Happy February, everyone! It’s been icy the last couple days here, so we’re hunkering down and enjoying the excuse not to go anywhere. Hope wherever you are that the weather’s cooperating, at least to some degree!
My guest today is my awesome friend Katie Powner, who writes contemporary fiction and thought-provoking blog posts, rocks the mom life, and has a thing for red shoes. 😉
Welcome, Katie!
Thanks for having me!
What inspired you to start writing?
On one hand, I can’t answer this question, because I can’t remember. I’ve always been a writer from as far back as I have memories. On the other hand, if I focus on my novel writing in particular, I was inspired to start writing by a scene in my head that wouldn’t go away. It was a scene closely linked to my own past and to a story I’d wanted to write for a long time that I thought would have to wait until my kids were grown up. But the scene demanded to be written and turned into a full-length novel. Then four more novels followed.
What does your writing routine look like, if you have one? What obstacles or challenges do you face in making time to write?
As a foster mom, my writing routine varies depending on which kids are currently in my home. My writing routine also depends on the season…whether my kids are in school or on vacation, whether my husband is coaching basketball, whether it’s the holidays.
As far as what obstacles or challenges I face in making time to write, see above! In addition to mom-related challenges, I also face the physical challenge of having “bad wrists.” Typing and scrolling with a mouse can exacerbate pain in my wrists and sometimes cause me to need braces. This condition can slow me down and sometimes force me to take extended computer breaks.
Looking back on your writing journey to this point, what’s one important thing God has taught you? What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger Writer Self?
God has taught me that He has a plan and I don’t need to know what it is. He has asked me to just take one day at a time, one step at a time, and leave the big picture up to Him. It’s really not any of my business.
I don’t think I would give my younger Writer Self any advice. The mistakes I’ve made needed to be made to teach me specific things, and I don’t actually have any regrets at this point looking back at my journey. But ask me again in another five years, and we’ll see!
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Mom stuff. House stuff. Ministry stuff (my husband’s in full-time ministry). Lots of walking on the treadmill. Lots of reading books.
If you could have coffee/tea/gratuitous amounts of carbs with any author(s), living or dead, who would you choose? What would you talk about?
I do not drink coffee or tea, but I would take those carbs in the form of cinnamon rolls and eat them with Dale Cramer, my favorite contemporary author. We would talk about drawing from personal experience when writing and finding the balance between fiction and putting your life on the page. And I would ask him for an endorsement. J
What is the best book you’ve read recently, and why?
Oh for crying out loud. This is like asking which of the brownies from the plate was the best. All of Dale Cramer’s books are my favorites, but if I had to choose just from the most recent books I’ve read, I would say Long Way Gone by Charles Martin. The voice was so interesting and unique, and I loved the story so much that when I finished the book, I flipped back to the beginning and started it over.
How can we pray for you?
I’m so thankful for this question. I think my main prayer request is for the strength and patience to take everything—motherhood, writing, being a wife, ministering—one day at a time. It’s easy to look ahead, plan ahead, forge ahead. But I want to be content right where I’m at today.
Meet Katie:
Katie Powner is an award-winning author and mom to the third power (biological, adoptive, and foster). She loves red shoes, candy, and Jesus—not necessarily in that order. Her awesome agent is Keely Boeving from WordServe Literary, and you can find her blog and other interesting things at www.katiepowner.com. For every new person who signs up for her newsletter, she will donate $2 to the Rehoboth Children’s Home in the Philippines. You can also connect with Katie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.