Q: Tell us who you are and what inspires you to write.
A: I’m a well-aged (lol) woman who believes in the power of magic. I weave my magic by writing, whether I am working on a book of poems or women’s fiction. My writing soothes the ragged edges of my soul and helps me find the joy that is sometimes hidden in the world around me.
Q: How did you get to this place in your life? Share your story!
A: My desire to write started at a young age but I never felt I was good enough to pursue a career as an author. It wasn’t until after my second divorce, from the same man, (Now, there’s a story!) that I decided to follow my dream.
I had stories to tell and I didn’t want to leave this earth with my stories still bottled up inside of me.
Q: What are you most passionate about?
A: Passion comes in all shapes and sizes.
I am passionate about sunrises and sunsets, the songbirds at the bird feeders outside my windows, a new hydrangea cultivar, my son and my dog, good coffee and warm muffins, the scent of the earth in early spring, the warmth of the earth on an August afternoon, the smell of a wood fire and baking bread, the sound of ducklings as they follow their mother hen, the cry of an eagle and the hoot of an owl, and the laughter that comes from deep within one’s soul.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process, routine, and/or rituals around your writing?
A: My day starts early, typically around 5. First I give attention to my pets, and then the flock of wild ducks demanding their serving of cracked corn. The bird feeders must be filled, the bird baths given fresh water, the list goes on.
When all the critters are tended to, I make coffee and sit at a table that faces the river outside my house. And I write.
Sometimes fiction, sometimes poetry, sometimes a blog post, sometimes just random thoughts.
I drink coffee and write. No music except for the sounds of the songbirds outside my window.
They sing and I write.
Q: What are a few challenges you faced in creating, marketing, or publishing your creative work? And your solutions to them.
A: The biggest challenge I face when creating a book of fiction is plotting.
I am what is called a panster, someone who writes freely, allowing the characters to go wherever they want to go.
Sometimes they take me places that make sense and sometimes they have me all turned around.
That’s when I have to face the reality that I need a plan.
Q: What do you wish you had known before you started writing fiction?
A: What do I wish I had known before? Oh dear, there is so much.
For example, I wish I had known how lonely one can get while writing. Establishing a support network is vital, in my humble opinion, to a writer’s mental health.
I also wish I had known how to toughen up my skin to withstand the negative reviews.
Overall, though, I enjoy writing and the process of allowing my mind to fly across the page.
Q: What’s next for you in your creative work?
A: My next project is my work in progress; a story about second chances, the endurance of love, and finding one’s way back to their core beliefs. Although it’s a women’s fiction novel, my protagonist is a man. I hope I do his journey justice.
Q: Is there anything else you wished I’d asked? Please share!
A: I wished you had asked me if depression gets in the way of writing.
The short answer is: it can.
As someone who suffers with depression, I have found little ways of pulling myself out of the rabbit hole and staying creative. One such way is to set a timer for five minutes. In those five minutes meditate. Seems simple but it works, at least for the short-term.
I don’t beat myself up about my depression any longer. If my demons come to dance, I invite them in and make them a cup of tea.
Sometimes that’s all it takes to get me on track.
Leave a Reply