On Writing, Mom-ing and Critics: An interview with Danette Hansen

What do you write? Tell me about your published fiction, and your current work-in-progress (if you don’t mind.)

I have two historical novels published; one under the title Coincidence. With a strong Christian tone, the past and the present resemble each other in my tender WWII mystery where Annaliese risks her future career in her search for answers. It has a deep family history theme. Here is a quote taken from the story, “It’s the legacy our loved ones leave behind that is important, not how many years they actually lived on the earth.” The book is set in the Netherlands where my husband’s grandfather is from which gave it a personal feel as I wrote.

My other published book is written under a pen name of D Vansen. It’s a Book of Mormon adventure titled A Fire that Heals. I embellished and focused on the first chapters of Helaman. The dissenter, Aminadab (who is mentioned in the Book of Mormon) must choose which side he really wants to be on––those who oppose the gospel, or those who live it’s principles with commitment and faith.

I have illustrated and published a children’s picture book: Space Gum. I have always been gum-obsessed; I have another children’s book written about gum that I hope to have published in the near future.

Other works I have completed are Misplaced, a young adult speculative fiction that is a cross between Wizard of Oz and an Indian Crocodile Dundee–This is in the beta-readers stage–and my middle grade story, currently titled Magical Mishap, about a boy who swallows a magic compass and the dangers that than follow.

As you can see, I don’t write in a specific genre. I tend to write where the story is. I don’t have a problem with coming up with ideas; it’s more like I don’t have enough time in the day. And I do have a family that I have to take care of, so I have to make sure I balance my time appropriately. (Which is tricky when you love telling stories).

You say that you got interested in writing later in life. Have you always been a storyteller? What held you off on doing it earlier? As a mother of a large family, I am curious about this, because there are times when I wonder if I should be so heavily involved in writing while still raising my small children.

I’ve always had an active imagination. I’ve named everything that has personality, including rocks. I love to get lost in movies and books, but oddly I didn’t read a lot of books growing up. Lost time, I guess. I have fun family members who told creative stories to us as children that will never be forgotten.

After high school, I found myself interested in reading self-help books, especially gospel doctrine. I’m a deep thinker. When the desire to write fiction hit me later in life, it consumed me. Sadly, I let it zap my time and energy, and my family suffered from my new obsession. At one point, I felt like my wheels were spinning fast enough to get me somewhere, but I stood still. That’s when I learned the hard way that I needed to bridle my passion of writing so that I’m doing what is most important––raising my family. (The good, better, best theory.) I’m an extremist––all or nothing––so balancing life has always been hard for me. My outlet should have more than one plugin and I should have enough power to do both, but if I don’t, then I need to unplug that which isn’t going to help me fulfill my divine purpose. Ultimately the connection with my family and friends is where my reward and joy is going to come from, not from spending endless time with fictional characters as I plot stories, and so I have to remember that there is a time and season for all things.

I noticed, checking out your book Coincidence on Amazon, that you got a couple of negative reviews from people who say the story doesn’t hold to Christian values because of the main character’s interaction and inspiration from her ancestors that leads her to find them. This concept of interaction with ancestors–the feeling that they watch over us, that they want us to do temple work for them and find them–is so very, very LDS, and a bit foreign to those who aren’t of our faith. How do you feel about trying to fit into the inspirational market as an LDS writer?

The reason I chose to take on a pen name for my Book of Mormon Adventure came from fact that the Christian world doesn’t believe that Mormons are Christian. I want both of my novels to be read without bias. As I’ve received the negative comments for Coincidence, it proved to me that even within the Christian world, people don’t agree on same doctrines and theories. There are many Christians who believe in life after death, and that our loved ones can watch over us and encourage us to progress in life. I never mentioned anything about temple work in Coincidence, but tried to focus more on the common belief that knowing about our ancestors helps us understand ourselves. Genealogy is studied and practiced in most religions, and I wanted to my story to celebrate our connection to family.

At first I didn’t know how to deal with the negative comments, but a dear friend said: “Having others disagree with you over doctrine is okay. It still plants the idea in their heads that might eventually expound their thinking to new, exciting possibilities.” That has put my mind at ease. I’ve realized that it doesn’t matter what others experience and feel from my words and my story. No one can take way the feelings and thoughts that came to me as I wrote. These experiences are mine and mine only. It’s like eating a rich piece of chocolate: I can’t describe what it tastes like to anyone else. They have to experience it for themselves. And even then, it might be different for their palate then it was for mine. I cannot tell you the peace and excitement that comes to me from having this special knowledge that whatever I experience is mine, and that I should never let anyone take away the richness that comes from having my own personal writing experience.

The “Man in the arena” quote from Theodore Roosevelt helps when it comes to critics:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause;

Who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat.”

How do you feel about the LDS writing community? What do you like about it, and what do you think we need more of/less of?

Any community that supports and helps each other is praiseworthy. It’s great to have a “tribe” that understands what it takes to be in the arena. I’ve had an epiphany that we are all in a line of some sort. In my authoring line, there will always be others in front of me who are better, more experienced and more successful, but there is also those behind me who are just venturing into the craft. I must enjoy my own journey and each stage that I’m at, and I shouldn’t run faster than I have strength. I do think that we are all blinded to the progress that we make. If we can all have the mindset of, “At least I’m in a line, or the arena doing something and trying to go somewhere,” we’d all be better for it.

I have learned over time that all things: products, professions, relationships and individuals can be improved on. This knowledge eases the pressure I place on myself, when I remember that if I’m doing my best, that is good enough, and I must allow myself room to improve. The most important truth in life is that I have worth regardless of what I do! Nothing can change that. So I might as well believe in myself.

Thank you, Danette, for adding your voice to the conversation here on AML. 

 

Danette J Hansen writes historical fiction and contemporary fantasy for the middle grade and young adult audiences, and has illustrated and written a few children’s picture books. She finds great satisfaction and magic in writing and creativity, and her goal as an author is to entertain and to inspire. You can get the details on Space Gum, here. The website for her adult and YA works, under the pen-name D Vansen, is here.