A Fresh Set of Eyes
An interview with writer Debra Borchert by certified book coach Robin Henry.
Robin: Your novels are about two very strong female protagonists during the French Revolution. Why are you drawn to this period and to these women?
Debra: On a trip to France, I grew fascinated by why the French Revolution was one of the bloodiest in history. In researching the answer, I wondered what it would be like to be a woman, starving, trying to feed my children, and committing crimes to survive. The contrast between the squalor of the poorest neighborhoods in Paris and the opulence of Versailles provided a natural conflict. I created two strong women, one from the aristocracy and the other of the common class, whose lives cross as they fight to survive.
Robin: That’s so interesting! I know one of things I always wonder is what I would have done if I had been living in X time in history. How exciting to work your way through a novel answering that question. Your previous career was as a journalist. What made you decide to go from reporting on the news of the day to writing historical fiction novels?
Debra: As a journalist, I removed myself from the story and reported the facts. But the actress in me wanted to dramatize stories. In writing fiction, I plunge myself into the inner life of my characters, much like actors do. It’s a thrilling journey. Also, my background as a designer and actress gave me great tools to assist in creating the historical world and telling the story from my characters’ points of view.
I had the great good fortune to meet with Thierry Sarmant, conservateur en chef, Cabinet Numismatique at Musée Carnavalet in Paris. He not only showed me trays of eighteenth-century gold coins, but he also told me the reason so many of these coins survived was because people hid them in the walls and fireplaces of their homes. As a journalist I could only repeat the facts of that story. But as a fiction writer, I dramatized the uncovering of gold coins stashed in a fireplace in my first book.
Robin: Yes! Those kinds of details are the things readers love. I am also just a teensy bit jealous of getting to go and do research in person. It’s been so long since we could do research in person…. What made you decide to work with a book coach?
Debra: I had just completed my first draft of my third book and, although I’ve workshopped all my books, I wanted fresh eyes on the third before I made final revisions. Being made aware of issues before revising the final draft was a huge time saver.
Robin: I am so glad that our work together saved you time. Helping a writer plan/revise/finish faster and better is always one of my goals as a book coach. Is there anything you would like to share with other writers about working with a coach?
Debra: Every editor and critique partner I have worked with has helped me become a better writer. In working with a book coach, who looked at the total book, I gained confidence and learned to open my eyes to areas of my work which I could improve upon.
Robin: Your professionalism is inspiring. In the time we spent discussing your work and emailing back and forth, your dedication to your craft came through; it was wonderful to see. What are you working on next? More French Revolution or something else?
Debra: France has had five revolutions, and I haven’t finished writing about the first, so I have no shortage of material with which to work. My first three books have a Loire Valley vineyard as a setting, and I love researching wine, as well as revolutions. Reading about how people struggled in the past is little different from how we struggle today, and often journalists draw these parallels in present-day articles. Making the past more real and relatable to readers is very rewarding.
Robin: Fantastic! I agree there are so many ways to see parallels between the present and the past. I am glad there are writers like you who work to keep history relevant.
Debra Borchert has been a fashion designer, actress, model, television reporter, and public relations professional before becoming a technical and marketing writer for Fortune 100 companies. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Christian Science Monitor, The Writer, and more. She turned her pen to fiction and hasn’t looked back. She is currently working on an historical family saga, The Château de Verzat Series, which takes place in Paris and the Loire Valley during the French Revolution. Her short stories about events leading up to the French Revolution appear in anthologies and on Amazon.
Robin Henry has led a much less exciting life as a librarian, professor, teacher, and book coach. Though there was that one time she sat next to Walter Dean Myers at dinner. And the time she and her daughter hiked to Machu Picchu…. Robin helps historical fiction and mystery writers write the novels they want to read. She works with writers from starting the quest, struggling up the mountain of revisions, or in the querying trenches. Find out more here and get a roadmap for your heroine’s journey here.
