Life & Work with Marianne Jordan of Fuquay-Varina

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marianne Jordan.

Hi Marianne, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.

I love to make up stories. I wrote my first play when I was in the seventh grade. That began my writing career, though I never considered being an author. It never occurred to me. Everyone, especially my parents, thought I’d major in music in college. I studied voice in high school and college, but singing was a talent, not a gift. If I didn’t practice, I’d lose the ability. Don’t get me wrong. I loved singing. But I’d rather have been cheerleading than practicing scales. However, I did enjoy drama, especially musicals and acted in plays throughout school and summer stock. But I still didn’t think about writing. Plays or otherwise. I went to Radford University in Virginia and graduated with a major in Speech Telecommunications and a minor in Business. That’s where things started to percolate, though again, I had no idea where it would lead. I wrote advertising and news copy and learned how to run a TV camera and perform in front of it while interning at a local TV station. I got my radio license and worked on the college radio station, which led to an internship at a commercial beautiful music station in Roanoke, VA.

Little did I know, my life would never be the same. The station ended up hiring me full-time as soon as I graduated. I became their public affairs director and on-air personality for the six to midnight shift. On New Year’s Eve 1979, the beautiful music station went contemporary, becoming K-92 FM. They kept me on, and I became the “news girl” and occasional sidekick for one of the jocks. His name was Bill Jordan, and we married in 1981. Our daughter was born the following year. My subsequent occupations still involved public relations, development, sales, and broadcasting. Each required writing in some capacity, but being an author just wasn’t on the radar. I’d have laughed if you told me I’d be one someday.

When we moved to NC, my drama roots returned, and I performed in local theater and on our adult drama team at church. I also became the director of the youth drama team. And that’s when my writing came full circle. I began writing plays for them to perform. In 1999, the kids were asked to perform a Christmas production. I went through script after script and tried to find something that hadn’t been frequently seen or had enough parts for twenty-four young people. I struck out. So I locked myself in a room at the local Holiday Inn Express and walked out with a manuscript two days later. The First Christmas Carol was born.

Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

The road has been far from smooth. I had no idea that I’d soon face a battle within myself. When the Christmas performances were over, friends who’d seen the productions encouraged me to write a real story instead of a play. Instead of parts, I’d create  characters. I tried and tried. I’d write some, then shelve it. I’d try again a month later, only to put it away. This went on for years. But the weird thing was, and I know this will sound strange, it was as if the characters kept calling me. They wanted their story to be told. I couldn’t leave them alone. Finally, Bill and our daughter Jessica told me to poop or get off the pot. (I paraphrase.) But I still found it impossible to think of myself as a writer. And the war between my heart and mind continued, paralyzing me from moving forward. Yet the story still wouldn’t let me go. I began to experience a squirrelly feeling. I was afraid of writing but felt out of sorts when I didn’t.

I was my own worst enemy.

I’m a Christian. My life is centered around my faith, family, and friends. I had family and friends encouraging me to write. But I forgot about the spiritual part of the equation. I later came to understand that’s what was missing. That’s where the fear came from. The unease. The lack of belief in myself. He believed in me. Why couldn’t I?

Once I accepted this realization, things began to change. Don’t get me wrong. It was a gradual change. A very slow process. Periodically, I was still filled with deep rooted doubt. Finishing my manuscript took several more years and many writers conferences. I got turned down when I pitched the story concept. The rejections would dispel dreams of ever being published. But finally, my feeling of being spiritually bankrupt turned to trust. My faith became stronger than my fear and insecurity. So, I edited and edited. But again, I became my own biggest obstacle. I’d write, then when I got back to it, I’d reread what I’d written the day before to get into the story’s flow. The same pace—the same emotion and voice. But then I’d prefer something else to what was on the page, so I’d start editing the former pages rather than move on. That added to my delay in getting anything finished. But finally, in 2013, A Miser. A Manager. A Miracle. The First Christmas Carol*** hit the shelves.

There was a sad aspect surrounding the experience though. My mom died that same week, and I don’t remember much about the book launch. It’s still a blur. But Bill and Jessica were there to help me get where I needed to be and assured me I didn’t say anything stupid. It was a blessing, however, to hear how many people needed to be reminded about perseverance. To keep going even when your heart is breaking. The situation I was experiencing became an integral part of The First Christmas Carol. But, like the women in the novel, I could never have gone through it alone. I thank God I didn’t have to. That’s one of the most important lessons in overcoming any challenge. If we reach out, we never have to face any type of circumstance alone. Regardless of what is causing such pain, there is always someone to help carry the load. The hard part is admitting we need help. Letting go of our pride for fear of appearing weak.

*** I want to clarify one thing. Different from the initial play I wrote for the youth drama team, the title of this novel can be misleading, as it isn’t just about the nativity. It’s just as much an Easter or year-round book that can be read anytime. It’s considered “evergreen.” It covers so many subjects. It deals with loss, fear, love, hate, anger, and trust. It addresses money, the lack of it, taxes, government, friendship and family. You will find yourself or your circumstances somewhere between the pages.***

I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

The First Christmas Carol is the only book I have published on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I have another novel in the editing phase about three generations of women. There’s just one of the characters that I need to work on. I’m not happy with her storyline. It needs to be stronger. She needs to be stronger. I also have a children’s series based on the friendship between two dogs I’m pitching. It’s amazing what dogs can teach us. Trust me, I’ve learned a lot from mine. And yes, there’s another play. But I don’t believe anything like The First Christmas Carol will ever touch me in the same way because I’m not sure it’s finished. I don’t know what more is in store for it, but sometimes, I hear those characters calling my name. It was almost picked up for the movie rights but didn’t seem enough of a moneymaker for the backers. That was then. Now, with The Chosen and other faith-based films doing so well, who knows? Dreams come true more often than we think. The same goes for the story about the three women. The Lifetime Channel almost picked it up. The problem was that a section of it occurs during WWII, making it a period piece. The studio said it would be just too expensive to do it justice. But the experience in Los Angeles was truly remarkable. I learned from it, which in itself is a great thing. And who knows where it may lead?

Even if it’s just for my grandchildren, I still want to tell stories. It keeps the squirrels away.

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.

I’ve touched on my writing insecurities. We all have them in some area of our lives. If we’re self-assured and confident in everything we do, we’re either not honest with ourselves or limiting our life’s experiences. It took me so long to take a risk. I was afraid of failure. Of what others might think. Of appearing foolish. And admittedly, of where it might lead. I wondered if I’d ever write again. You know, if The First Christmas Carol was just a fluke.

Yet at the same time, there’s that feeling of wanting to do something more with what I’ve come to believe is my calling, for lack of a better term. That sounds strange even to me. “My calling.” I need to learn how to really define it. But if I/we feel incomplete when not doing something, it’s a part of who we are. Almost like part of our DNA. It’s there for a reason. But taking the risk of sharing it with others, well, that’s different. I love to cook, garden, and being around water. I enjoy watching ACC football and basketball. I love my cowgirl boots and jeans. They are part of what make up my personality. It’s easy to share those things. Meals, homemade goodies, flowers from my garden are no problem. I’ve even helped my grandchildren learn to swim. I give of my time, energy, and love. But sharing my writing puts my inner self out there for everybody to see. I risk being rejected, criticized, and judged. Exposed. My stories are personal. They’re my babies. Making public something that you’ve given life to is different than making a pot of spaghetti for a sick friend’s family. It’s almost a spiritual part of you. It requires strength—thick skin. Believing in yourself and trusting your gut. Not easy. Creating something from your soul and sharing it with others is a risk. But one I had and still have to take. You can’t seriously chase your dreams without risk.

Mark Zuckerberg once said, “The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a word that is changing quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.

Contact Info:

• Website: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Miser-Manger-Miracle-Marianne-Jordan-ebook/dp/B01GGOCQUU/ref=sr_1_1?crid=289BV5DA5NCG5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4565BIIO6Ua8Fj3t3ovMdw.oVSmAQWYapQTSUuazF4VfqM8e-BMHAdad7snjeSy6_4&dib_tag=se&keywords=A+Miser.+A+Manger.+A+Miracle.+The+First+Christmas+Carol&qid=1708531311&s=books&sprefix=a+miser.+a+manger.+a+miracle.+the+first+christmas+carol%2Cstripbooks%2C144&sr=1-1
• Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorMarianneJordan
• Instagram:Marianne Jordan (@iammariannejordan)
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MJordanTFCC

Image Credits
Original cover artwork by Urosh Bizjak and Ted Ruybal Photos are personal.