common on sailing ships, and people feared them for the diseases they often carried. When you meet “Domingo,” remember that he is based on the real-life Piper!
Time Out!
When I’m not writing, I love to garden, bike, or hike the trails nearby. In the hush of a winter snowfall, I love to ski or snowshoe.
I am an avid photographer, and many of my pictures appear with my stories and non-fiction books. My photos of Native American powwows and historical sites in Arizona fill two of my books—The Tohono O’odham and Powwow: A Good Day to Dance. Those pictures have also been on exhibit.
And then there’s baseball. I LOVE the Red Sox. Go Sox!
The Home Stretch!
I share my stories with a few people as I write. My husband, Malcolm, is an optometrist, but he’s also my best editor. Sometimes when I’m stumped, his suggestions spark the perfect solution. I also have three close friends who are authors, and their comments are always helpful.
When a book is finally in print and the publisher mails me the first copies, I plan a celebration. At last other people can read what I have worked on so long!
Then it’s time to take a deep breath, sit back and think of a new idea. In between, I visit schools and book fairs to meet readers like you. Connecting with my readers is the best part of finishing a book. Someday, I hope I’ll have a chance to meet you!
You can always send me an email. Ask a question, or tell me what you thought about one of my books. I’ll write back!
Author Visits
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© Jacqueline Dembar Greene 2006 | Email Jackie | Web Design: GoodWorx Web Design