Tweet I’m a big fan of nonfiction books. At any time of year, there’s a teetering tower of books on my nightstand. I love reading everything from health and healing to writing craft books. No matter what I read, I can parse something to my writing life and every word seems to wind itself into my prose. I’m also taking 7 courses and homeschooling. In fact, I wrote about it in an article for ASJA this month. With all the information I’m garnering, I thought I’d share a few pearls of wisdom from experts that offer a fresh perspective…
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Tweet Deb Hunter is a bright soul with a good heart. A southerner that you want to sit down on the porch and have a glass of iced tea with. She’s an author who follows the call of her passion which has led her to write her upcoming novel I’ll See You In My Dreams. She’s also a Stage IV cancer survivor with a heart of gold. Grateful doesn’t describe how I felt when I spoke to Deb. She’s so inspiring and a real sweetheart. She shares her writing schedule, what class has given her a deeper understanding of her characters,…
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Tweet This is a post I don’t usually write. Usually, I’m a how-to nonfiction writer hoping to inspire you. But when it comes to fiction, I’m struggling. Recently, I attended SCBWI Hawaii chapter’s 2016 conference with 2015 Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat and literary agent Suzie Townsend. It was as encouraging as it was discouraging. It made me want to write as much as it made me want to quit. One of the other writers put it simply. With nonfiction there’s facts to lean on. When you’re grasping around in your imagination, there’s no bars, no walls. You’re free and freedom can…
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Tweet For a few years now, my husband told me. My business coach did too. Everyone told me I was wasting my time on paid writing work that didn’t fill my soul. But it’s hard when you’re freelancing and getting paid. It’s hard to say, “No” when you don’t know when your next big check will come in. But these were the first two signs. Another one had come years before. Several years ago, I received a handful of Steven Pressfield’s book. I quickly devoured The War of Art, but it was only when I got into Turning Pro that my life changed dramatically.…
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Tweet If you ask me what the difference between fiction and nonfiction is, I’d say, “apples and oranges.” And to most writers, that’s a given. For people who don’t write professionally, however, words are words whether they’re made up or based on fact. There’s an art about each. And both have their challenges. For me though, using my imagination, and letting go into it are difficult. There is no way of controlling what will happen to my characters. There is no specific date or fact that can completely direct my story. That’s why writing a children’s book has been a…
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Tweet “Friends sometimes ask, ‘Don’t you get lonely sitting by yourself all day?’ At first it seemed odd to hear myself answer No. Then I realized that I was not alone; I was in the book; I was with the characters. I was with my Self.” – Steven Pressfield, The War of Art The more I commit to writing fiction, the more I appreciate the genius that is Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art. I made up a fiction’s children story on the fly. My husband and I were resting at the most beautiful country cottage in Point Reyes. It was…
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Tweet You’re a writer. Fiction, nonfiction it’s all the same. Or is it? To me, they feel like two different literary monsters. One’s like breathing. The other? It’s what I imagine skydiving would feel like. Super fun and exhilarating, but also vomit-inducing. Which one you experience all depends on your comfort level. For me, nonfiction is safe. There are research, experts, facts to back up my words. Fiction? Fiction is like free falling. I never know where my imagination will take me. It’s part thrilling, part walking on the edge scary. When I’m feeling particularly insecure, my left-brain tries to…
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Tweet When I was frantic last week, a few fiction writers graciously helped me out. And so did an article I picked up today. As I side note: Did you ever notice that answers come when you ask the right questions? The surprising source was one of my favorite home decor magazines, Coastal Living. In their November 2011 issue, Million Dollar Decorators star Kathryn Ireland answers a few decorator question. I skimmed through them until I stopped at this: If you can’t make it out, it says: What are your rules for hanging art so that it looks pleasing and…
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Tweet I’m venturing into an unfamiliar territory. Fiction. Ack! Talk about anxiety. Fellow fiction writers I welcome your input on this one. Anyway, I let my husband read passages from it every once in awhile. And while I wait, I try to appear calm, but I’m really scrutinizing every eye movement, every shift in his position. What I got from him this time scared the bejeezus out of me. “It’s good. But I’m worried about one thing.” “What?” I asked. At this point, my mind went to horrible, bad plot, unbelievable characters, amateur storytelling. What he said was, “I’m worried…