Best Selling Author-Liz Curtis Higgs

 

WELCOME Liz,

Can you share a little about your recent book?

With joy! I asked more than a thousand women to share their favorite verse—the one that inspires, encourages, and strengthens them, day in and day out. The result is 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart, releasing October 18. It offers a deeper, richer understanding of thirty-one treasured verses, a fresh look at how these timeless truths can impact our lives, and thirty-one creative ways to keep them in our hearts forever. I’m beyond excited about this one!

 Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?

I write because I love the Lord and His Word and am compelled to share His beauty with women of all ages and at all stages of their Christian walk. God’s love for us and His gift of grace are at the heart of every book I write. Because He redeemed my life from the pit, I want women to know it’s never too late to turn back to the One who created them and loves them completely.

 How long have you been writing? And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract?

“One Size Fits All” and Other Fables, now long out-of-print, released in 1993 with Thomas Nelson. Before that, I spent a year or two reaching out to publishers with queries and sample chapters, but I didn’t move forward until a kind friend told an editor about my speaking platform (at the time I was speaking about 120 events a year). A 3-book contract followed shortly thereafter, and I’ve had multiple contracts ever since. (I seldom share this at writers conferences, or the whole audience groans!)

The truth is, all of the above has little to do with my efforts. God is the One who opens and closes doors. He calls us to do our part—to work at our craft, to hone our skills, to do our homework—but in the end, He alone writes our books and He alone gets the glory.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Too long! That’s what my editor would say for sure. I am not a fast writer. Each book takes about a year, from conception to research to writing to editing to typesetting.

 What’s your writing work schedule like?

For the first draft, I schedule about 80 full writing days—days on which nothing else happens. No haircuts, no lunches with friends, no doctor appointments. I start writing after breakfast and go more or less full-tilt until 9pm.

In the early stages of a book, I’m happy if I hit 1,000 polished words a day. Midway through, I need to be clocking 1,500 a day, and in the final chapters, more like 2,000 a day. My nonfiction books are roughly 50-70,000 words long, my historical novels are 130-160,000 words.

 Do you have an interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it?

I write better with cats. My two tabbies, Samson and Boaz, spend most of my writing days in my study, draped across my desk or curled up in a nearby chair.

 What has been your greatest joy in your writing career?

For me, receiving letters and emails from readers who’ve been drawn closer to God is the best part of being a writer. No glowing reviews, no awards, and certainly no royalty checks can compare to knowing that the words God poured into your heart have touched another person and impacted her life in some way. Pure joy.

What has been your darkest moment?

I’ve had a dark moment with every book I’ve written. Somewhere in the second half of the manuscript, I decide the whole things is horrid, and I lose all hope of finishing. I put aside the manuscript and pray like a madwoman until the Lord restores my joy in the project, shows me what needs fixing, and I dive back in.

 Which of your books is your favorite?

You know, of course, that’s like asking a mother which one of her children is her favorite! It’s even harder to choose now that I’ve just finished my thirty-fifth book.

Among my children’s books, The Pine Tree Parable is my favorite (don’t tell the other books in the series!). Of my nonfiction books, Embrace Grace and The Girl’s Still Got It are especially dear to my heart. And of my novels, Whence Came a Prince is the one that stretched me the farthest and taught me the most.

Who is your favorite author to read?

That’s an even harder question! Can I go by genre? Favorite children’s book is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. Favorite nonfiction is Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. And favorite Christian novel is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. Their skill extends far beyond just those titles. Reading anything by L’Engle, Lewis, or Rivers is time well spent.

What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you would have listened to?

Be patient. A writing career takes time to grow, and most of it happens when no one is looking. Reach out to other writers to learn from them and to support them. Don’t be seduced by fame or money. Both elude most writers, and last for a very short time. Write because God has equipped you and compelled you.

What encouragement would you give an aspiring writer?

Read. Write. Listen. Refine.

Read the very best books, studying each writer’s style and letting the content seep into your soul. Read outside of your genre—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children’s literature. Read time-tested classics as well as contemporary bestsellers. Read books about the craft of writing. Above all, read Scripture.

Write every day. Have several works in progress, so when you lose momentum with one, you can hop over to something else. Journal writing can help you discover your true voice, and may provide content for future projects. When you’re ready to share your words with others, a blog is the best way I know to hone your writing skills in a public setting. Write devotionals, articles, guest posts, short stories—whatever will keep your mind, heart, and hands engaged.

Listen to your heart and seek direction from God’s Word. It’s easy to be swayed by what the marketplace says will sell or what others think you should write. Dig down deep. Write about the things that are the hardest for you to write about. The places where you’ve been hurt, the wounds that are still healing, the questions for which you’re seeking answers. God will show you those places and offer words of comfort, encouragement, and direction for you and for your readers. Trust Him.

Refine your efforts by learning the fine art of rewriting and self-editing. Allow your writing projects to get cold, leaving them untouched for weeks. When you return to them, you’ll see your work through fresh eyes and know what needs changing. Working from a hard copy, cover each page with notes and ideas, then transfer the best corrections and additions to your electronic file. A week later, do it all again. Good writing is mostly about rewriting. Embrace the process.

Liz Curtis Higgs has one goal: to help women embrace the grace of God with joy and abandon. She’s the author of 35 books with 4.6 million copies in print, including Bad Girls of the Bible, It’s Good to Be Queen, and her Scottish historical novels, Here Burns My Candle and Mine Is the Night, a New York Times bestseller. Liz has spoken for 1,700 women’s conferences in all 50 states and 14 foreign countries, bringing messages that are biblical, encouraging, down-to-earth, and profoundly funny.

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