A Time To Write

Interview

Jana Busenitz is the author of Faith in the Fury.  She also coaches with A Time 2 Write.  Jana is busy planning her upcoming wedding, but also enjoys working with her writing students, and  hopes to help them publish their own books like she did. Faith in the Fury is now available for purchase!

She faced the fury of the storm. But can she survive the test of her faith?

13-year old Abby Nelson is home alone babysitting her five younger siblings when a tornado hits her home. 

Facing danger at every turn, Abby must find a way to free her trapped siblings and find her parents, who she fears might not have survived.

But for Abby, the greatest storm of all is within. She struggles to understand why God would allow so many bad things to happen to her. Will Abby learn to trust God in the midst of life’s storms, or will her faith be destroyed like her home?

Q:  When did you write Faith in the Fury?

Jana: I started writing when I was about 13. Since part of my goal for writing a story was to learn to type, it was a project that ended up taking several years to fully complete!:) At the time, we only had one family computer and 6 younger kids running around. So I wrote a few minutes here, an hour there, early in the morning, late at night, or wherever else I could find a free moment between school, chores, and helping my Mom.

Q: What first gave you the idea and inspiration?

Jana: My grandparents’ home was destroyed by one of the May 3, 1999 tornados that devastated many parts of Oklahoma City and surrounding areas. As a 12-year old, I vividly remember the stories my grandparents told about how they survived that day. As my family helped them clean up after the storm, I couldn’t help but imagine what it would have been like if it had been me instead of my grandparents. I decided to write down my grandparents’ experience from my perspective, and Faith in the Fury was born.  

Q: Do the characters resemble people in real life?

Jana: This question made me laugh when I first read it! When I read my story now, I shake my head at my lack of imagination when it came to coming up with original characters! I wrote Abby to resemble me, but I decided to give her red hair so people wouldn’t think she was me:) Each of Abby’s siblings represent one of my siblings. Eventually though, I realized I better change my characters just a little bit. Otherwise, I knew my siblings would get mad at me when they read my story and say, “Hey, that’s not me!”

Q: Why did you choose to publish with CreateSpace?

Jana: It’s so simple and it’s free. I’ve always wanted to publish a book, but I didn’t have the time to pursue getting published traditionally. I didn’t care if I never ended up being a bestseller; I just wanted to see my book on my shelf and be able to give it to my siblings, friends, and maybe even my own kids someday to read. CreateSpace allowed me to do that.

Q:  What writing resources helped you to become who you are as a writer?  

Jana: I studied with writing coach Jonathon Friesen for awhile, and he helped me so much! Other than that, though, most of my writing has not come from resources so much as just hard work and self-study. Even though I’m busy, I try to always keep reading and studying good fiction. I research people, places, and little tidbits of information I pick up here and there that cause my imagination to soar, and then write down the ideas for stories that gel. I talk to other writers whenever I can get the chance. I let other people read and critique my work. No one method has transformed me into a great author, but as I am patient and work hard, I have begun to see my writing get better and better.

Q: What was your favorite scene to write in Faith in the Fury?  Which one was the hardest? 

Jana: My favorite scenes to write were the ones where the siblings were all arguing or things were chaotic. These scenes just wrote themselves because at the time that was so much a part of my life that the words just flowed:) I don’t really remember what the hardest scene was to write, but I remember developing and maintaining a purpose and theme throughout the story being difficult for me.

Q: What is the theme for Faith in the Fury?

Jana: Believing that God is good all the time, no matter what happens. Sometimes, bad things happen to good people, but Abby learns that God always has a plan and is sovereign. Our responsibility is to simply trust Him and thank Him for being faithful in our storm, even when we don’t feel like He is.

Q: What is your next writing project?

Jana: Another long-range project that has already spanned a few years:) Tara O’Reilly is a spunky Irish orphan who discovers that she will never be truly home until her heart comes home to Jesus. I’m excited about seeing it to completion as well – my goal is by the end of 2011, but we’ll see how that goes.

Q: What advice would you give to other young writers?  

Jana: First, read! You can’t expect to become a good writer if you don’t read. Second, write! You can’t become a good writer unless you write consistently – even when it’s horrible and you want to quit. Third, get a writing coach or find a friend or mentor who has the time and ability to give you constructive criticism on your writing. You won’t regret it!