Hello, my name is Jenna Elizabeth Johnson and I’m a fantasy writer. It wasn’t until my time in college that I realized I wanted to write novels for the rest of my life. I grew up on the Central Coast of California and attended college in the Bay Area. I have since returned to my hometown to work in the education system. In my spare time, I work on my writing, as well as catching up on my favorite books. I also enjoy gardening, bird watching and camping. My goal is to someday make enough off of my books in order to take up writing full time.
How long have you been writing and how did you get to this point in your career?
I’ve been writing consistently for about five years now. Getting to this point in my writing ‘career’ has been itself a work in progress. Once I decided I wanted to write, I sat down and just began typing. At first it wasn’t necessarily organized, but I kept at it; learned to polish the raw material I had before me. I’m still learning how to write that ‘perfect’ novel, and I hope someday to do so.
Tell me what inspired you to write this particular novel?
I must admit, I can’t exactly pinpoint it; it was a combination of things. I’ve always been inventing stories, ever since I was very little. Unfortunately, I never really wrote anything down. In college, I took several art classes and a good number of Celtic and Scandinavian mythology classes. I think it was the Norse and Irish myths and legends that finally inspired me to write it all down.
Sometimes we have to be ruthless in writing/editing. We cut scenes, eliminate characters or even kill them off. Tell me what was the hardest of these in this book.
I had a hard time letting go of some of the stories Hroombra (one of my dragon characters) would tell Jahrra (my heroine) and her friends. They were simply an embellishment; they weren’t needed. I think I liked them and had originally included them because of my joy of myth and legend. The stories he told explained some of the natural occurences in Jahrra’s world, but they were something extra, so I had to shorten them immensely or cut them out completely. Perhaps one day I’ll gather them all in a book of legends.
Eliminating characters is another thing completely. The first characters I had to eliminate died rather early on, and although they played an important role in the main character’s life, I accepted that and was able to deal with it rather well. I will admit that a major character dies in the second book, but I can’t say who. This was another character I knew would not survive to the third book, but this one was harder. I just had to accept that my protagonist would not be able to grow as a person and move on if this character wasn’t taken out of her life. Still, it is no easy thing killing off someone you’ve grown to admire.
This blog is called Random Musings, so give me a random quote from the book – something you’re particularly fond of.
Here’s a few lines from chapter seventeen, ‘Dealing with Dragons’. I particularly like this quote because it shows the uneasy relationship between the dragon Jaax and Jahrra, something that is central to the plot:
Jaax's voice finally interrupted Jahrra's thoughts, "Shall we continue?"What can we expect from you next?
"What?" Jahrra said, not realizing she'd stopped to ponder the scene before her.
"I want to be done with this as much as you do, so it would help if you paid attention."
Jahrra turned pink. Stupid dragon! He shouldn't be allowed to be so rude all the time.
I have several works in progress. I expect to write two or three more books to complete the Oescienne series, and I’m working on a few more YA fantasies, some parts of series, some not. I also have a few fantasy ideas and novels for the older crowd (some of these are also parts of series, some stand alone). I’m also toying with the idea of writing a few fantasy adventures for children.
Where can we find you on the internet?
I have a website, where you can find everything you would like to know about The Legend of Oescienne series. I also have a blog. I don’t write on my blog often, but if you would like to have a more inside view of Jahrra’s world, it is set up as a journal from her perspective. I also have a twitter account and a fan page on Facebook. The best way to contact me is through my website or on Facebook.
Any final comments or thoughts?
I can’t think of anything more. Thanks again for this wonderful opportunity!
Jenna, thank you very much for dropping by and doing this interview! Good luck with The Finding and I’ll keep my eyes open for the next book in The Legend of Oescienne series!
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