Bestselling author visits Washington, encourages writers

WASHINGTON — New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf visited Washington’s Author fest on Saturday, where she read samples of her work and signed copies of her books.

The author — a South Dakota Native living in Mason City — has penned eight novels, each a fiction thriller loosely inspired by real events. For local readers, one quality of her writing stands out: each of her books takes place in Iowa. Still, the stories have managed to transcend the Hawkeye State, having achieved bestselling statuses several times over.

“They’re thrillers, there are scary elements of course, but I would like to think there are some elements of them that are universal to whatever community you’re from,” she said. “I have these regular, everyday people in my novels who are put in these extraordinary circumstances … but I also focus on the spirit of getting through difficult times.”

Gudenkauf said her residence in flyover country did not complicate her rise to prominence as a writer.

“I haven’t seen it as a barrier for me,” she said. “For some reason, the books have resonated with readers, and I’m so happy to highlight the state that I love.”

The appeal to non-Iowans needs to remain natural, however. Gudenkauf said consciously writing for other markets was too manufactured.

“I’ve always written the books I want to write, the stories I want to write,” she said. “I find that if I worry too much about what individual groups of readers want, my passion or excitement about the book doesn’t come through. So I write what I want to read.”

That doesn’t preclude pushing the envelope, however. Gudenkauf said she had to leave her comfort zone every time she sat at a keyboard.

“I write about dark things, and crimes and murder and that sort of thing,” she said. “That, of course, isn’t what I live in day to day … I find that I do have to push myself, you always have to push yourself to be more creative, to think outside the box.”

For newer writers, the author said she saw growing chances for publication in the digital age as a sign of encouragement.

“Publishing has changed so much, even over the last couple years with the pandemic,” Gudenkauf said. “There are so many different ways to get published now, there’s traditional publishing, there’s independent publishers, there’s self-publishing, there’s blogs, essayists, whatever. It’s so wide-open, so there’s a lot of different opportunities for writers.”

More accessibility doesn’t mean it’s an easier career, however. Despite her experience, Gudenkauf said every first draft took at least a few months, followed by months more of revisions and editing. After that, it typically takes another year to go from a final draft to a publication on store shelves.

Every time, Gudenkauf changes something at the last minute.

“I’ll send it off to my editor, and in the middle of the night I’ll wake up and think, ‘I forgot to fix that,’” she said. “The nice thing is, in novel publishing, there’s a little bit of time to catch it … even when it gets to, ‘there’s no more changes,’ there’s always a thought that I wish I’d done more, or just changed this a little bit. But there comes a point when you just have to be done and finished with it, and that can be hard.”

For those Midwestern authors who do feel isolated, Gudenkauf said opportunities for connections were abundant if they looked close enough, another aspect of the industry boosted by online connections.

“If you look, there are like-minded folks who are writing,” she said. “I found a great group of writers through the years that don’t live anywhere near me, but we connect and communicate and help one another … I know authors from tiny little towns, from big cities. Don’t let the worry of geography stop you from pursuing whatever dream you want to. It’s absolutely possible.”

The need for that kind of connection is part of her reason to visit places like Washington. The trips support public libraries, and provide a chance to network with like-minded people.

“I’m a reader, I love to read and the chance to talk with people who love books as much as I do, that’s a highlight,” she said. “Any time you can connect with fellow human beings and you find something in common with them, that is pretty special.”

Beyond that, Gudenkauf’s main advice for aspiring writers was to stay tenacious.

“There’ll be rejections, there always are, but be persistent,” she said. “You want somebody to love your work as much as you do, and that might take some time.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com