Author Spotlight: Jordan Hageman

We are pleased to introduce Jordan Hageman, our 2023 Fiction Winner for the Braun Book Awards. Jordan's fabulous juvenile novel, The Storywriter, is now available for pre-order through the Word Alive Press Bookstore, and everywhere fine Christian books are sold. We asked Jordan to share a little bit about her new book and her writing. But first, a little bit about her.

About

Jordan Hageman lives in Southwestern Ontario with her pastor husband and three children. She grew up as a pastor/missionary daughter, which instilled in her a love for adventure and a desire to explore the big wide world that God has created, and to fall in love with the people, cultures, and food! She is on a mission to infuse her stories with the timeless themes found in the greatest story of all—God’s Story. While she’s booking and waiting for the next big adventure (preferably somewhere far away and exotic), she finds inspiration in the simple joys of everyday wonders and long family road trips.

Her debut novel, The Storywriter, has already captured hearts and minds, earning Jordan the Braun Award for Best Fiction Manuscript. Scheduled for publication through Word Alive Press in Summer 2024, this middle-grade fantasy promises to enchant readers with its storybook charm and quirky characters, all woven together with themes of adventure, friendship, and above all, Love.

In addition to her novel writing, Jordan is a regular contributor to Testimony/Enrich magazine and shares her poetry on her website and Instagram.

Q&A

Q: Can you describe the main plot of your book?
A: Emelin and Frank discover that their world is threatened by a Dark and Evil Being who wants to do a terrible something. Somehow, they are the ones sent to stop him. Along the way, they learn they are part of a story written by the Storywriter.

Q: Who are the main characters, and what are their key characteristics?
A: Emelin is eleven, stubborn, and a bit of a know-it-all. Frank, also eleven but slightly older than Emelin, is an orphan who likes to take control of situations. Samir is from a distant place, mysterious, and a bit of a jerk. Then there is Ezer, the wise, talking horse. There are other quirky, fun characters that I love, but these four are the main ones.

Q: What themes or messages do you hope readers will take away from your book?
A: Ultimately, I hope readers understand that we are fully known, fully loved, and created on purpose for a purpose.

Q: How did you develop the world and setting for your story?
A: The world has a classic storybook feel that complements the overall narrative beautifully. I drew a lot of inspiration from fairy tales. As you read, you are immersed in this world, but there are also hints of a greater world out there that I’m eager to explore, hopefully in another book!

Q: Is there a particular scene or chapter in the book that you are especially proud of or excited for readers to experience?
A: Anything with Aunt Mid and Aunt Mad are my absolute favourite scenes. They were the most fun characters to discover. As I was writing, they came with full personalities and definitely left an impression.

About Your Writing Process

Q: How do you handle writer’s block or creative challenges?
A: I try not to stress about it. The creativity will come again, and you just have to be patient. Doing other things helps a lot. Not having my day consumed with writing, but letting it be an outflow of life, is a helpful way for me to view my writing process.

Q: Did you face any specific difficulties while writing this book, and how did you overcome them?
A: The first draft came really fast, but it was the shaping and editing that took a lot of time and drafts. The beginning was the most challenging part: where to start the story, what background needed to be there, etc.

Q: How do you balance writing for a younger audience while incorporating deeper themes?
A: It’s helpful to be a parent and have kids in the age range I’m writing for. They are happy to let me know if they don’t understand something, which forces me to write it in a way that will resonate with them and make it accessible. I also don’t underestimate kids. They can grasp really profound things at a young age, and writing stories that are too simple can be a disservice to them.

Q: Do you have any favourite tools or resources that you use while writing?
A: I love Scrivener. I know a lot of writers hate it or find it confusing, but it’s such a helpful tool to rearrange and organize scenes.

Q: How do you develop your characters and ensure they are relatable to your readers?
A: I pull a lot from real life. All my characters have a little bit of me in them somehow, or at least in the case of strong personalities like Aunt Mad, there are people in my life that have her bit of flavour that I pull from.

About Being an Author

Q: How do you stay motivated and inspired to write?
A: I’m really terrible at this. I know that’s not the answer I should give, but it’s the truth. I’m always writing something—poetry, a discipleship blog, an article, a prayer for our church’s prayer list—but the disciplined creative writing of stories comes in fits and spurts. What usually gets me back in the saddle is encountering a great story (book or movie), and something just starts burning in me to sit down and get writing again.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors, especially those writing for tweens or incorporating Christian themes?
A: It’s not so much about trying to incorporate Christian themes in your writing, but rather letting the work God is doing in you be expressed through your creativity. Too often, we can try to make something sound a certain way or mean something specific, and it can come across as forced and unnatural. Be brave enough to let the beautiful mess of formation happening inside you come out in an authentic way.

Q: Are there any upcoming projects or ideas you are excited to work on?
A: I have a little book of poetry I’m hoping to publish soon. The Storywriter lends itself to a sequel, and I’ve had some ideas about what will happen next with the characters. I’m hoping to write that at some point. Currently, I am working on a Teen/Young Adult manuscript, still in the fantasy genre because I love discovering new worlds!

Connecting Points

For updates on the release of The Storywriter and to explore more of Jordan’s captivating work, find and follow her:

Website: JordanHageman.com
Facebook: Jordan Hageman
Instagram: @jordan.hageman
X: @WriterJordanH