Interview With...AUTHOR NORAH PRITCHARD!

Hello, CW Members! Today, marks the ONE-MONTH ANNIVERSARY of CollectivelyWrite.com! In recognition of the occasion, I have the delight of introducing NORAH PRITCHARD, Author of If You Were Mine, Maybe Someday with You, The Other side of Forever and Dinnertime. 

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Hi Norah! I’m so excited that you’re our first author to be interviewed on CollectivelyWrite.com! Thank you for having agreed to share your experiences as a published author with our members.

 

First, the educator in me is always fascinated with everyone’s backstory, to wit: How does a person arrive at his or her place in the world? 

 

Where were you born and raised? 

Hi, Rachelle! Thank you for this opportunity to talk about one of my favorite subjects in the world! I was born and raised in Henrietta, New York. Fun tidbit: my husband of 18 years, Tom, was also born and raised in Henrietta, and we went to the same middle and high schools, although we didn’t start dating until just after graduating from college.

 

Do you have siblings? 

I do! I have 2 older, lovely sisters. 

 

Were you an early talker? 

Yes, just like my own daughter. Being the youngest of three, all females, we were and are a very verbal family from early on. 

 

How do you think your teachers would have described you in their classrooms? 

As much as I talked at home, at school I was a little more circumspect. :) My teachers probably would have described me as being quiet, with my nose in a book, always. 

 

Ah, so kind of like “Belle” in Beauty and the Beast, then! 

 

Did you have a favorite genre? 

Perfect segue - I was an English literature major for my undergrad degree, so while I’ve read extensively in all genres, romance is my happy place, most often historical romance. My mom is a romance reader, and I found her stash of romance paperbacks early and never looked back. 

 

Omigoodness! I LOVE THAT!!

And did that change as you aged? 

Nope :) 

 

A youngster who knew her mind early, I see!!

 

What did you do extra-curricularly in middle and high school – an instrument, sports, plays, yearbook, school newspaper? 

I wasn’t very involved in traditional extracurricular activities. I was the kid who was always reading, and that’s really what shaped my interests early on. I also graduated from an alternative high school, which gave me a more individualized and nontraditional educational experience. Looking back, that independent focus helped build the foundation for my work in writing and teaching.

 

Oh wow! That’s an important perk.

 

What college did you attend, and how did you choose it? 

I went to Nazareth University, where I earned my Bachelor of Arts in English literature, and then my Master’s in Secondary Education. I chose Nazareth because it felt like the right fit for me with a strong education program, a smaller, gorgeous Gothic campus, and a really supportive environment.

 

It could still be described that way today, too. It’s one of our area’s finest collegiate gems.

 

So, after college, where did life take you? 

After college, I jumped right into teaching and spent several years teaching English in middle and high school classrooms. Over time, I found my way into instructional coaching and eventually into teaching at the college level. Somewhere in the middle of all those busy years, Tom and I got married and started our family.

Looking back, the writing piece really started while I was on maternity leave with my youngest. I was home, cooking for my family, using and updating my mom and grandma’s recipes for my own family, and I began sharing that process online. I truly didn’t think anyone beyond my own mom would read it, so I named the blog after the street we lived on at the time - Willowcrest.

Ohhh! Gotcha!

When things unexpectedly took off, and I eventually transitioned into writing romance, I kept that thread. I named my publishing company Willowcrest Lane Publishing as a small nod to where it all began.

Perfect!

And now, in addition to being a wife, mother-of-three and college professor, you’re also a published romance novelist and cookbook author (I just love that combination, btw: nourishment for the heart; nourishment for the body.) How did you take the leap into writing, and what was that process like? 

Writing has always been a goal of mine. When I wasn’t reading as a kid, I had a notebook filled with story ideas and character sketches, so when life finally slowed down, or at least shifted enough to make space for it, I was ready.

Now THAT is smart thinking!!

I started small, writing blog posts about family traditions and lifestyle content, and eventually moved into food - sharing recipes alongside the stories behind them. It was such a fun, low-pressure creative outlet while I was home with my three kids.

As the blog grew and started reaching people all over the world, that little maternity leave hobby turned into a traditional cookbook deal. The day I got the offer still makes me laugh because I was convinced it was a scam. I actually sent it to my lawyer to review because Tom and I both thought it was too good to be true.

Wow!! I can understand why you’d react like that. We all know that adage, after all, about “if it seems too good to be true…”

But it was real, and it changed everything for us. I wrote that cookbook during the early pandemic years with all three kids at home, testing every recipe with the most brutally honest critics I could ask for.

HAHAHA!! Yes, but that’s why they’re the BEST, too! For something like that, you NEED brutal honesty!!

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, I found myself coming back to those stories I used to write as a kid. That’s when I started writing romance, and it all just clicked. It felt like coming home to something I’d been circling around for a long time.

I absolutely love this backstory!!

Did you plan on doing your romance novels as a series right from the beginning? 

As a longtime romance reader, I know how much I love getting lost in a series – being able to stay in a world and binge multiple love stories (Bridgerton, Gilmore Girls… yes, please). So from the start, I had a loose plan to follow a family of sisters as they each find their happily ever after in the fictional town of Northfield, NY, which is loosely inspired by the charming small town I live in now.

For me, series are where readers really get to settle in and fully experience the stories I’m creating. You’re not just falling in love with the characters, but with the town itself, the friendships, the nosy-but-well-meaning neighbors, Main Street, it all starts to feel like a character of its own.

I don’t see myself leaving Northfield anytime soon. The characters keep talking, and I’m more than happy to keep listening as long as they do.

 

Are your characters based on people you’ve met? An amalgam of lots of people? Totally and exclusively from your imagination?

This is always a fun question because I know my friends and family are reading and wondering if they’ve made it into a book somewhere. The answer is… yes, yes, and yes.

Really? Oooh! Hey, any shoe-loving voice/flute/piano teachers moving to Northfield in the future?

You have absolutely been “noted” and will be appearing!

Gulp!

I usually start with a general character archetype to get a feel for the main characters, and then I layer in details from real life. Little things I overhear in coffee shops, moments I catch out in the world, snippets of conversation that are just too good not to use. If I hear a great line of dialogue, I will absolutely pull out my phone on the spot and drop it into my notes app for later.

Note to self: Always watch for Norah pulling her phone out during an end-of-piano-lesson schmoozefest…

There’s inspiration everywhere if you’re paying attention. An old building that feels like the perfect place for a secret tryst, a farmers’ market where two dogs get their leashes tangled, and suddenly you have a meet-cute… you get the idea. I’m constantly collecting those little moments as inspiration. Thinking up story ideas is one of my favorite parts of writing.

What is your writing process like? Are you a “planner” or a “pantser?”

Oh, a planner all the way. I start by outlining the major story beats, then build that into an extended outline of the chapters, which can get pretty detailed - sometimes up to thirty thousand words on its own. From there, I create character sketches and timelines before I start drafting.

Have you ever co-written a book or an article? I ask that because another writer-friend and I did that a couple years ago, and she was a “pantser” while I’m exactly like you: all my duckies in a row before I start. So, adapting to her style was a real adjustment for me.

I have not, and I think I would feel the same as far as adapting to such different styles. Sometimes I wish I could write like a pantser, but I have to “see” the whole story like a movie in my head before I write.

Lately, I’ve been dictating the majority of my books, which helps me keep the emotional momentum going without overthinking it. Having that fully fleshed-out outline lets me write quickly without stopping to figure out what happens next. No more staring blankly out my window this way.

What was the most crucial writing lesson you learned? 

One of my favorite quotes I’ve read is, ‘You can’t edit a blank page.’

Oooh! That’s a good one!

That stuck with me, and I come back to it all the time. It’s so easy to get caught up in trying to make everything perfect from the start, but the most important thing is just getting something down on the page. Even if it’s messy or not quite right, you can always go back and shape it into something better later.

Do you have a literary agent? 

No, my romance books are self-published. 

 

How did you find your way to Willowcrest Lane Publishing? 

Willowcrest Lane Publishing actually grew very naturally out of everything I was already doing. When my blog started gaining traction and I moved into publishing my cookbook, I got a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing process and realized how much I loved not just the writing, but the marketing, creative control, and the business side of it as well.

When I started writing romance, I knew I wanted the flexibility to tell the kinds of stories I love, on my own timeline, and build something that felt like mine from the ground up. Creating Willowcrest Lane Publishing gave me the freedom to do that.

The name itself is a little nod to where it all began–my first blog, which I named after the street we lived on at the time. What started as a small, personal project has grown into something I’m so proud of, and it’s been really exciting to see it evolve.

Do you see it ever taking off to the point where you would be a publisher for other writers?

A romance imprint would be incredible someday, but for right now, I have my hands full just publishing my own books. 

What did you learn from your first foray into the publishing world? 

I learned very quickly that writing the book is just the beginning! There’s an entire world behind the scenes, editing, design, marketing, timelines, and all of it matters just as much if you want the book to find its readers. 

I also learned to trust my instincts. There’s a lot of advice out there, and while so much of it is helpful, not all of it will fit you or the kind of books you want to write. Figuring out what to take in and what to let go of was a big part of the learning curve because I’ve spent plenty of hours worrying about things that don’t really matter in the run. Trust yourself.  

And maybe most importantly, I learned that you don’t have to have it all figured out to begin. You learn by doing. Just write and be gentle with yourself. Each book gets a little easier and more aligned with the kind of writer and publisher you want to be.

That seems like such excellent advice. I bet it takes a lot of the stress off for the people who are reading this interview and taking notes.

 

Now that you know more, is there anything you would have changed if do-overs were possible? 

 

There are definitely things I would do differently now, mostly on the business and marketing side now that I know what the best use of my time and money are, but I think making those mistakes early on was part of the process. It’s how I learned what works for me and what doesn’t. 

So no real regrets, just a lot of learning and a willingness to mess up and try again.

Anything specific, or is it more like “It’s kind of a moot point because no two self-publishing experiences would be the same?”

My first book had a shoestring budget for editing and the cover before I knew better, which was a mistake. I ended up having it re-edited and updated the cover a few months after it was published, thus spending twice as much. I quickly learned that editing and covers are the two most important things to spend money on if you want a successful book. 

What is the title of your next book, and when can we look forward to being able to purchase it? 

Be Your Everything, book four in the Northfield series, is coming out this summer! It’s a steamy librarian-meets-rake small-town romance with a fun ‘teach me’ dynamic, plenty of opposites-attract tension, and a slow burn that builds into something deeply emotional and satisfying.

It will be available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and signed copies will also be available at select local bookstores.

For updates, release details, and a few behind-the-scenes extras, you can follow me on social media or sign up for my newsletter!

 

Sign up for Norah’s newsletter here: https://norah-pritchard.kit.com/46ccf58068

Follow her Amazon author page for information on her new releases: https://www.amazon.com/author/norahpritchard

 

What is your most important nugget to share with us today? 

My biggest piece of advice is to build a consistent writing habit and not wait for inspiration to show up first. Even if it’s just a few hundred words, those small, steady sessions add up over time and eventually turn into a completed book.

Also, don’t get stuck trying to make a perfect rough draft. Get the story down, then go back and shape it. Writing and revising are two different skills, and giving yourself permission to separate them makes the whole process so much more manageable…and more fun!

 

Thank you again, Norah, for this wonderful snapshot of your life and career. You are a PERFECT inaugural author for us, and have been most generous while also setting the bar very high for every successive author! We’ll be looking forward to all your upcoming ventures.

 

*** MEMBERS: For the next week, please post any questions you might have for Norah, and she will answer them all!