Interview with Sara Whitley

Today on the Brave Blog we have an interview with Brave Author Sara Whitley about her writing and her newest release Before You Came Along. Welcome, Sara! Let’s jump in.

Sarah H: Why do you write in the genre you do? Did you always want to write in that genre?

Sara W: Contemporary Christian fiction is my genre of choice. I gobbled up every Karen Kingsbury book I could get my hands on in middle and high school and just knew after the first one I read that when I wrote a book someday, this was the genre I’d write in. 

I am also a social worker by trade and enjoy weaving social issues into my book, which I find easiest to do in a contemporary setting. And, if I am being completely honest with myself, I just do not have time to do the pre-work of researching historical facts to ensure my books are accurate. Many props to my historical fiction writers, I don’t know how you do it! 

Sarah H: How interesting to know that your background as a social worker informs your stories. When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Sara W: As soon as I learned to read, I knew I wanted to write. I penned my first book at age six under the gentle guidance of my mother, patiently spelling out words for me. I have a whole shoebox full of the dozens of books I wrote as a child. I started to take serious steps toward a “career” in writing in high school, though, when I began writing skits for my youth group to perform. Eventually I was asked to write Christmas plays, which were so well received that many church members encouraged me to major in English in college. Never feeling called to make this my career, though, I took that feedback and promised myself I’d make my dream a reality one day. I am so thankful that Amazon has made self-publishing more “respectable” in recent years; while traditional authors may still find more success, I am thrilled I can share my work with the world as a self-published author. 

Sarah: What is your author tagline? Why did you choose it?

Sara W: “Illuminating the darkness one book at a time.” 

I chose this because I see my books as my mission field; Jesus calls us to the “the light of the world,” and this is one way I shine mine into our dark and broken world. I strive to write the most realistic characters I can; characters who struggle with fear and doubt who I then make wrestle with Scripture and God to find the answers to their questions because that’s what I want to encourage my readers to do. Jesus is the only answer to all our questions—He is the ultimate light and who I want to point others back to time and time again. And I want my readers to do so, too, which is why I always encourage people to partner with me in my mission by passing the books along to those in need of hope.   

Sarah H: I love that tagline and your mission. Which book of yours was the hardest to write? Why?

Sara W: While my three-book “Hope on the Horizon” series was very emotionally difficult to write—with stories that feature sexual assault, abortion, self-harm, suicide, and infertility, how could it not be? —I’d still say my upcoming book “Before You Came Along” (releasing October 23^rd, 2024!) was the most difficult. I received some pretty scathing feedback from a critique partner that had me convinced I needed not only to scrap the book but to walk away from writing for good. After grieving for a bit—and praying for guidance—I was able to work through this. And while the feedback still stung, I eventually came to see some glaring problems that really did need re-vising, and the book is better for it. Still, though, it contains one of the most oddly “hot button” topics in Christian circles today—school choice—which was a risky plotline to include. I still have some anxieties related to how this storyline will be perceived by my homeschooling readers and am doing my best to leave these in God’s hands, as I do feel like He has called me to write this story. I’m praying it is convicting to those that need the reminder that we as parents cannot save our kids and an encouragement for them to trust in God more fully.  

Sarah H: Personally, I loved that message in the book, and as a mom who has both homeschooled and sent my children to public school, I didn’t find it offensive, but thought-provoking. (There’s my two cents.) Now, do you enjoy writing in third person or first person better? Past or present tense?

Sara W: I will only ever write in first person past tense. For one thing, it’s simply easier for me as a writer to “live” the experience of my characters and to write them as realistically and relatable as possible by writing in the first person. At the same time, the past tense still allows the story to feel like it’s being “told” rather than happening in the moment, giving readers some time to process the events of the story. Readers can also “live” the characters experience in first person, but they also get the inner dialogue that I find so helpful, especially with characters readers may not relate to much or those they strongly disagree with. I write messy characters that readers often want to shake because of their poor choices or flawed logic with the hopes that listening to that inner dialogue will help my readers understand why people do the things they do and how they arrived at the decisions they made. This is where I am so thankful for my education in social work; I’ve been trained to understand human development and behavior and it’s easy for me weave this into my writing. 

Sarah H: Who is your biggest cheerleader? 

Sara W: My parents and my husband. As a child my parents shepherded me towards competence in this passion by always receiving my writing with eagerness and by encouraging me to seek opportunities to write. Now, my husband gives me the time to write, the space to process it, and is the business side of our self-publishing adventure. I couldn’t do what I do now if my parents hadn’t set me up for success and if my husband didn’t do all the behind the scenes work to make it a reality. 

Sarah H: Who has helped you grow the most as a writer?

Sara W: I have an unnamed critique partner (the same one who gave me that scathing feedback I mentioned above!) who has pushed me to become a better writer. I am always shaking in my boots when I pass a project on to her and it is so very difficult to receive her feedback at times, but we won’t grow if we aren’t pushed and challenged. 

Sarah H: So true. Where did you get the inspiration for your most recent book?

Sara W: During an episode of “Unplanned,” TLC’s version of “16 and Pregnant.” I didn’t set out to write another pro-life book as my first three books already feature unplanned pregnancy, but the story came together so quickly, and the characters captivated my whole heart so I couldn’t not write this one. It’s another heartbreaking one, but also full of mercy and grace with a much happier ending than my previous books so I’m hoping it’s well received! 

Sarah H: Interesting. I love hearing where book ideas come from. Okay, last question: What are you working on now?

Sara W: I’ve started the first book of another three-book series, this one focused on the men in my first series. Book one, “A River in the Wasteland,” features the “big baddie” from my first book—the one that completely derails my female protagonist’s life. He is the kind of character who’s easy to hate and the one many would say shouldn’t be redeemed. But if we truly believe that Jesus’s death “paid it all,” then we have to believe he can save even those who commit unthinkable acts, like rape. 
I am also trying to stop myself from fulling diving into a stand-alone book after the story idea popped into my head a few months back. I am the type of writer who can only focus on one story at a time so I’m trying to decide which one is more exciting to me! The jury is out on which one I’ll devote my time to after I launch my upcoming book on October 23^rd. 

Sarah H: Super exciting news for this reader. I love redeemed bad guys in stories, so I’ll be looking forward to A River in the Wasteland. I really enjoyed Before You Came Along and found myself relating to the thought processes of both the mom of a teenager and the teens themselves, which was an interesting dichotomy. It’s a book that made me think, and one that contains a beautiful redemptive thread. Thank you, Sara, for writing unapologetically pro-life books that showcase God’s great forgiveness and love.

Sara Whitley is, first and foremost, a sinner saved through God’s grace. She has a deep passion for the lost and the hurting, which is why she pursued a degree in social work. She enjoys weaving social issues such as teenage pregnancy, sexual assault, self-harm, and abortion into her work to provide hope and encouragement to those who have experienced such challenges and to showcase God’s sovereignty and goodness in all things. Her mission is to “illuminate the darkness, one book at a time.” She makes her home in South Dakota with her husband and three kids. For more information, you can visit her website, www.sarawhitley.com