A Conversation with Jessica Dodge, a talented Fantasy Author

Jessica Dodge, with over 15 years in the art industry and a degree in Film and Media Arts from Maine Media College, now has her sights set on making her mark in the literary world.

Nestled among the majestic forest in the green mountains of Vermont, she writes fantasy fiction in her renovated 1968 Airstream. When she’s not conjuring up magical stories, she cherishes family time with her husband, two children, and three dogs in the stunning natural beauty of her 10-acre homestead.

Dodge grew up in Bradford Vermont and moved onto her ancestral land in Newbury Vermont when she started a family with her husband Jt Dodge in 2009. As a result of her lifelong fascination with Scottish culture, she studied the tenor drum and performed professionally in the Catamount bagpipe band from 2016-2018.

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Let’s get started with a quick rapid fire.

Q1. If you could be transformed into one mythological creature, which one would you choose?

A phoenix

Q2. What time do you usually go to bed at night?

Sometime around 11

Q3. What are the least-likely three words someone would use to describe you?

Mean, selfish, uncreative

Q4. Where did you go on your last vacation?

Maidstone Park State Park in Northern Vermont.

Q5. Would you rather find your dream job or win the lottery? You can’t do both.

Lottery, so I could write and create art all day.

Q6. What is one thing you regret spending money on?

Too much clothing.

Q7. What object do you misplace or lose the most?

My landline phone.

Q8. If you were a spy, what would be your codename?

005’2 because I am short lol.

Q9. What secret about the universe would you most want to learn?

The truth about coincidences and if there are parallel worlds.

Q10. What never fails to make you laugh?

My dog Gregor.

Q11. What was one “before” and “after” in your life?

I have had a lot of before and afters, but before I had kids I was hired by Miramax to be a set designer and now I am an author

Q12. What do you think people misunderstand about you?

People may believe that I’m an extrovert, but really I am more of an introvert that likes to spend time creating by myself.

It’s time for a more detailed conversation, Jessica.

You’ve answered our rapid fire brilliantly, Jessica. Now, it’s time for our readers to know more about the person behind the book.

Q. Tell us something about yourself that’s going to keep us wanting more.

I grew up in a small town in Vermont and had big dreams of being a set designer in Hollywood. I went to college for it and was offered my dream job. However, I turned it down when I found out I was pregnant, wanting to raise my kids where I grew up. My son was born with a genetic condition that caused him to have severe allergies. So, that changed my life direction, and became a stay-at-home mom, and started my own art business. He is all grown up now and I decided to take my art in a different direction and became a writer. I am excited to be able to take my readers on this next adventure with me.

Q. Well, that’s just…memorable for sure. So, what books have you read more than once in your life? 

Well, the Harry Potter books of course. Alongside most of Paula Brackston’s books and The way of the peaceful warrior by Dan Millman. J.K. Rowling for the entertainment, Brackston for the magic, and Millman for the wisdom.

Q. Interesting. Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing? 

I am very lucky to have such an amazing family who supports me in all of my ventures along with an amazing group of friends. There have been so many people supporting me in different ways throughout the writing process. I found some amazing authors who were willing to take me under their wing and teach me.I feel so grateful for the immense amount of support that I have. It takes a village as they say.

Q. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

Yes!! I have quite a few “Easter eggs” in my writing. If you read The Forgotten Witch a second time there are all sorts of hidden things you will find. I wanted to make sure that people who loved the book so much that they decided to read it again would be rewarded with some fun little hidden gems.

Q. Now comes the most anticipated question that every author must answer. How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?

This is something I am just getting to experience now as my book is out there in the world. I think books are like food for the soul. Some people need a 5-course meal to fill them up and others can be happy with a slice of pizza. It’s really all about preference, a person who likes to read smutty romance is probably not going to like my story because it’s not what they are looking for in a book. No book is going to be everyone’s cup of tea, and remembering that is important.

Q. What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?

Plot and setting come first for me. I like to build the world in my mind first, choosing the elements of the story and the kind of folklore I want to incorporate. Then I build my characters off from that point. That way I am able to weave aspects of the environment and lore into each character. I think it makes them more indepth and relatable doing it this way.

Q. How do you develop your plot and characters?

I am a pantser! I have a very rough outline of the story in my head and then I let my muse take over from there.I let the story and characters develop as I go. I know I can always go back and add or take away elements that might not work later on in the book, that’s the beauty of being a writer. I do however have a notebook that I keep track of all the names, dates and places I come up with to keep track of spellings and symbolism for each one.

Q. So, now, about your book. Talk to us about it. No major spoilers.

The story of The Forgotten Witch follows the main character, Helen Kent from America over to Oban, Scotland where she purchased a 500 year old cottage through an online auction. She discovers a set of mysterious journals in the cottage’s library that contain the story of a 16th-century witch within them. As she digs deeper into the mystery behind the cottage and its journals, she unearths an evil that has been lurking in the shadows. She needs to right the wrongs done in the past to ensure the future of everyone in the town. It’s a book full of magic, mystery, and a little romance with a brawny Scottish neighbor.

Q. What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?

I think about ¾ of the way into the book was the hardest. Trying to bring all the elements together to tie up everything nicely, in the end, was the most challenging.

Q. What is your kryptonite as a writer?

100% Overthinking! I feel like as soon as you start overthinking things, everything starts to unravel. Sometimes it’s best to just go with the flow and do a deep analysis during the edits. Overthinking can lead you down the rabbit hole of self-doubt.

Q. What risks have you taken with your writing that have paid off?

I decided to self-publish, which is a risk in itself because you put up all the money upfront it takes to produce a book that you don’t know will sell. It will pay off in the end because I was able to produce the book exactly how I wanted it, complete with art and all.

Q. Let’s talk about the process of writing. Do you do research while writing a book to add more authenticity? What kind and how far do you go – ever traveled to a foreign place just for the sake of your book?

Yes, I do a TON of research. I buy lots of books on the topics I am writing about and spend numerous hours researching online. Google Earth has become one of my best friends lol. I have held in-depth interviews with people who have ancestral folklore knowledge and have gone as far as purchasing items from far-off places around the world so that I can hold them in my hands and describe them accurately.

Q. What was your hardest scene to write?

I don’t want to give any spoilers so I am going to just say the last chapter of the book was challenging because of the emotional aspect of it.

Q. Well, this has been great. Now, before we wrap this up, do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?

Yes, I would love to share my three favorite writing tools. The first one is my favorite, it’s an app called Neural reader. It reads your writing back to you. Listening to your work is the best way to catch mistakes and see if your flow is working. It’s the best AI reading bot out there. The second is a website called Quillbot. It’s a paraphrasing tool, so if you have a sentence or paragraph that just doesn’t sound right you can throw it in there and it will rewrite. It will be your new best friend and the best part, is it’s free! The third is another app called Power Thesaurus. This app is amazing for finding everything from synonyms, antonyms, definitions, related words, and rhymes.

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