Interview with Tristi Pinkston on 9-3-03

Marsha: My guest for this interview is author Tristi Pinkston, whose first novel for the LDS market, Nothing to Regret, was published in November, 2002, by Granite Publishing. Tristi, I'm so happy to be able to interview you. How did you get started writing?

Tristi: I've been writing ever since I was five, and I started by drawing pictures on the top half of a page and then telling segments of the story along the bottom. I've wanted to be a writer my whole life, as long as I can remember.

Marsha: I know this will sound repetitous, but I don't mean it to be. I guess what I mean is how long have you been writing to get published?

Tristi: I'm going to answer this in terms of "how long have I been writing anything that's actually good?" Four years. Before then it was depressing poetry and fantasy stories.

Marsha: When did you first know you were a writer?

Tristi: I've always felt, deep down, that this is something I could do, but it wasn't until July of 1999 that I realized that my dream could actually come true.

Marsha: How did that come about?

Tristi: It was the weekend of my grandmother's funeral, in July of 1999. I had a strange dream about being a spy during World War Two over in Japan, as a man, yet. The idea stuck with me and I realized that it would make a wonderful book, and one that would sell. I believe my grandmother nudged me along from the other side. It is this dream that is the root for my book, Nothing to Regret.

Marsha: That is an awesome inspiration! What, then, were your first steps into getting that book published?

Tristi: First, I had to figure out how to make my manuscript look professional, and then I got addresses for several different publishers by going to the library, and pulling many books off the shelf to see who the publisher was.

Marsha: Okay, who ended up being your publisher? And what kind of book is it?

Tristi: I went with Granite Publishing for Nothing to Regret, which is an LDS historical fiction novel.

Marsha: What types of writing do you most like to do, and why?

Tristi: I really enjoy historical fiction. I like digging into the roots of why things happened in our history, and imagining how the people of that era might have reacted to their situations. In the meanwhile, I learn so much myself. There are aspects that I never learned before that have made themselves known to me, and I feel that all my research, even thoughI don't use it all in my books, enriches me and makes me more complete as a person.

Marsha: I like that perspective. What was it about your genre that interested you enough to choose to write in it and not in another genre?

Tristi: I want to tell stories that really matter, stories of faith and courage. Historical fiction is a great vehicle for that; the reader can learn about their roots while they are entertained by a good story. The only problem is that it can be difficult to take into account all the elements of what really happened while you are writing; it's hard to know what you mightbe leaving out. I've had a few readers point things out to me that are incorrect, which I appreciate because I want my books to be as accurate as possible, but there have been a few things that I haven't been able to change, and that's where the blessed option of artistic license comes in.

Marsha: [Laughs] What sparks a story?

Tristi: Dreams, a flash of inspiration, a phrase or comment made by someone. When it's going to turn into a story, I always sense the significance of what I'm hearing or seeing.

Marsha: Kind of that psychic writer's sense, I guess. What type of writer are you? Do you plan ahead, or plot, or do you simply dive in?

Tristi: I usually have an idea where I'm going, and if the plot is complicated, I'll sketch it out. But there are always twists and turns along the way that I didn't anticipate, so I guess I'm a mixture of both methods.

Marsha: A lot of writers mix it up. Do you start writing with names, characters, a title, phrases?

Tristi: It usually starts with the kernel of a plot. Then I pick out character names. To do this I sometimes rely on the baby name books at the library; they're a great resource. The title comes last, and it has to really be a good one. I'm a big one for perfect titles and I've been known to agonize for weeks before coming up with one that really sizzles.

Marsha: The quintessential perfectionist! How many words or pages do you aim for each day?

Tristi: Usually whatever I can fit in to my schedule!

Marsha: Do you write best at a certain time of the day?

Tristi: I take whatever I can get and do my best, then usually go back and edit later!

Marsha: What type of writing schedule do you have?

Tristi: I'm a stay-at-home mom of three kids, do wedding flowers from my home, homeschool, and I'm a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I also work in the nursery at church. My husband holds down a full time job, does pest control on weekends, and runs his own fax and printer repair business. So, the only time I have to write is in the middle of the night! It leads to sleep deprivation and many funny sentences written with tired fingers that have to be edited later, but it's really the only time I have and I'll take what I can get.

Marsha: Whew! A true night writer! How do you handle life interruptions?

Tristi: With tears, fit throwing—no, I'm just kidding. Life is what's real, and it always comes first. My books are secondary and if they have to wait, they do.

Marsha: Do you get blocked? Any hints how to stave it off?

Tristi: I do get blocked sometimes, and it drives me nuts. I haven't found any hints from keeping that from happening, but I do find that if I get away from the computer and just sit back and think, I can usually envision a way to get out of it. Sometimes it takes days, but those are the times when I find that I've been pushing myself too hard and needed a break anyway.

Marsha: That's good advice. I'll have to take it. What one thing do you like most about writing? Least?

Tristi: The thing I like most is knowing that I can reach out to other people and lift them up through something I've written. What do I like least? Finding out after a book's in print that I've made a mistake in accuracy, and also, sitting too long! Ouch!

Marsha: [Groans] So true! Has your writing changed from when you began?

Tristi: Oh, yes! I've learned so much through the whole publication process. Now I'm having to edit less; more of what I write in the first place is publishable.

Marsha: Isn't it wonderful how that happens? What's the best advice you ever received?

Tristi: To write in a way that feels right to me, to not write to a certain expectation or what I think people want to read. If it's not true to myself, it's not worth anything.

Marsha: What advice would you offer to someone just starting out as a writer?

Tristi: They always say, "Write what you know." Well, what do I know about being a man during World War Two? Nothing! I say, write something you feel passionate about. When you have the passion, you can use it to research, to learn, and to gain the knowledge you need to write. The passion's got tobe there; it's what keeps you going when you get a rejection or a bad review.

Marsha: You have a marvelous attitude! Who are your favorite authors? Which ones are your role models or inspirations?

Tristi: How can I even answer this? I'm a voracious reader, and it's so hard to single out my favorites! I go through 10-30 books a month. Let me just say, I most enjoy books with good writing, entertaining plots, and some sort of knowledge to be gained in the reading. I don't know if I have role models, necessarily. I think I've taken bits and pieces from my reading and made it my own. As far as I can tell, I haven't patterned myself after anyone.

Marsha: What are some ways you promote your books? In other words, what kind of publicity do you do to attract readers?

Tristi: I've done book signings, I've gone on the internet and e-mailed bookstores with a flyer of my book, I spoke at a book club last week and would love to do so again, and I spoke at my ward's Enrichment night. I am available for Enrichment in other wards, as well as book clubs, etc. in the Utah Valley area, where I live.

Marsha: Why did you write Nothing to Regret?

Tristi: It's what the Lord wanted me to do.

Marsha: Have you won recognitions for your work?

Tristi: Not yet, but I'm sure hoping to in the future!

Marsha: What have you always dreamed of writing, but haven't yet?

Tristi: A book for teenagers on coping with their parents' divorce, written in a way as to validate their feelings.

Marsha: What is your next project?

Tristi: I've written a book called Strength to Endure, about World War Two from a German perspective, which is at my publisher right now, and I'll have a more specific date as to its publication soon. I just finished my first contemporary book, which is a suspense, called Faith Beyond Fear . Next on my agenda is the sequel to Nothing to Regret, which is called Forgive, Not Forget. It will be finished sometime this winter.

Marsha: You certainly have a good outlook and a lot of wisdom about your life and your writing, Tristi. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me.

Tristi: Thanks for giving me the chance to do this!

Tristi's website in under construction, but will be self-named.