Jessica Keener on Evening Begins the Day

Why Authors Write host Mary J. Cronin welcomes Jessica Brilliant Keener to discover why emotional betrayal and broken trust were issues that haunted her while writing Evening Begins the Day. Keener shares how her interest in fractured family relationships, marital infidelity, and the complexity of human motives became the emotional core of this book. Rather than lean on clichés about leaving a relationship or drawing a line, she digs into the complicated reasons people hurt each other deeply, then stay connected for better or worse.A turning point in writing Evening Becomes the Day was Keener’s discovery of the counting of the Omer, a 49‑day spiritual practice from Jewish tradition that she integrated into lives of all her characters in revising the story. She recounts a moving real-life encounter involving her son and a young man named Nate, whose simple act of generosity led her to discover this ritual of reflection and healing. Keener explains how the counting of the Omer became a “lightweight but profound” framework that unites the novel’s characters, from teenagers to deeply wounded adults, without ever becoming heavy-handed or dogmaticMary invites Jessica to open up about her writing process and the strategies she relies on to complete her novels.  Keener’s discipline includes sitting down to write 500 words, five days a week with no excuses. That routine, however, doesn’t prevent period of self-doubt and agonizing decisions to throw out big sections of her manuscript and start over when early drafts go off track.  She wraps up her reflections on authorship with generous, hard-earned advice for writers at every stage of plot development and publication, including the importance of surrounding yourself with people who truly want your work to thrive.InsightsExploring themes of broken trust and betrayalPower of a religous ritual in a secular settingWrestling with self-doubt and permission to "make a mess" on the pageWriting routine and processChapters00:00 Exploring Broken Trust and Betrayal05:28 Writing Routine and Process12:58 Transition to Book Promotion