Women on Wednesday: Lisa Thomson
What was the impetus or inspiration for you to write your story?
The impetus of my book came from my divorce and people’s reaction to it.
What were some of the struggles that you faced in the writing process? How were you able to overcome them?
About 2/3 of the way through, I abandoned the writing process. My life was crumbling but I was renewing and building a new one simultaneously and it created a temporary block. Suddenly, my passion and desire to write re-sparked and I completed the manuscript within a few months. Editing was an arduous process as well. Even with professional editors I continued to make changes.
What was the publishing process like for you? How were you able to bring your book to life?
The publishing process was challenging. For one, no publisher was interested in my manuscript because I was a ‘first time’ author. This begs the question how else do you begin but with your first book? Second, after much research I decided to self publish something ironically, publishers hate.
If you had to describe yourself in three words only, what would they be?
Tenacious, strong, unsweet.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?
If I could travel somewhere I haven’t been before, it would be Africa. Ever since reading Karen Blixen’s Out of Africa, I’ve dreamed of staying at a coffee plantation. Not to mention the wild life and the wine country in southern Africa would be something to see.
What can we look forward to seeing from you in the future? Do you have any exciting plans or projects coming up?
In addition to my blog, I’m working on some non-fiction writing. I have two novels on the go right now. I hope to convert my blog into an illustrated style, pictorial self help guide for divorce.
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http://www.lisathomsonlive.com/
https://twitter.com/lisalisathom
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Great-Escape-A-Girls-Guide-to-Leaving-a-Marriage/218768681522446
Stuff We Love: Turndog Millionaire
How would you describe your experience writing this book?
It was a long process that spanned over six years. I started with a story, and along the way, somehow and very very gradually, I learned how to write. I find writing to be a great escape, and although it’s mentally exhausting and takes a lot out of me, I couldn’t imagine life without it.
I love stories. I love crafting them and sharing them, and when you find someone who connects with it, well, it makes all the hardships and silent moments starring at the keyboard worth it. Beyond Parallel was a heck of a ride, but one I’m so glad to be part of.
You mention on your website that you have a marketing background. How did you go from the business world to writing fiction and nonfiction?
I’ve always enjoyed storytelling, and looking back I think it’s this that drew me toward marketing. Marketing in its most bare form is storytelling. It’s about eking out the true emotions of a product or brand and sharing it with the right people.
It’s a journey, and this is what I love about stories. Back when I first started marketing I didn’t really understand this, but I do these days - I think. As such I love business and the people I meet. I love the variety of what I do, and when I’m able to combine writing and the business world it makes me very happy indeed.
I think my true passion will always remain with fiction though. If I had to choose just one form - which I don’t plan on doing any time soon - it would be writing novels. There’s something magical about creating something from nothing.
You consider each person’s individual story to be an important indication of how he or she should pursue a dream. How has your story affected this novel?
Beyond Parallel was written because of a bad breakup, so my story is very much interwoven. It made me wonder ‘what if’ - not just about that relationship, but my life in general. This is what Beyond Parallel is all about. It’s about the small ‘what ifs’ in life. It’s about those ‘what could have beens’
The great thing about storytelling is that they’re unique. You can choose similar themes and styles, but your story is different to all others. It’s like DNA. You can see where certain influences exist, but each is unique. We’re all special, and whether we purposely share our story or not, it doesn’t change how remarkable you and the story that you’re creating right now.
Is your writing connected to The Turndog Foundation? How so?
The Turndog Foundation is still very new - extremely so in fact. To be honest I have no idea where it will go, I just know I want to give back and help young people fulfil a dream.
I’d like to think writing will be part of this, although I’m not sure how yet: scholarships maybe, or courses or grants or simple help and guidance.
Like my storytelling, it will be rather Nomadic.
Why do you refer to yourself as “turn dog”?
Ha, good question. Matthew Turner is a rather common name. Growing up I was given the nickname Turndog at a Rugby Training session (from a guy named Luke). It kind of stuck, so when I was thinking of a company name - something that would help me stand out - Turndog was top of the list.
It tends to work, too. People rarely forget it, although I must say it usually confuses the heck out of folk :)
What advice would you give to other aspiring authors?
Write. Read. Write. Read
Be varied with your reading and consider as much as possible. I don’t care how educated you are or what you’ve been taught. A good book is in the story, and this takes your imagination and creativity to flourish. In order to make sense out of this though, you need to be inspired.
You need to practice and devour the work of others. You have to take it all on board, let it bury beneath your skin, and then, one day, when the time is right, you’ll create something that simply ‘works’.
Get writing, and when you’re not doing that, make sure a book is close to hand.
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Matthew Turner is a Storyteller who loves to Write, Read & Drink good Coffee. Check out his website, Turndog Millionaire to learn more!
Father’s Day Gifts for Every Kind of Dad
Father’s Day is just around the corner (ahem, Sunday, June 16 for those who don’t know). Haven’t gotten Dad that perfect gift yet? No worries! Whatever kind of man your dad is, he’ll definitely appreciate one of these creative ideas that will fit his unique personality on his day.
A photo book is a perfect way to capture all of those great family memories and share them with each other over and over again. All you need to do is provide the pictures, and Apple will put a professional book together for you.
For the coffee drinkers, this snarky coffee mug will definitely make Dad smile on Father’s Day. And if that doesn’t fit his unique personality, you can always create your own.
If your dad loves to read, he’ll appreciate you keeping him up to date with the latest book reading trends. Getting him a Kindle will make him look tech savvy and compile his library all in one place. (You know how he hates clutter!)
Here are some fun beer steins for the beer drinking dad – something a little different than the usual socks and ties you’ve given him the past couple of years.
For the dad with a sweet tooth, a chocolate gift basket will never disappoint – especially when it’s great chocolate. Just remember to order enough for yourself, too!
If you’ve got a foodie dad, here’s an easy website to find local restaurants. You can also sign him up for “dinner of the month” club, a gift that will let him try new restaurants all year long.
Blogs We Love: Procrastinating Writers Blog
When and why did you start your blog, Procrastinating Writers?
I started Procrastinating Writers in March of 2008 as a way for me to overcome my writing procrastination. My goal was to write one blog post a week for a year. Once I did that, I took it to the next level and started to seek out traffic.
Your site provides “guidance for writers who struggle to get started.” Can you give us your best advice for writers who struggle to “get started” in one(ish) sentence?
Write what you know.
How important do you think being a part of a writing community is for writers?
You need support and accountability if you want to be a successful writer. Being part of a community will do that for you. For a writer who procrastinates, that’s priceless.
How did you build the audience and community for your blog?
I started writing guest posts for blogs that had more traffic than I did. My very first one was for Copyblogger.com, actually, which got me a flood of traffic. That’s what more or less put Procrastinating Writers on the map.
Just for fun, what’s the craziest thing you’ve done in an attempt to procrastinate?
Got on my hands and knees and scrubbed the bathroom floor with a sponge. Ridiculous, I know.
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Jennifer Blanchard is a writer, book coach, and the founder of Procrastinating Writers, a blog that helps writers who struggle to get started. Grab her list of 113 things you can write right now and get writing…right now.
Women on Wednesday—Sharon Reamer
Sharon Reamer
1. What was the impetus or inspiration for you to write your stories?
It’s a complicated and not completely linear process, this genesis of ideas. I suspect it’s probably that way with most writers. Anyway, I’ll try.
Shaky Ground is the sequel to Primary Fault, the first book in my Schattenreich series. I got the idea for the first book when we first started working on the archeoseismology of the Roman ruins being excavated in the Archeological Zone in Cologne (the paper that came out of that project is open access, published by Springer Verlag and downloadable here). The events in the novel are all fictional, but the real world controversy surrounding the (still unsupported) hypothesis that an earthquake could have forced Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, to abandon his seat of government in Cologne for Aachen greatly inspired me. Even though the Schattenreich series is contemporary, this inspiration drove me to write two historical short stories in my fictional universe. I have plans to do a couple more, linking the past to the present, and bundle them into a collection.
But what really caught my fancy was a certain Roman well – a part of the excavations in the middle of Cologne – just across from the Rathaus or City Hall. This Roman well, still in use in Charlemagne’s time, kept bugging me, wouldn’t let me go. Plus, I had begun reading heavily about Druids and continental Celts and started developing a passion for a culture about which not a whole lot is known except from secondary sources, mainly their conquerors, the Romans. I knew that had to be a part of the story. Druids+Roman ruins+Earthquakes. It was enough to get started. Even though the Roman well doesn’t come into play until Shaky Ground, it was always there, in the back of my mind while writing the first book.
My next series idea was inspired by my great great great grandmother, who was a Seneca princess. I don’t know anything about her except for her name and what she looked like, from this one photo I have of her. Sometimes, inspiration can be flamed into existence by less rather than more.
So, complicated.
2. What were some of the struggles you faced in the writing process? How were you able to overcome them?
Even though I work part-time and teach at the University of Cologne, finding the time and passion to write hasn’t been a problem for me, other than the occasional bout of writer’s block. But I’m an expatriate American, living in Cologne, Germany. And even though there is a nice expat community here, being able to network locally with writing professionals in my native English is limited, especially since I write speculative fiction, fantasy and science fiction. I worked as a lone wolf for a while, until I hooked up with an awesome online critique group and started getting feedback on my writing. But aside from that, going to conferences in the U.S. was cost prohibitive. I started going to U.K. conferences and have been able to meet some really nice people there. With my good friend, the accomplished author and musician/songwriter, Robin Goldsby, I also co-moderate a local writing group of expatriates. But it still feels like I’m on the outside looking in sometimes because of the language isolation.
3. What is the most important piece of advice you can give to aspiring female authors?
Write as much as you can and read as much as you can and most importantly, write what you love. Don’t worry about the publishing end of things until you’ve got your writing game up to a certain level. How do you know that? Submit pieces of writing (fiction or non-fiction) to magazines. Get lots of rejections. Keep trying. Don’t give up. Try to find strangers to give you feedback and advice. But, ultimately, trust your own instincts because you’ll have to live with the results.
4.Tell us about your latest book.
Shaky Ground, the second book in the Schattenreich series, tells the continuing story of an expatriate American in Cologne, Germany. What she really wants is to get settled in her new life with her brother and start looking for a job. A scientist by training, she suddenly has to come to terms with a completely ‘new’ paradigm that includes deities and creatures out of myths and legends, from a Celtic culture that no longer exists in contemporary Europe. At the same time, she must confront her enemies again, the ones who kidnapped her brother in Primary Fault. Oh, and her life is deliciously complicated by her new boyfriend, a gorgeous German baron with his own castle.
Shaky Ground is a novel of suspense blended with contemporary Otherworld fantasy and a generous portion of real-world science
5. If you had to describe yourself in three words only, what would they be?
Stubborn as hell.
6. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?
Right now, I have a hankering to go to Scotland, to do some long hikes and get to know the country. I’ve never been to that part of the U.K. I’ve been exploring Celtic rock and the beauty of the music has given me a longing to see the land where all those lovely traditional and not-so-traditional songs come from. And I’m pretty excited about the possibility of seeing men in kilts.
@sharonkae
Online Literary Events for June
June 1-30 all day: Online Book Club. Join fellow readers in this monthly online book discussion with people from all over the country. This month, the group will be discussing And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini, so join the discussion this month, or post your vote for the book the group will be talking about in July, and get opinion from all over.
June 11 at 1pm: Summertime Listening. Learn all about all the new books that are coming out this summer on ebook and audio book in this quick one hour free webinar to give you great summer reading suggestions.
June 13 at 1pm: What All Agents Want in a Great Young Adult Novel, by Carlie Webber. Participants can submit the first 500 words of their novel and get it critiqued by the literary agent Carlie Webber. You will get first hand exactly what agents are looking for when they are choosing authors to represent, and how you can improve your novel to get you that much closer to publication!
June 18 at 1pm: What an Agent Really Thinks While Reading Queries, by Kate McKean and Jim McCarthy. Every attendee can submit their work that could be critiqued live on this webinar, getting honest feedback from these two agents and a look inside of how agents treat submissions. McKean and McCarthy will also request more writing after the event from those participants that they deem excellent and may want to represent, giving you an inside look into the minds of agents, and a chance to get one of these two to represent you!
Women on Wednesday—Cai Emmons
Cai Emmons
1. How and when did you decide to become a writer?
I became fired up about writing when I was in fourth grade and our teacher, Mr. Vogel, had us write ‘daily compositions.’ He sometimes gave us a prompt in the form of a picture or object or opening line, but we could always write whatever we wanted and the pieces were never graded. I came to associate writing with great freedom. It was a rare arena where I was the sole proprietor.
I have been writing consistently since then, but it has been a circuitous path to the writing of novels. In junior high school and high school I wrote poetry, in college and thereafter I wrote plays then screenplays, and eventually I found my way home to fiction.
2. What was the publishing process like for you?
The day my agent called to tell me she’d sold my first novel (His Mother’s Son) burns bright in my memory. I was home alone with my nine-year-old son, Ben, who was sick. Due to his illness we had both been awake most of the night before, and we were lying in bed, limp and bleary-eyed, watching cartoons. The phone rang and I took the call from my agent in a daze. She had an offer from Harcourt, she said, and we should take it, though other companies were interested too. Ecstatic, I returned to bed. “I sold my novel!” I said to Ben. Sick as he was, he didn’t miss a beat. “Now I can get a Gameboy!” I had to laugh—I had indeed promised him a Gameboy if I sold a novel, but that promise had seemed at the time like a safe way of insuring he would never actually have a Gameboy.
Off we went that very morning, tired as we were, to Toys R Us to purchase the Gameboy. I am quite sure I have never made a happier purchase of electronics.
Publication itself was surprisingly gratifying with that book. The best part was having the work taken seriously, first by my agent, then by my editor, and then in the world at large by readers and reviewers. It was 2003, before the big publishing shakeup, and I was sent on an old-fashioned book tour that felt glamorous, and served as a terrific ego boost. The reviews of the book were good and coverage in The Economist and O Magazine was especially satisfying.
By the time my second novel, The Stylist, came out in 2007 things had changed in publishing. My book tour was smaller, my publicist was not so on the case as my first one was, and while I knew I should be doing things on the web, I wasn’t quite sure what. As a result The Stylist is still finding its audience.
Now, anticipating the publication of Short of Wonderful, I feel challenged and excited. I am savvier about how to find an audience, and I really look forward to reaching out to readers in cyberspace.
3. What is the most important piece of advice you can give to female authors?
We live in a culture that can be demeaning to the concerns of women. Women writers are often given the message that the content of our books is trivial (especially if they address the domestic/family arena) and that men are writing the really important books of literary merit. Their books are the ones, we are led to believe, that will matter to the human race.
I think it is essential for women (and men) to resist this notion and remember that the truths of human existence can be discovered by a focus on almost anything. There is no single lens, no single method. What your instinct tells you to write is exactly what you should be writing. A piece of writing matters because it offers a unique perspective on things, a unique voice. Ignore the world, at least for a while.
4. If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Lively. Creative. Engaged.
5. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?
I have long harbored a dream of traveling to Bali because I have been told that the culture there prizes and encourages creativity as few other cultures do. In going to Bali I would want to step outside the word of words for a while and see how it feels to draw or paint or make music. I would relinquish myself entirely to that sensual island culture and hopefully return refreshed and enlivened to my familiar and beloved warren of words.
6. Tell us about your latest book, Short of Wonderful.
I am just now finishing Short of Wonderful, the first first-person novel I’ve written. The book was inspired by an autobiographical story I wrote. Shortly after I finished the story and was wondering what to do with it, a novel burgeoned around it, a novel that quickly left all the autobiography in the dust.
A brief synopsis:
Art professor Helen Parry, a well-educated New Englander prone to worry, has grown up with a strong sense of ‘we and they.’ Not that she would ever have said so aloud, but there were certain people with whom she never expected to associate.
Now married and living in California, Helen and her lawyer-surfer husband, Steve Fairchild, are on the verge of adopting a baby from two working class California kids, Kaylee and Kevin. Though Helen and Steve do not consider themselves naïve about the challenges of this transaction, they have no idea how their unexpected entanglement with Kaylee and Kevin will change their lives.
June Literary Events in NYC
Thursday, June 6, 7pm at 52 Prince Street. City Lights Poets, Homero Aridjis, A Time of Angels. Aridjis will be presenting his brand new collection of poetry, A Time of Angels. As one of Mexico’s most respected poets, he writes bilingually and has the artwork of Francisco Toledo accompanying his words.
Friday, June 7, 7-8pm at Barnes and Noble at 150 East 86th Street. Mark Goldblatt, newspaper columnist and professor at FIT, has published his first novel The Unrequited, and is presenting it to interested readers just like you at Barnes and Noble. This mystery novel from the perspective of a journalist will keep you turning the pages until the end as you follow whether or not a murderer and rapist is guilty.
Thursday, June 13, 6pm at 97 Warren Street. For all those James Joyce lovers out there, a James Joyce Tribute with readings from Ulysses and his other works by actors and authors who appreciate Joyce’s masterpieces. Pete Hamill, Adam Gopnik, Malachy McCourt, Larry Kirwan, Jeffrey Frank, Aedin Moloney, Don O’Keefe, and Carolyn T. Hughes will all be participating.
Saturday, June 15, 10am at Port Washington, Long Island. A tour of Manhasset Bay in the spirit of The Great Gatsby and F. Scott Fitzgerald! The tour will last about two hours, and will give you all the history that sparked Fitzgerald’s imagination to create the great work we all know and love. And of course, to honor Fitzgerald’s tradition and memory, BYOB.
Wednesday, June 19, from 7-9pm at KGB Bar on 85 East Fourth Street. The reading series Fantastic Fiction represents great authors and their works for readers to come and listen. The series is continuing, hosted by Ellen Datlow and Matthew Kressel, as they present Sarah Langan, author of The Keeper, The Missing, and Audrey’s Door.
Saturday, June 22, 2pm beginning at the White Horse Tavern at 567 Hudson Street. The Greenwich Village Literary Pub Crawl, happening every Saturday, takes you on a great tour of the Greenwich bars filled with literary history, giving you both your fill of your favorite historical authors that have lived and written in this area, along with all the drinks the greats used to create their great works of literature.
Friday Reads
The Pubslush team has been busy reading this week! Check out what books made our Friday Reads list.
Women Code by Alisa Vitti
(Sidenote: Pubslush’s VP recently attended a book signing with Alisa Vitti and loved her and the book. Must read.)
Let’s Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
Women on Wednesday—Adela Crandell Durkee
Adela Crandell Durkee
1. At what age did you begin writing? Is writing your sole career or do you have other jobs in addition to being an author?
I “wrote” my first published piece (in The Flint Journal) when I was six years old. I dictated the story to my mother, who took it all down in shorthand. She taught me the values of trusting myself, and of self-editing. I remember her erasing her mysterious short-hand scratches when I corrected myself hand changed “the little girl lifted her hands like this,” to “the little girl lifted her hands over her head.” Mom clipped the story and saved it for years, giving it to me just a couple of years ago.
I always loved story-telling and writing. That said, I most of my career is in science: microbiologist, chemist, quality assurance professional. I held leadership positions in large and small pharmaceutical companies. There I honed my writing skills by creating protocols, reports and procedures. Writing instructions is a great way to build skills in writing details: turn the black knob one-quarter turn counter-clockwise or until you hear a faint click and see a faint stream of steam escape.
I also love my vocation as wife and mother, which requires a lot of upfront investment and pays wonderful dividends.
2. What are some of the struggles that you have faced in the writing process? How were you able to overcome them?
The hardest part is getting started, and the second hardest is stopping. I cannot write too close to bedtime, or my mind won’t relax. Sometimes just the process opens up a flood of ideas. This can have a paralyzing effect. Now I keep an electronic journal of ideas for later.
3. How do you see writing as an empowering experience for yourself and other women?
I just love to write, it’s part of who I am and how I ground my thinking. It’s a wonderful feeling to organize all the mish-mash of my thoughts into words on paper. Sometimes, just putting a pencil in my hand helps me to coalesce my thoughts. When recognizes me for my writing, it’s the best feeling in the world. The only thing that beats that feeling, is holding one of my newborns for the first time. Come to think about it, the process may be the same: lots of gestation, waiting, and wondering, and finally, something I can share with the world.
4. If you had to describe yourself in three words only, what would they be?
Tenacious (I loved it the first time someone described me as tenacious. My heart shouted out a big “YES!”)
Passionate (My sister pointed out that characteristic as so much more satisfying than emotional.)
Imaginative thinker (Sometimes I imagine what the squirrels and birds are thinking as they scamper around my yard. On a serious note, I love logic and following a thread to imagine various consequences, intended and unintended.)
5. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?
When I met my husband he promised we would visit the seven continents. We’ve gone to North America (!), South America, Europe, and Africa. I hope either Australia or India is next. (I know India is not a continent, but it surely warrants a trip of its own.) I’ll save Asia for last. And I’m not going to Antarctica, although I’m game for Alaska for my dose of the cold-cold climate.)
6. What can we look forward to seeing from you in the future? Do you have any exciting plans or projects coming up?
My first novel, A LAND OF MILK AND HONEY, will be finished by the end of March. I plan to get a boat-load of rejection letters because that’s the best way to get published. Anyways, that’s what Stephen King and Anne Lamott both tell me in their books on writing. I am putting my tenacity to work by submitting short pieces and I’m learning how to monetize my two blogs The Black Tortoise and Once a Little Girl. Eventually I plan to transform Once a Little Girl into a memoir. In my free time, I’m editor of my ASQ Chapter’s Newsletter (http://www.asq1212.com) and I love to garden, play with my grandchildren, adventure with my husband, George, and of course, read.
http://www.theblacktortoise.com
http://www.oncealittlegirl.com
http://www.facebook/TheBlackTortoise
Http://klout.com/Blacktortoise
@blacktortoise
Blogs We Love: Aliventures
Your blog’s pretty awesome! When and why did you start Aliventures?
Thanks! I launched the Aliventures blog in July 2009 (though I had the URL before that, as Aliventures is also my business name). I’d had a couple of previous blogs — one on healthy eating and one on student life — but I’d lost interest in both of them. Originally, Aliventures was mainly about personal development, with a bit of writing advice thrown in; now it’s a blog firmly focused on writers, bloggers and self-publishers, and I’ve found that I have plenty of energy for the blog — and plenty to say!
How did you build your audience for your blog?
I did a lot of guest posting between 2009 - 2011 and that worked really well. More recently, I’ve been focusing on using Twitter and Facebook to help grow my blog’s audience — though I’ve had a few months off (see question #4 for why..!)
I’d definitely recommend guest posting to anyone looking to grow their audience — it’s a great way to “piggy-back” on someone else’s success, and busy bloggers are often very glad to have a ready-made post to publish. Small blogs that are very close in subject matter to yours will usually give you better results than big blogs which only tangentially relate to what you write about.
Since we all know writers are always asking questions, what’s the most popular question you’re asked? (And what’s the answer!?)
Whenever I survey my audience to find out what they’d like to know, “where do I begin?” comes up a lot, often from writers who have too many ideas or options and don’t now where to start. Last year, I wrote a post addressing this — Starting Your Writing Journey: Two Easy Ways to Get Inspired. The short answer, though, is make the decision to write regularly (at least once a week), and use competitions or writing prompts to get you going.
Blogger, fiction writer, freelance writer (new mom!)…how do you manage your time as a writer?
At the moment, rather haphazardly! My fiction has been a bit neglected recently because I’ve been focused on being a mother — my husband and I had our first baby, Kitty, less than three months ago. I’m lucky that I’ve developed good writing habits over the past few years, though: I write fast, and I know the process that suits me. I plan out all my blog posts before I get started, and I have a few ready-made templates in my head that always work — e.g. “7 mistakes” with a solution for each is a good one.
I think all writers wish they had more time — and as a new parent, I have a lot of sympathy (and respect) for people who fit their writing around their kids. One tip that’s helped me over the years, though, is to focus on writing at the start of the day, before checking emails or taking care of admin tasks. I know it’s tempting to “warm up” to writing — but once you get into your email inbox (if it’s anything like mine, at least!) it can be very hard to escape!
You have so many great tips and resources on your site, but what do you think is the most important thing for an aspiring writer to know?
You can do it. That’s the one message I’d like aspiring writers to take away from Aliventures. Writing can be tough at times — it’s certainly not a quick path to fame and fortune — but it’s extremely rewarding. And whatever stage you’re at with writing, you can always learn something new and take the next step: that applies to total beginners and to best-selling authors.
And leading on from that — “doing it” might not necessarily look exactly how you imagined. When I was a teen, I hoped to one day make a living writing novels. I later found out that would be a lot harder than I’d realised, but I do make a living from my writing, and I love my work.
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Writer, blogger, self-publisher.
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Ali Luke blogs at Aliventures.com about writing and the writing life, and runs Writers’ Huddle, a community / teaching site for writers. She has an MA in creative writing and lives in Oxford in the UK with her husband and baby daughter.
Friday Reads
Another round-up of our weekly reads!
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
Promising Young Women by Suzanne Scanlon
