Frequently Asked Questions of Loletta Clouse

Do you write every day?
I don't work on weekends, now that I have retired from the library. I used to get up before work and write and early on the weekends before my husband and son got up. Now, I have a routine of writing in the mornings for two to four hours. My brain tends to show up if I discipline myself to a routine. If the writing is going well, I will take a break and work more in the afternoon.

Do you always know the end before you write it?
I never know the end before I write it. I don’t outline my books. The story develops organically from my research. I have an historic framework and I weave my characters stories through those events. Wilder is the only book where I wrote a misstep chapter, threw it out and changed the direction of the characters lives. Once my characters start to develop they take on a life of their own and tend to direct the story. The ending to Mallie came as something of a surprise to me. In Rainbow by Moonlight, I knew several chapters ahead how I was going to end it.

SPOILER ALERT - You may not want to read the next question unless you have read the books.

The endings of your books are always unexpected. Do you do that deliberately?
Obviously not, if I don’t know how the book will end until I write it. I write the ending that seems dictated by the characters and the story itself. I am always surprised when people are upset by the endings of my books. I consider them to be realistic in the sense that life is quite real. I have had some readers get quite angry when my books don’t end the way they expected.

Which of your books is your favorite?
Whenever I am asked this, I always hesitate because I only see the problems with each book. The thing about writing is there is never a moment when the course is over and you graduate. Every time I write a book, I wish it could be better. That said I appreciate Wilder because it was my first born and I had such passion for the subject. I have received so many emails and letters from people who had family in the coal mines. They found the book to be true and real and so much their own story no matter where they lived. I love The Homesteads because my grandparents were original Homesteaders and I am close to that story. Mallie was the easiest book to write. All the nature scenes were like taking a hike everyday while at my computer. Rainbow by Moonlight was the misbehaving child. I wanted to love it because it was mine but at times I had trouble liking it. Looking back it is hard to explain why we fought so much.

How long does it take to write a book?
One year. I don't know why it takes me the same amount of time but that is the way it has worked out each book. I spend about six weeks on the basic research. Then I select major historic events I want to include. I pick my main character and decide what personality she will have. Then I set the character in motion and the story and other characters develop around my main character.

Your main character is always a woman. Do you put any of yourself in your main character?
I am not my characters and I don’t intentionally model them after me. They are far more interesting than I could ever be. Lacey is very traditional and duty bound. Mallie is wounded because of what she feels is her father’s betrayal. Claire is determined and willful something I have been accused of being. In every case, I had to be alert to the historic social and cultural restrictions under which these women live their lives. Also, Claire grew up in a time of great social change, the Progressive Era. I grew up in the 1960’s.

Does anyone read your books while you're in the process of writing them?
My husband reads the pages as I write them. He has always been supportive of my writing. I don’t let anyone else read it until the final draft is finished. Then I let a few select and trusted friends read it. I take their comments and incorporate them into the next draft. Then I read it again and again reworking it a little each time. When people ask me how many times I rewrite, I say until I can’t stand the sight of it.

Where do your ideas come from?
Of course, Wilder and The Homesteads came from my own family stories. Mallie came from a hike in the Smokies. Rainbow by Moonlight came from reading an article in the local newspaper about the University of Tennessee digitizing the Arrowmont records. Tennessee has so many fascinating stories.

How do you do your research?
Meticulously. I want to be as historically correct as possible. I want readers to be able to learn something about Tennessee history at the same time they get a good story. I interview people and talk to experts if possible. After all, my books are about things I am not likely to actually do like logging, coal mining and farming. They take place in a time and place in which I did not live, so I have to do a lot of research. Fortunately, I spent my career as a librarian. I enjoy the research part very much.

Who are your favorite authors?
I enjoy Lee Smith, Silas House, Barbara Kingsolver, Geraldine Brooks, Ann Patchett. I need to be reading a book at all times. It is like breathing.

Do you feel limited by writing historical fiction?
I have tried to write other types of fiction, but it was not as much fun. The happiest day of my life was when I realized that this was what I was meant to write. My family background, my career as a librarian, my interest in history have all come together to make this possible. And beside, there are endless stories just waiting to be written.

Do you draw upon your own experiences with family and friends as you create characters and plots?
Let's just say I am the world's greatest human tape recorder. Tell me something and it's likely to end up in a character's mouth. I am always looking at people and recording their facial expressions and speech patterns. Tell me a story and see what happens. My uncle told me a story when I was ten years old about a man dying on the railroad tracks in Wilder. He had a pearl handled knife and a drink bottle full of moonshine - this story found itself in Wilder. My aunt told me a story about a woman whose husband made her cook pinto beans everyday of her life - this ended up in Mallie. And my brother’s friend told the story of a corn cob fight they had as kids - this story landed on the pages of Rainbow by Moonlight.