Author Q and A: Jennifer Withers – Gloam
Our Author Q and A series celebrates All About Writing community members. We hope this blog will help motivate you to get to the finish line, offer support to the authors (please buy their books!) and provide tips and tricks about the writing and publishing process.
This week we showcase indie author Jennifer Withers who has just published her second book, Gloam. Here’s part one of our Q&A:
1. Where did the idea for Gloam come from?
From a video game, actually, called Cyberpunk 2077. My main character, Harlow, was inspired by the main character of the game, whose name is simply V. The city you play in, called Night City, inspired the setting of Gloam, as well.
2. Who/what were some of your biggest inspirations for your book?
Funnily enough, I get a lot of my inspiration from both movies (and/or series) and, as mentioned, video games. I love how in film, there is the advantage of being able to show emotion, and evoke tension, by visually focusing on a detail – the actor’s face, a road sign, the sight of a broken wine glass. All of this has to be described in books, and less is more, as most writers know, which makes our job more difficult.
With video games, I love the kind of games which evolve as you play – Cyberpunk, for example, has half a dozen different endings – all based on the decisions you made for your character, and the choices you made. A bit like life.
3. Is Gloam a natural progression from The War Between?
Not in the sense of the stories being linked, no. In the sense of me writing about something personal in my life, yes.The War Between was my expression of how humans always distrust what is unknown, and with Gloam, I was exploring what it’s like when you lose a loved one. How that experience changes you. I lost my father in 2021, and writing about Harlow’s grief over her own father’s loss was an act of catharsis.
4. How long did this book gestate for/how long did it take you to write it?
I started working on brainstorming ideas for it in July of 2022, at the writing retreat in Barrydale, actually. The main idea of the story had been on my mind since 2020, when I played Cyberpunk for the first time. I completed Gloam in May, 2024.
5. Tell us a bit about your writing process? Plotter or pantster?
A pantser, for sure, often to my own detriment! I find planning too difficult, especially since some of my best ideas have come from doing what I call discovery writing – where I have the basic idea of the scene, and then I write, letting things flow without thinking too much about them. It does get me into trouble sometimes, and creates plot holes that wouldn’t be there otherwise, but planning, for me, stifles the creativity that comes from free writing. I do use a software program called Plottr though, which is exactly what it sounds like – a tool to help you plot. I use it mainly to keep all my ideas around characters, plot, setting and themes in one place. It’s a very handy tool – one which I wish I’d discovered earlier.
6. How did you go about developing your main character and bringing her to life?
I think of her main attributes first – what really defines her? In the case of Gloam, Harlow was defined by her family, by their love and loyalty to each other. Then I flesh her out a bit more – what does she do for a living? Where is her home? Does she own a dog? I think about her strengths and weaknesses and give her a goal – one which she pursues through the entire book. She also needs to have one really big flaw, which skews her world view, and the reason behind many of her choices and reactions.
7. What were your biggest challenges in the writing process?
I’m a huge procrastinator. I try to write every weekday, and at the time of writing Gloam, my word count was a minimum of 500 words a day, which isn’t much to some, but for me, it was purely about consistency. I then did a big push of 50 000 words during Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) to complete my first draft. Consistency is always the thing I struggle most with.
8. How did the book change from the initial idea to the final product and what surprised you about how the story unfolded as you wrote it?
Originally, Gloam was going to center around Harlow, Carter (the disgraced cop, turned PI character in the story) and the killer as point of view characters. I then removed Carter as a point of view character and put slightly less work into his development than what I would’ve otherwise. What surprised me about the story was how Harlow developed – I had other ideas for the ending, and for who she would be at the end, but she surprised me with her own.
9. What are your three top tips for writers?
- Consistency (big surprise there). Even if consistency means 100 words a day. Or 1000 words a week. Consistency in your writing will get it done, even if it’s at a slower pace.
- Never stop learning the craft – there’s always room for improvement. I constantly go on seminars, retreats, workshops and take free classes, as much as I can.
- Have one person to cheer you on through your writing journey. Writing a book can be lonely and difficult. Have someone in your corner that you can turn to.
Connect with Jennifer and buy her books through these links:
Buy Gloam through Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6Z8VKBQ
Website: https://www.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
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