Chatting with Nancy Christie, author

A warm welcome to Nancy Christie, a multi-genre author, writing teacher and consultant.

I first e-met Nancy when we had both released how-to writing books. If you haven’t checked out Nancy’s Rut-Busting Books for Writers, these books may be just the trick to help you jumpstart (or start) your writing routine to reach those creative goals.

Today, I’m chatting with Nancy about her fictional work—including her latest novel, “Moving Maggie,” the third in her Mid Life Moxie series. “Moving Maggie” is now available in digital format. The hard copy version will be available by late May, 2025.

Personal note: Nancy is also a great literary citizen, in that she shares tips, social media posts and conversations with other authors and readers.

So … just what is her latest book, “Moving Maggie” about? See the link below for a short video in which Nancy introduces us to her character Maggie, her life challenges and triumphs.

Q. Nancy, “Moving Maggie” is your third novel in your Mid Life Moxie fiction series. What inspired you to write this series of stories?

I had wanted to try my hand at novels for some time, although, as a confirmed short story writer, I wasn’t sure I could do it. Novels require a lot more words than your typical short story, not to mention more characters and plots! And while I knew that certain genres are more popular and have greater sales potential, I decided that if I’m going to be keeping company with my fictional characters for a year or even longer, they should be the kind of women I hang around with in real life. Given that most of my friends are middle-aged or older, it just seemed a natural choice, plus I didn’t think I’d have that much competition, since stories focusing on women in midlife as the main characters can be hard to find!

That I made the right move has been reinforced by the conversations I have had with women at my book signings, where I hear the same thing over and over: they want books about women like them who are dealing with the same issues such as them such as empty-nest-itis, retirement (theirs or their partners’), loneliness or health.

Or some women are dealing with other challenges, such as financial setbacks, a desire for a new life, a new career, a new … something!

So I created the Midlife Moxie Novel series with that in mind, making sure I also included a secondary storyline showing the importance of female friendships. If you thought your girlfriends were important in high school, just wait until you are 50, 60 and older, and need someone who understands what you’re going through as well as someone you can support when they are struggling!

Q. What’s the happiest parts of the writing process for you—generative writing, editing, peer review, publishing, marketing or other?

I love writing! I love making stuff up. I love when a character shows up out of the blue or a twist occurs that I didn’t see coming. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I’d bank the money and keep on writing! Writing, especially fiction writing, is the most fun I can ever have—and I’ve been doing it since second grade!

Q. I was instantly drawn in by your opening scene with Sheila the realtor and Maggie, the main character. Was this always where and how the story opened?

I went back and looked at my first drafts to check this, and, as it turned out, my 2017 draft opened like this:

“‘Turn right here.’” Sheila’s voice startled me. I had been driving for so long along the empty country road that I had more or less zoned out—a not uncommon circumstance lately and one that occasionally I worried about, when I wasn’t worried about how to pay this month’s mortgage or whether that discoloration on the back of my arm was something I should have looked at or when the latest round of layoffs was going to happen. It seemed anymore that I had two choices. Drive myself crazy by obsessing over all the things that could go wrong or drive myself crazy by zoning out and then worrying whether that was some weird form of dementia, especially since, when I came back to paying attention, I often found myself with no recollection of what I was supposed to be doing or where I was supposed to be.’”

This is the final version:

“‘Take the next right just ahead.’” Sheila’s voice, coming from the passenger seat, broke the silence in the car, startling me. I had been driving for so long on the empty country lanes that I’d stopped concentrating on the road and instead had been focusing on the path my life had taken. Or more accurately, the unforeseen, unexpected, and definitely unwanted detours that had shifted me from the life itinerary I had been following to a wholly different one.”

So pretty much the same concept, just revising the way I expressed it.

Q. Did you have to go back and make other revisions to this novel?

Always, always, always! I had too much backstory and details that bogged it down, and I had to make teenage Janna a little less perfect. In one of the earlier versions, Maggie’s soon-to-be-ex has a heart attack and she ends up playing caregiver, but that went by the wayside when I realized she was not the caregiving type. Each time it went out to my editors (I have two, plus an early reader for the first full draft), it came back with suggestions that I reviewed and often followed. My goal is to make the story interesting and realistic, and sometimes that means eliminating details that don’t serve a useful purpose.

Q. What’s next for you in your writing life?

I’m working on the fourth Midlife Moxie novel, “Transforming Tessa,” that will come out in 2026. And I have already started making notes and doing research on the fifth, “Investing in Iris,” slated for 2027. And every now and then, I think about doing another short story collection. I have the concept and theme. I just need time to write the stories!

Q. Where can we find you and your work online?

You can find me at the following places:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/NancyChristieAuthor/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/nancychristie.writer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancychristie_author/ nancychristie_author

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/nancychristie.bsky.social @nancychristie.bsky.social

X: https://twitter.com/NChristie_OH @NChristie_OH

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nancychristie_author nancychristie_author

YouTube: Books by Nancy Christie on YouTube

YouTube: Midlife Moxie Novel Series™ on YouTube

Living the Writing Life podcast: https://livingthewritinglife.podbean.com/

Author website: www.nancychristie.com