What is the date you began writing this piece of fiction and the date when you completely finished the piece of fiction? I had the idea for Capitol in Crisis about twelve years ago. I took a stab at the first draft of the first couple of chapters. To be perfectly honest: they were awful!! When I retired in 2015¸ I decided to really give it a try. I wrote—then rewrote. I took breaks—deciding that I wasn’t really a writer. Who was I kidding? Then an idea would come into focus—maybe I’d rewrite a scene in my head—driving down the New Jersey Turnpike! Once I had a manuscript—I’d edit, then edit some more. Capitol in Crisis became a real honest-to-goodness work on fiction last September when my publisher, Wipf and Stock, placed it for sale on Amazon.
Right: Kathy Roy Johnson with her husband in 2015
Copyright by Kathy Joy Johnson
Where did you do most of your writing for this fiction work? And please describe in detail. And can you please include a photo? I have a small office in my home. Prior to my retirement—I had a schedule whereby I’d work about six hours a day from home. It was a natural extension that I’d adopt a similar work pattern for my writing after I retired. Some scenes took forever to draft while others just came together in a few minutes. What surprised me the most was that a few characters virtually wrote themselves into the story. For example, I had decided not to have the press represented in Capitol in Crisis. The press would complicate things—demanding deadlines and details. Then Joel Carlson, House Bureau Chief for The Washington Post simply jumped on to a page and said, “OK, now that we have that settled, we have a novel to write!” I would add that while I do most—if not all—of my writing in my home office—much of the actual creative thinking takes place almost any time—in my head! I may wake up in the night with the perfect solution to a scene that I’ve been agonizing over. I always create in my head long before I sit down at my computer.
What were your writing habits while writing this work- did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? I typically write in the afternoons—between 1:00 and 4:00. Generally I draft right on the computer. I also make notes so that I’ll remember exactly why I sequenced the scenes in a certain way. However—I usually loose these notes—or worse, find them several weeks later! I should also confess that I am always working on the mechanics of my writing. For thirty-eight years I wrote about public policy. Writing fiction requires an entirely different writing style which I continually cultivate!
Please include just one excerpt and include page numbers as reference. This one excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer. This excerpt is from pages 80-81 of Capitol in Crisis:
Simone was bone-tired by the time she got home. She had intended to go straight to bed, but her cello beckoned to her from her living room, like an old friend whom she hadn’t seen for far too long. A few minutes, she thought, just to take away the stress of this day. She carefully rosined up the bow and took the cello in her arms, as if in a lover’s embrace. She slid her palm up the smooth neck of the instrument, her fingers deftly finding each note. She began playing Bach’s Suite No. 1, allowing the music to flow through her body. She remembered playing this piece at her high school graduation. The nuns even gave her extra time to practice, saying, “This is an important performance; you must do well.” How could she have known there would be a man at that performance from Juilliard Conservatory of Music who would offer her a full scholarship? She cried, but they were not tears of joy. For her, playing the cello represented very personal emotions. How could she explain the joy she felt when playing “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” or the deep sorrow when playing Brahms’s “Requiem?” In the end, she said no to the man from Juilliard and pursued an undergraduate degree in art history, in preparation for architecture school. Simone continued to play and as she did, she thought about the people trapped in the café. She said a silent prayer for each of them and their families. She wondered how the two men in the mechanical room were and how soon they would receive medical attention. Then her thoughts turned to John McIntyre, Speaker of the House. She wondered if there could be a chance that the two of them might fall in love and become a couple. “Those are silly, foolish thoughts, Simone,” she chided herself. “He’s way out of your league.” She finished playing, put her cello carefully back in its place, and went upstairs. As she prepared for bed, she noticed that her face was streaked with tears.
Why is this excerpt so emotional for you as a writer to write? And can you describe your own emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? This is actually one of my favorite scenes in the book. To put the scene in context—Simone—Architect of the Capitol—has just returned home for a few hours sleep in the middle of a complex rescue effort. Simone is professionally competent—and emotionally vulnerable. Throughout the book, Simone illustrates her ability to ‘get the job done.’ Yet in this scene the reader see Simone for what she truly is: a woman somewhat unsure of herself. This was a tough yet rewarding scene to write. Orphaned at a young age, Simone never found a home. Moreover, music has been her primary emotional outlet since childhood. I really enjoyed writing this particular scene because it gives insight into Simone’s deep-seeded feelings. Is this partially autobiographical? Perhaps.
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