Jendia conducts workshops and participates in panels on creative writing for international conventions. She holds a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Jendia is also a science writer and an artist. She has also written under the pen name J. Dianne Dotson.
Born in Southern Appalachia, Jendia now lives in Los Angeles with her family. She is married to British author Gareth L. Powell.
1 - How did your first book change your life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it feel different?
My first published book, HELIOPAUSE, written under my alt pen name J. Dianne Dotson, was not my first actual book. I had written two novels by the time I was 14 years old. But I didn't submit them. I reused their ideas for THE QUESTRISON SAGA. HELIOPAUSE and its three sequels I published myself, learning a lot about the work involved in being a publisher and hiring contractors to edit and provide cover art for the book. That was great experience. I have two traditionally published books out this year, the cross-genre THE SHADOW GALAXY: A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry, and the upcoming Young Adult SFF adventure, THE INN AT THE AMETHYST LANTERN. Each is both similar and dissimilar to THE QUESTRISON SAGA, and all of them have elements of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I'm pleased I didn't have to publish those myself!
2 - How did you come to fiction first, as opposed to, say, poetry or non-fiction?
I've written all three most of my life. I've always been a writer.
3 - How long does it take to start any particular writing project? Does your writing initially come quickly, or is it a slow process? Do first drafts appear looking close to their final shape, or does your work come out of copious notes?
I write incredibly fast because my work in science journalism was on deadline, so that fire tends to carry over to my fiction as well. I enter knowing exactly where I want to go and I simply write it. I don't have copious notes.
4 - Where does a work of prose usually begin for you? Are you an author of short pieces that end up combining into a larger project, or are you working on a "book" from the very beginning?
I work on novels as novels. I write short stories as short stories. But two of my published short stories are carrying forward as two novels.
5 - Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?
I do enjoy them; people usually ask me afterward if I was ever in theater (I wasn't).
6 - Do you have any theoretical concerns behind your writing? What kinds of questions are you trying to answer with your work? What do you even think the current questions are?
I just write stories I like to read. I interweave my life experience with fiction, and I like to speculate on what is possible...or not.
7 – What do you see the current role of the writer being in larger culture? Do they even have one? What do you think the role of the writer should be?
We wouldn't have a lot of the things we enjoy without writers: songs, TV, books, instructions...humans are natural storytellers and that won't go away.
8 - Do you find the process of working with an outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?
Oh I love working with editors. Absolutely essential and most welcome.
9 - What is the best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?
Carve out the time to write.
10 - How easy has it been for you to move between genres (short stories to novels; fantasy to horror to science fiction)? What do you see as the appeal?
Very easy. I love to write what I love to read, and I love to read quite a few genres!
11 - What kind of writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one? How does a typical day (for you) begin?
I write whenever I can. I'm busy with a part-time science writing gig and parenting, so I just write in the margins, so to speak, as fast as I can.
12 - When your writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?
The only reason my writing would stall is something emotional or physical, not because of the story; never that. I never, ever run out of inspiration. My greatest enemy is time!
13 - What fragrance reminds you of home?
Well, I've had a lot of homes. I grew up in East Tennessee, so sometimes I'm reminded by distant woodsmoke, or how the air smells before it snows, or the smell of the TVA lakes, or sawdust from Dad making things when I was a kid. In Los Angeles, I love the smell of a pinon log fire, of tacos, of jasmine everywhere, and of the ocean.
14 - David W. McFadden once said that books come from books, but are there any other forms that influence your work, whether nature, music, science or visual art?
I am always surrounded by inspiration in all those things and more.
15 - What other writers or writings are important for your work, or simply your life outside of your work?
Obviously I love the works of my husband (Gareth L. Powell). I'm a big fan of L. Frank Baum, Ray Bradbury, L.M. Montgomery, Robin McKinley, Philip Pullman, Adrian Tchaikovsky, the list goes on and on.
16 - What would you like to do that you haven't yet done?
I'd like a massive book deal and a TV or film option!
17 - If you could pick any other occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what do you think you would have ended up doing had you not been a writer?
I mean, I've worked as a biologist both in ecology and clinical research. So I've been in science for decades. I also do artwork on the side.
18 - What made you write, as opposed to doing something else?
I've written since I could hold a crayon. I also learned to make art alongside that. Then I learned science. I like to do many, many things.
19 - What was the last great book you read? What was the last great film?
I really enjoyed the heck out of Peter McLean's PRIEST OF BONES. I haven't seen a film I've loved in a very long time; mostly I stream TV shows.
20 - What are you currently working on?
Multiple books in multiple genres as well as several short stories.
12 or 20 (second series) questions;
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