Thanks for the reflections on borders and boundaries, Lynne! And the reminder that we can go farther than we believe, that our limits might be more self-imposed than actual. So interesting that self-publishing authors are earning more than traditionally published ones, and women more than men! Do you think that's because there are more female writers or they are just more dedicated to marketing/ networking/ relationships or just awesome writers? Curious about the why.
@Serena Menken, yes, we can go further than we believe- and it's all dependent on self-belief!! So much of what I teach in my writing classes is confidence and belief in one's writing FIRST, then the craft second.
I'm not sure about the why - I'd love to say that women are hardier or tougher but that's too much of a generalization! What do you think is the why?
Authenticity is one of the most important qualities I look for in reading a book or in my writing. I tend to write about things I know or have had some experience with, because that works best for me. Some authors are experts at immersing themselves in another time or place.
I agree that we can stretch the boundaries and many authors have. I love finding books to read that defy the conventional methods, and do it well.
When I tell people I have published two books, the first question is often, “What genre are they?” And I stumble around trying to explain that they could be classified as more than one genre. The middle grade book, “Where’s the Vacation?” is a collection of stories in different genres.
I don’t think there is one way to approach writing, such as just write or write every day. I value thinking about writing as much as writing it down. For the novel I am working on, I keep an Inserts file and write down ideas and thoughts that I might or might not use in the novel.
Thanks for the reflections on borders and boundaries, Lynne! And the reminder that we can go farther than we believe, that our limits might be more self-imposed than actual. So interesting that self-publishing authors are earning more than traditionally published ones, and women more than men! Do you think that's because there are more female writers or they are just more dedicated to marketing/ networking/ relationships or just awesome writers? Curious about the why.
@Serena Menken, yes, we can go further than we believe- and it's all dependent on self-belief!! So much of what I teach in my writing classes is confidence and belief in one's writing FIRST, then the craft second.
I'm not sure about the why - I'd love to say that women are hardier or tougher but that's too much of a generalization! What do you think is the why?
So hard to say! I do see so many women writers who are tough, dedicated and relational, which seems like a good combo!
Authenticity is one of the most important qualities I look for in reading a book or in my writing. I tend to write about things I know or have had some experience with, because that works best for me. Some authors are experts at immersing themselves in another time or place.
I agree that we can stretch the boundaries and many authors have. I love finding books to read that defy the conventional methods, and do it well.
When I tell people I have published two books, the first question is often, “What genre are they?” And I stumble around trying to explain that they could be classified as more than one genre. The middle grade book, “Where’s the Vacation?” is a collection of stories in different genres.
I don’t think there is one way to approach writing, such as just write or write every day. I value thinking about writing as much as writing it down. For the novel I am working on, I keep an Inserts file and write down ideas and thoughts that I might or might not use in the novel.
Thanks for sharing your process and perspective, @Dawn Chalker! And kudos on the books!!