Interview with an Author: Angela Jackson-Brown

Our July guest author is Angela Jackson-Brown. Keep reading all the way through for a giveaway opportunity with her new book!

Angela Jackson-Brown is an award winning writer, poet and playwright who teaches Creative Writing and English at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. She is a graduate of Troy University, Auburn University and the Spalding low-residency MFA program in Creative Writing.

She is the author of the novel Drinking From A Bitter Cup and has published in numerous literary journals.  Angela’s play, Anna’s Wings, was selected in 2016 to be a part of the IndyFringe DivaFest and her play, Flossie Bailey Takes a Stand, was part of the Indiana Bicentennial Celebration at the Indiana Repertory Theatre.

She also wrote and produced the play It Is Well and she was the co-playwright with Ashya Thomas on a play called Black Lives Matter (Too). In the spring of 2018, Angela co-wrote a musical with her colleague, Peter Davis, called Dear Bobby: The Musical, that was part of the 2018 OnyxFest in Indianapolis, IN.

Her book of poetry called House Repairs was published by Negative Capability Press in the fall of 2018, and in the fall of 2019, she directed and produced a play she wrote called Still Singing Those Weary Blues. Her new novel, When Stars Rain Down, to be published by Thomas Nelson, an imprint of HarperCollins, is forthcoming in 2021.

Tell us a little about your writing journey. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I have dreamed about writing stories since I was first able to hold a crayon in my chubby little hands. I would write the words I knew how to spell and then I would get my daddy to write the “big words” in my head. I would put on elaborate shows with my baby dolls, creating alternate universes before I even knew that was what I was doing.

Was there a certain point you remember where you felt empowered to call yourself a writer? Or have you always felt like you were a writer?

I felt empowered to call myself a writer when I saw Maya Angelou’s face on the back of her book, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. Up until that point, I honestly didn’t know Black people wrote books. Yes, I was empowered by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books and Louisa May Alcott’s books, but those characters didn’t speak to my experiences as a little Black girl from rural Alabama.

When my first Black teacher, Mrs. Kennedy, showed me Dr. Angelou’s book, I felt free to be me and truly step into the idea that being a writer was a possibility for me.

So, for the longest time, I just thought my scribblings were strange or different and not reflective of what my reality could be. When my first Black teacher, Mrs. Kennedy, showed me Dr. Angelou’s book, I felt free to be me and truly step into the idea that being a writer was a possibility for me. After discovering Maya Angelou, I went on a quest to discover other Black writers like Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston, and the list goes on and on. All of these writers fed into my desire to write as well.

Where did your idea for your novel, Drinking from a Bitter Cup come from?

This novel was personal. Although it was fictional, so much of what the protagonist, Sylvia Butler, experienced, mirrored my own. This book was truly me “writing what I knew” as opposed to writing a story about someone whose life experiences were radically different than my own. I even set the story in places I knew like my hometown of Ariton, AL and surrounding towns like Ozark and Dothan. I felt safe writing about those places because they were so real to me.

What inspired your poetry collection House Repairs?

House Repairsis my autobiography in verse. Poetry, for me, has always centered around my pain, and in some cases, my happiness; but it always represented my emotions on steroids. So these poems span my lifetime. I don’t know if I will ever have another poetry collection because these poems seemed to tell everything I had in me to tell about my life experiences and my view on life in general.

Poetry, for me, has always centered around my pain, and in some cases, my happiness; but it always represented my emotions on steroids.

I wrote about being given up for adoption. I wrote about being adopted by a woman who didn’t ever truly “see me.” I wrote about a loveless marriage, and finding love for the first time. I wrote about my phenomenal son and about my journey to self-love and self-discovery. So, I ask myself, what is there left to say about Angela? It’s all in this book.

Describe your writing and/or creative process.

Because so much of my writing now revolves around contracts and deadlines, I try to be a very disciplined writer. I still find the pleasure in writing because with or without a contract, I would still write. But now that I know that writing is also my “business,” I have to treat it as such, which means I schedule my writing into my day and I keep my butt in the seat until I accomplish what needs to be accomplished for that day.

I write with an outline, which allows me to stay focused. I always start with the research…sometimes spending months getting to know my characters and researching the historical details I need to make my stories resonate with an audience.

What creative or procedural differences, if any, are there between working on a novel versus a poetry collection?

For me, my poetry has always been emotion driven. It is seldom that I can just sit down and write a poem. Usually something happens or some memory is triggered and as a result of that, I write. With the novels, I am far more tactical. I can get an idea, and then plan out. I still utilize emotions, obviously, but the emotions are far more in check with the novel writing than with the poetry writing.

Was there any research involved in your creative works? If so, could you tell us about how that occurred and how it was (or not) different from academic research?

There is always research involved in my writing. Whether it be about the current events taking place when my novel is set, or researching what clothes my characters would be writing, or what restaurants or department stores they might eat or shop at in the book. I always begin my process with research because it allows my stories to feel more real to me, which means they will feel more real to my readers.

I don’t know how any writer can write without doing an extensive amount of research. The research is what makes the stories real.

Academic writing for me has always felt a little distant or esoteric. Even as I did the research for academic papers, I never really felt connected to the research like I do when I am researching details for a short story or a novel or even for a historically based poem. I don’t know how any writer can write without doing an extensive amount of research. The research is what makes the stories real.

Describe your biggest writing obstacle(s) and how you overcame it.

I am my biggest writing obstacle. I know people talk a lot about “the muse” or “writer’s block” but I truly think those are constructs that writers come up with to absolve themselves from the fact that they are the ones who either jump start or stall their writing process. On the days when my writing is not working for me, I know it is usually because I didn’t do the work necessary to get myself into a good writing space.

Sometimes that means getting good rest or making sure my writing environment is conducive to good writing (clean desk, candles, no distractions, etc.). Other times it means I do the work ahead of time like outlining or free-writing so that I can actually connect with my characters on an intimate level.

Could you talk a little bit about the publishing process? How does it work, how long it typically takes, etc.

The publishing process is different for every project and really it depends on who your publisher happens to be. My first book, Drinking from a Bitter Cup, was published by a small publishing house called WiDo. They are a family owned publishing house and I was able to pitch my book project to them without an agent. I did not receive an advance from them and I was responsible for the marketing of my book. They handled the editing and distribution, but I had to be the one to make sure my book got the attention it needed.

The publishing process is different for every project and really it depends on who your publisher happens to be.

Likewise, when I published my book of poetry, I published with a small press called Negative Capability Press. They consisted of a handful of people,so again, I had to be responsible for getting out and promoting my book, which is the case with any publisher, but the larger the publishing house the more likely you will have financial support from them to promote your book in a significant way.

My upcoming novel is going to be published by Thomas Nelson, an imprint of HarperCollins. I was fortunate enough to get an advance that allowed me to go from teaching full-time to part-time for the next year or so. This is invaluable because it frees up my time to be able to give sustained attention to writing my next book and promoting the book coming out in the spring of next year. So, receiving an advance is one big difference but I also had a phenomenal agent this time around, Alice Speilburg, who fought for me, and because of her diligence, I can take some time to just focus on being a writer. 

Since you have published work in more than one genre, how do you decide which creative project to work on next?

Deadlines are driving me right now. I just submitted my revised draft of my next book to my editor at Thomas Nelson, and I am working on completing my second novel with them. AND I am working on a book proposal for a nonfiction book that my agent will be pitching in the next few months. But all of those projects are driven by deadlines. I have to finish things on time in order to keep up on all of these writing projects I am juggling.

What is the part of your published work(s) or writing process you are most proud of?

I am most proud of my drive. I deal with a lot of anxiety and depression, and yet I have found ways to write myself through and around both of those demons. I taught myself from an early age that my emotions are not the boss of me. Of course I have bad days, and of course there are days when the writing is not easy to access, but I never give up trying. I always strive to at least put one word on the page.

I taught myself from an early age that my emotions are not the boss of me.

My mentor/friend, Katy Yocom said, “Strive to write one sentence per day. That way you know you will always have an attainable goal.” That is what I do. Most days, I do much more than that, but if I don’t, I still know I had a good writing day. I think that is why I can write while in the midst of a panic attack. I can channel good energy when I need it. If I couldn’t do those things, I wouldn’t finish any of my projects.

Tell us a little bit about your forthcoming two-book series that was just announced? How exciting!

Thank you for asking. My next book is called When Stars Rain Down and my book after that is tentatively titled Political Choices. I am excited to work with the incredible HarperCollins team. It has been a dream come true so far. Both books involve characters from the fictional town of Parsons, Georgia. When Stars Rain Down is about a soon-to-be eighteen year old Black girl called Opal Pruitt. Through Opal’s eyes we get to see the racial disharmony and the sense of community that exists in Parsons.

The story is set in the summer of 1936 during a terrible drought. The lack of rain, the hot weather, the fiery tempers all culminate in a racist explosion that affects the Black and white community for generations to come. The second novel is still a work-in-progress but it involves one of the minor characters mentioned in When Stars Rain Down. It is a political drama and a love story. It also tries to address and acknowledge some of the racial disharmony referenced in When Stars Rain Down.

How do you typically promote your work and find your audience?

I have a strong presence on social media, so that is one way that I connect with my audience. Social media has become an invaluable tool for writers to reach audiences that before they may not have reached. Also, I depend on word of mouth. I actively seek out opportunities to speak or teach and then, there are wonderful people like you who give me a platform to share and talk about what I do. So to you, I say, thank you. We couldn’t do what we do without bloggers and other social media advocates.

Social media has become an invaluable tool for writers to reach audiences that before they may not have reached.

What do you want the world to know about you as an author?

I want them to know that I take the written word very seriously. I labor over every word, every phrase, every sentence, and every paragraph. I think about my readers and try to give them a story that will sit there in spirit long after they read the final page. If I can do that, then I know my writing was not done in vain.

What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to aspiring writers?

Write because you can’t imagine not writing. Writing for publication is a good goal, but your primary goal should be you write because it frees your soul.

To Enter the Giveaway

1. Pre-Order Angela's book, When Stars Rain Down here to be entered to win a $50 gift certificate at Irvington Vinyl & Books!

2. Sign up below to be entered to win FREE access to my brand new 8 week intensive writing program launching in September AND FREE 1:1 writing & creative confidence coaching from me!

If you would like to purchase Angela Jackson-Brown's novel, Drinking from a Bitter Cup, you can find a copy here.

If you would like to purchase Angela Jackson-Brown's poetry collection, House Repairs, you can find a copy here.

If you know an author (or of an author) you would love to read an interview with, email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com!