Interview with Author Tracy Higley

Tracy Higley started her first novel at the age of eight and has been hooked on writing ever since. A lifelong interest in history and mythology has led Tracy to extensive research into ancient Greece, Egypt, Rome and Persia, and shaped her desire to shine the light of the gospel into the cultures of the past. She has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Italy researching her novels and falling into adventures.

What is the your question for the blog readers?

What exciting or exotic location would you most like to visit, and perhaps write about?

Please tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into writing.

I have loved to write since childhood, and spent those years either with my nose in a book or writing. I created short stories, school newspapers, neighborhood plays, angst-ridden poetry in the teen years, then drama sketches for church ministry as an adult. Around the age of thirty I got serious about writing full-length fiction and getting published.

     Tell us about your latest release. 

Garden of Madness is the tale of Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter at the end of his seven years of madness. The palace has become a hotbed of murder, sorcery and plots against the throne and Tia fights for her family’s safety while unraveling horrifying family secrets that could destroy their nation.

Did you have any experiences that prompted your love of historical fiction?

As a story-lover, I have always been drawn to history, which is really a collection of stories from our past. I love the window into the past that is opened through historical fiction, both as a reader and as a writer!

How much time does it take to research your stories – what balance would you say there is between research and actual writing?

I do spend quite a bit of time in the research phase, which is ongoing. Before the writing begins I amass pages and pages of notes from textbooks, etc., divided into categories that help as I write (like clothing, food, politics, etc.).  I continue the research as I write, then usually do more at the end to fill in gaps that have been created by the rough draft. I would say about one-fourth of the time spent on a book is research. Sometimes I have to force myself out of the research and into the writing!

Describe for us, if you will, your writing style, as in plotter vs. seat of the pants, and do you put more time into developing characters or plot or are they equal?

I am definitely a plotter, probably to a fault.  I create outlines, spreadsheets, graphs and detailed notes before I even begin the rough draft. Sometimes it becomes a procrastination technique! I put more time into creating plots, because I want my stories to be fast-paced, surprising and riveting – the kind that keep you up at night. Character development comes more slowly, through the course of the writing, and then I go back and make changes to the early sections where I didn’t really know the characters very well.

Was there a person who inspired you to write? Come back tomorrow for part two of Tracy's interview to hear her answer.

To enter to win a copy of her book Garden of Madness, leave a comment with the answer to her question by Friday, May 18 at 8 a.m. EST. Please include your email so we can contact you.