Novelist Natasha Woodcraft is back with the second half of her epic exploration of Cain’s story. Having been privileged to share a long car ride with her to and from Derbyshire in the summer and being involved with her first blog tour, I was fascinated by how she has published not one but two novels this year. So I caught up with her to ask some questions about her writing process, how she feels about her characters and what’s next.
Ruth: As a novelist myself, I find the prospect of writing between 75-85,000 words moderately terrifying. I am so impressed that you've written not one but two long novels in a very short space of time. And with one more child than me. Is there a secret? Or secrets? How do you carve out the time?
Natasha: Well, I haven't been nearly so productive since lockdown ended: perhaps lockdown was the secret? In all seriousness, though, it can be hard work, especially when you have many other commitments. I find drafting very quick – so far, ideas have come thick and fast and I can sometimes draft thousands of words a day. However, I am an extreme over-editor. I spent three times longer editing The Wanderer novels than I did drafting them! And that was before sending them to be professionally edited! Talking to other writers, this seems to be unusual, but I think it’s worth it.
I am very blessed that I don’t “work” full-time and so I squeeze as many hours out of the day to write as I can, but I try to avoid the evenings for the sake of the family. Early mornings are by far my most productive times.
You've mentioned that you wrote The Wanderer as one novel, then halved it and turned it into two novels. How hard was that?
I really didn’t want to split it up! The Wanderer Scorned leaves us with something very incomplete and the idea that someone would stop there and not carry on is painful to think about. I almost ignored all the advice I received and brought it out as one book! But I prayed a lot, giving myself a good six months to think about it, then decided to follow the advice and trust the whole project to the Lord. He knows whom He wants to read these books, and He can make sure they do. I have to trust that.
When reviewing The Wanderer Scorned, I came across the term "mishrab" which I hadn't been familiar with before. Can you explain that for anyone who may be new to it?
Midrash is the term given to a Jewish mode of interpreting scripture that engages with the Hebrew text, going beyond what is written, often reimagining narratives and crafting new ones to stand alongside them. It is an ancient practice that continues to this day and there has been a lot of midrashic literature written. In the case of the Cain and Abel story, there are several representations of it in Jewish Midrash, and also versions of the story in Gnosticism and (much later) in Islam.
Our New Testament writers and Early church fathers would likely have been familiar with many of the Jewish stories – the book of Jude in particular references several of them.
The practice of modern Biblical fiction can be seen as a Christian continuation of this tradition, and, like the Midrash itself, it varies in how closely it follows the Biblical text. Some stories are helpful, some perhaps, not so helpful! I was very careful not to contradict scripture, but that is not always the case. As such, this mode of interpretation has sometimes had a bad press in evangelical circles. It would be nice for it to be redeemed!
I have written talks on familiar Bible characters and stories which I bring into the modern day, but I am intrigued with the process of taking a well-known Biblical character like Cain and giving him not one but two novels all to himself. My mind is spinning at the very notion of trying to do that! Where did the seed of the idea come from? Why Cain?
The idea came out of the blue one morning. I’d been considering starting a writing project for some time but my thoughts were firmly in the New Testament. One morning I woke up very early and suddenly had an idea about Cain. I can only attribute it to the Lord. On my heart was the scripture in Matthew 5:21-22 where Jesus declares that anyone who is angry with his brother (not just the murderer) is liable to judgement. This is a hard thing to hear! I wondered if Cain was perhaps not so different to us all. “There – but for the grace of God – go I!”
Cain had always fascinated me because he’s the first anti-hero! I had read a book some years previously that was written in first person from the perspective of a murderer and I somehow knew this was what I wanted to attempt. So, I read the scripture first then sat at the computer and wrote the first line of Cain’s story, “It all started with the banishment.” I was a couple of chapters in before I even admitted to my husband what I was doing! I had no notion at that time it would end up as 160,000 words (both books, before the reader panics!) Or that it would start me on a new career path. But as the characters developed, so the story flowed from them.
Did you become attached to your characters?
Each one became very real to me during the writing process. Of course, we have a love/hate relationship with Kayin (Cain). And it was certainly hard to kill Havel (Abel). I cried – lots! I particularly love Chayyim, he’s my favourite. I am hoping to revisit him with a Wanderer spin-off at some point in the future! I’m not sure I can bear to leave him at the end of The Wanderer Reborn.
What has the response to your first novel been like?
Incredible! I was SOOO nervous about publishing. Even though I felt confirmation from the Lord, I genuinely thought that most people would hate it or accuse me of being sacrilegious. But the feedback I’ve had has been amazing. I love it most when someone tells me they’ve read it slowly, or have already read it two or three times. There is so much content in the book and although (apparently) it’s a page-turner, I really would love people to savour every line.
I’m not at all surprised to hear that! I’m so happy to hear you’ve had such good feedback. What are you planning after you've launched this novel?
I am already two books into drafting my next series, but that is something very different – a young adult allegorical story. I have done what authors are not meant to do – genre swapped! But Lord willing, I will revisit The Wanderer Series. I’m planning to continue the narrative where it ends in the Epilogue to The Wanderer Reborn, with Lamech’s family.
My aims are threefold: to help people fall in love with the scripture, to teach theological truth in a way that sticks in people’s minds and to write things that further the kingdom of God. If these books bless people and achieve any of those things, then I will feel immensely privileged.
Thank you Natasha for those interesting and honest answers.
Visit www.natashawoodcraft.com for more information on Natasha’s books, songs and an opportunity to follow her blog.
I was given a free copy of the book but was under no pressure to provide a favourable review.