Lisa Jansen

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your work.
I’m a writer and marketing professional based in beautiful New Zealand. For the last six years, I’ve been a nomad, travelling the country first in my campervan and now as a housesitter. Along the way, I decided not to have children so I could keep enjoying the freedom, flexibility and adventure I love so much.

I’m the author of three books, including Life Done Differently: One Woman’s Journey on the Road Less Travelled, in which I share how I came to live an unconventional, childfree-by-choice life. My other two books are One Size Does Not Fit All: Discover Your Personal Path to a Happier Life and The Nomads Ultimate Guide to New Zealand.

2. Has writing always been a focus for you or was it a Plan B? 
I’ve always loved writing, and journaling is part of my daily routine, and has been for a long time. Writing has also always been part of my marketing work. However, writing books and articles happened more unexpectedly. After I stepped away from my busy career life in Auckland to live and travel in my campervan, I suddenly had all this free time, and I filled a lot of that with writing. I was offered an opportunity to write for a travel magazine and started work on my first book. From there, it kept developing and growing.

3. How do you explore ideas or find inspiration for your work?
Like many writers, I draw inspiration from my own experiences as well as other books I read. I also enjoy researching specific topics and often find inspiration in that. Another huge source of inspiration for me has been New Zealand. The country plays a huge part in two of my three books and I often write articles about places I visit for a travel magazine. I love being out and about in the great outdoors of New Zealand and often feel inspired by the beauty of nature.

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4. What does the process of writing involve for you?
It varies based on what I’m writing. If it’s a commissioned article or content for a marketing client, with a clear scope and deadline, it tends to be quite structured. I think about the outline and what I want to cover, do the required research and then write. Sometimes, the structure changes as I write, or I go back and do more research, but overall, it’s a fairly structured process.

When I do more creative writing, like blog posts, I often just start typing, let inspiration flow and then edit at the end.

All three of my books have been a combination of both approaches. Some sections I planned out in detail before writing them, and others I just typed out from the heart. For all of my books, I spent a lot of time editing. One thing I love about writing books is the challenge to make a story or message flow over hundreds of pages. It’s not just a matter of making each chapter as best as possible. All the chapters also need to fit together and share a cohesive message. For me, that usually happens in the editing process once most of the writing is done.

5. And what does writing then also give you in return?
So, so much! Writing is my way of thinking and processing. Whenever I’m stuck on something and don’t know what to do, I write about it. Most of the time that helps me figure out what I need to do.

I also love that my writing has connected me with incredible, like-minded people. Through my blog and my books, I’ve found other people all over the world who have similar values and goals, which has been amazing.

 

6. Has seeing your work in print changed how you view yourself, and also how you view your NoMo status?
Seeing my first article in a printed magazine and holding a physical copy of my first book were super special moments. But it’s probably the latest book, Life Done Differently, that’s changed how I view myself and my NoMo status the most.

Because the book is a memoir and tells my journey of choosing to be childfree (while travelling New Zealand in a campervan), it feels more personal than the others. Writing down that story made me look back and review what had been a five-year journey. It was amazing to realise how far I’d come and how confident I had grown in my choice to be childfree and to follow my own path in life. The physical book now represents that feeling of confidence, happiness and contentment, which is very special.

7. Tell us about the wider reception that you’ve had to sharing your story - has it changed how others have viewed you and your identity as a non-parent?
It’s been amazing! I was super nervous about putting my story out there. It’s so personal, and I worried people would hate it. But I’ve received so much great feedback. My favourite messages are from people who say they could see themselves in my book, which was special for them because it’s not often that you read about 'women like us.' It means a lot to me that my book inspires and comforts people who are on a similar path. It has also made me realise how many people feel similar about children and life in general, which makes me feel less alone.

I also love how many parents enjoy my book and can resonate with a lot of it. To me, it shows that, in many ways, we’re not that different. Regardless of whether we have kids or not, it seems like more and more people are starting to question society’s norms and expectations around family as well as success, achievements and purpose. I find that comforting.

 

8. How do you feel about the current representation of childless and/or childfree people in literature?
I feel like we’re making progress – but we still have a long way to go. There have been some great books lately around the topic, which I think is doing a lot towards increasing awareness and normalising it. Several excellent non-fiction books describe and analyse childfree and childless experiences, a few novels feature childfree/childless characters and some even centre around the topic, and several writers have shared their lived experiences in memoirs. All of that feels like progress to me. However, so far, a lot of it seems to be fairly niche. I hope we start to see more childfree / childless characters in mainstream novels, published by the big publishing houses.

I do feel like books are maybe ahead of other channels, though. While childfree characters in books are rare, they’re even rarer in movies and TV shows. I really hope we see that changing over the coming years.

9. What would you like the publishing world to know about non-parents, both as writers and readers, and our stories?
I would like the publishing world to realise that the whole topic isn’t as niche as they seem to think. There is a lot of research coming out showing that a significant percentage of the population is now childfree, childless or on the fence. I think once they realise that there is a market, we will see more books with childfree characters or on the topic.

10. What future plans do you have, especially for your writing?
I’m currently focused on promoting my latest book, Life Done Differently. That will take all my time and energy for a while. However, I’m also starting to think about the next book. After three non-fiction books, I’m tempted to try my hands at a novel. I’ve got a fun idea I’m keen to explore further – and, yes, it’s definitely got childfree main characters!

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