Bio
Best-selling author, Nancy J. Farrier, loves to write about characters who live in the Southwestern United States. She lives in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona. She loves the rich history of the Southwest and Western States. When she isn’t writing, Nancy loves spending time with her family, riding her bicycle, hiking, reading and doing needlecraft.
Author Q & A
Q: Where do you get your story ideas.
A: A great question that has many answers. I can hear a news story that will spark a “what if” inside me. What if that happened to a person also dealing with this difficulty? How would they handle the stress?
Or I hear a passing bit of conversation and fill in my own context. Or a story character, plot twist, or setting pops in my head and won’t leave. I begin to explore the concept and soon have a story line that works.
Here are a couple of examples:
An Ostrich a Day
I got the idea for this book when I accompanied my daughters on a school field trip to an ostrich ranch/farm in our area. I was so fascinated tha I made an appointment with the owner and returned to learn more in depth about raising ostriches. Some of the incidents in my book were based on the experiences of the owner. What a fun book to write.
The Ranchero’s Gift
The idea for The Ranchero’s Gift was born one Sunday morning when I visited a church. The Pastor told the story of Abraham Lincoln purchasing a slave woman and then setting her free. Instead of leaving and going her way, the woman wanted to go with Abraham Lincoln because he had given her the gift of freedom.
The Pastor then explored the idea of Jesus Christ purchasing us with His blood and then giving us our freedom. I couldn’t quit thinking about that freedom and how we react to being set free. I remember wanting to repay God as a new Christian so I incorporated some of that lesson into The Ranchero’s Gift.
Q: What does your writing day look like?
A: My normal day starts with getting out of bed, possibly the hardest activity I do. lol I straggle out to the kitchen and give treats to my waiting cats, sit a few minutes to let said cats have lap time, and then I let my dog, Jiá out of her kennel and feed her. Next up is a two mile walk with my husband and Jiá. A few days a week, I extend the walk to a few more miles through the hilly desert by our house.
When I return, I grab breakfast, coffee, and start my morning Bible reading as I eat. Then, it’s on to checking email, and doing a little of the business side of writing.
The mornings are for writing. I work on writing a chapter, developing my characters, research, etc. There is a lot of work that goes into writing a book, so I’m not simply writing, writing, writing. And, all my writing is done while I walk on a treadmill. I have an improvised desk and keep the pace slower so I can type and walk at the same time. Is that like walking and chewing gum?
My afternoons are for editing and other parts of the business end of writing, although if I’m on deadline, the writing can flow over into the afternoon. This is also the time when I check any emails that weren’t considered crucial in the morning. Sometimes I listen to a work related podcast or webinar. A writer always has something more to learn.
In the evening, my husband and I watch a little television, while I do some sort of needlework. Of course, there are times, he’s watching tv while I’m on my computer finishing up some work that didn’t get done during the day. I end the day by listening to an audiobook while I do needlework, or I read. Reading is my superpower. I read a lot of books during the year.