This past Wednesday, Mrs. Waggoner, a full-time writer and teacher at North, signed a contract with a new agent to publicize her books. After the contract signing, we had the chance to ask her a few questions about being a published author, and the balance between being a full-time author and teaching full-time, as well.

TR: Where did you where do you draw your inspiration for your novels from?

NW: I draw my inspiration from real life and I write about women and the unique struggles we face in this millennium I also write specifically about women’s friendships and relationships. 

TR: How long have you been a writer/ published writer?

NW: I really didn’t dabble in very much creative writing, When I was an adolescent in high school, things like that. But when a job opportunity from my now ex-husband, took us to Oklahoma, I missed my classroom at my girlfriend’s so much that I made five imaginary friends and wound up publishing a trilogy. And so that was the first inspiration. So I published my first book at I think 36, don’t quote me on that. So yeah, it was a great experience. And now that I’m in that world [of writing], it’s definitely not a hobby anymore, and it still brings me a lot of joy. You get to bring art into the world, and I’m so fond of that quote, that whenever you are in hard times, or sad or depressed, you always turn to music, to film to literature, whatever your art is, [it] always brings us out. And that was me too. When I was sad about you know, the move and that kind of thing at first.

TR: How do you manage teaching and writing?

NW: It is hard, I write full time, I teach full time and I also attend a graduate program at OU. And then of course, I have a family and so it’s a juggling act. So that’s why I write about how women juggle. I compartmentalize my day very strictly and that’s how I do it. And some days not all of it gets done.

TR: When did you start writing your first book?

NW: The first book I started in 2013, and I finished it [in] late 2014 and it with all of the like pitching and all that process, it was eventually published in 2016. So it was about a three-year process for that first one.

TR: Do you have any future plans for your books or book series?

NW: Yes, I do. And the next two that have sold are standalone so they won’t be series. But as you saw with the agent and contracts, you always put it in that you’re open to a spin-off. And just from the business perspective of lucrative work, so yes, I have another series in the work and it is I can’t talk about it yet, but I’m very excited about it. It’s gonna be most akin to the Bridgerton series [on Netfilx] where you have to read them in order and they’re all characters that [intertwine] the end of the day. So it’s very similar to that structure.