The Bunk Room_Issue 36

Meet The Author
Award Winning Author
Shares Writing Tips
Romance novels make the hearts of girls
everywhere flutter and usually seems to
make boys cry “cooties.” But what goes
into these books that inspire so much
enthusiasm? Tracie Peterson, award
winning, bestselling
author of
over 95 books,
has some
insights.
Peterson is the
2007 winner
of Romantic
Times Career
Achievement
Award for
Inspirational
Fiction. In addition, she’s held
Barbour Publishing's “Heartsong
Presents” Favorite Author of the Year,
three years in a row.
Peterson began writing when she
was very young and credits her mother
for helping her discover her talent. When
attending church, her mother would give
her a pencil and paper and tell her to
draw a picture and make up a story to
go along with it. After services were
over, she would ask her to tell the story.
“I knew I would have her undivided
attention and credit her with developing
the storyteller in me,” Peterson said.
Perhaps best known for her period
romance, Peterson says it was her love
of the past that drew her to historical
fiction. One of the things she enjoys is
being able to share little known
historical facts in her books. “I love
exploring the various time periods and
events in history in order to bring them to
life in a story,” she said. Peterson also
likes to show that, just as the Bible says,
“there truly is nothing new under the
Tracie Peterson
sun” and that many of today’s
problems were also faced by
people long ago. “They might look
a little different, but they were just
as compelling and frustrating.”
Peterson writes every day,
spending a great deal of time
researching before she begins a
new novel. Then, when she has
completed her studies, she begins
to plot out the story and write the
synopsis, brainstorming with her
editor as needed. “When I have
all of that in place, however, I
generally give myself three months
for each book,” she said. After
she has finished a story, she
enjoys celebrating with those close
to her. “I love to go out to dinner
with friends and family,” she said.
There are many things that
Peterson hopes her readers will
walk away with, but the greatest,
and perhaps the main reason for
her work is love of God. “I would
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like the readers to see the hope,
joy and love that can be had in a
relationship with Jesus Christ,”
said Peterson.
As a bestselling writer and a
teacher of writing workshops,
Peterson shares invaluable advice
for aspiring writers.
“Read. Read for pleasure,
then look at the same book and
try to tear it apart and find why
you think that book was good or
bad. If it's a best seller try to
figure out why you think that's the
case. Is it strong characters? An
unusual plot? Great pacing? All
of the above? Get involved in
writer's organizations like
American Christian Fiction Writers
and study the craft of writing.
Learn techniques and know what
audiences are looking for in
books. Never think you know it
all. I'm still learning.”
8 | TheBunkRoom.com | July / August 2013 | Be published! See page 5.