Kathleen Barber, Kimberly Belle, Lyn Liao Butler, Molly Harper, Amy Poeppel, and Susie Orman Schnall were generous with their time, sharing details from their personal publishing journeys. Here are some of the themes arising from those writing podcast interviews: 

1. Authenticity

Write the stories you were meant to tell. Kathleen Barber cautions authors about writing to trend. Not only does it come across as inauthentic, but Barber also says it makes work of what could be a joyful writing process, resulting in a book that isn’t as much fun for the reader, as well.

In an early draft of Limelight, one of Amy Poeppel’s characters died, stemming a painful revision. She discovered she doesn’t “write sad.” It’s just not her. Humor is very much a part of her storylines as she creates a feel-good experience for her readers.

What do you do if the story you’re meant to tell is set in an unfamiliar time or place? Susie Orman Schnall says to “read up and around” to build a solid understanding of your genre and its constructs. A romance provides a “happily ever after” or, at least, a “happy for now.” Rom-coms blend love stories with comedy. Scientific fantasies integrate elements of scientific fact within a setting or plotline. Whatever you write, it’s important to grasp the pieces readers expect within that genre. Do your homework before you write in unfamiliar territory.

2. Writer’s Block

At some point in their careers, writers find themselves staring at a blank page, wondering if they’ve come to the end of their journey. In the writing podcast, Molly Harper says not to panic. Instead, get some sleep. Drink some water. Give yourself permission to take a break, with one proviso—set a deadline. Tell yourself, “After two days, I’ll return to my desk and bang out some words.” And stick to it. It’s amazing what a little time away can do to nurture a battered writing soul.

3. Protecting Your Writing Time

For suspense writer Kimberly Belle, “Home is where the laptop is.” That laptop travels with her, whether at home in Georgia or visiting her husband’s homeland in the Netherlands. No matter where she goes, she maintains some semblance of a schedule to meet her deadlines.  She warns writers to remain mindful when common tasks creep up.

When Orman Schnall finds herself deeply entrenched in a manuscript, she eliminates all non-writing events from her calendar. Walking the dog might clear the mind, but if it takes you too far away from your writing world, you may not return.

Distractions aren’t limited to tasks unrelated to writing. All too often, writing is diverted by social media, updating a website, or the creation of a bullet journal to mark off daily word counts—even listening to a writing podcast. Any one of these could be considered important, but if words never land on a page, you’ll find you’ve filled your time with everything but crafting books. Belle keeps the “writers write” rule in the forefront of her mind.

For Liao-Butler, the pandemic presented an opportunity for an unexpected retreat. Somehow, the planets aligned to allow her to spend a few months in Kauai where she conducted research and put a hefty dent in her next book. Belle, too, uses time away to recharge, although the writing continues. A beach trip might mean a usual day’s work becomes abbreviated so she can take a hike or hit the water. Can’t get to Kauai? Ask a friend to use their guest room or secure a hotel room for a few days.

4. Typing, “THE END”

“Isn’t the end,” says Poeppel. Reevaluate those expectations.  After the first draft is complete, it will require multiple revisions before it’s ready for prime time. Be proud of your work, knowing you’re in it for the long haul.

5. The Author’s Tribe

“Find your people,” says Molly Harper. Fellow authors will get you through the ups and downs of drafting, revising, querying, and publishing. Many times, they’ve been in your shoes and can alleviate stress.

Liao Butler encourages authors to rely on their author friendships to talk out their angst among each other. Not only does it make you feel better, but you can avoid dragging those negative experiences into social media.

Schnall has a group of five or six writers who meet via Zoom every Thursday to commiserate about their work. Similar Zoom meetings have become a helpful productivity tool for Barber. Accountability is key among her group of mystery and suspense writers. The platform provides a focused hub where they work, predominantly in silence. A designated interaction time provides a space for interaction to offset the workload in a supportive environment.

Where to find your people? On the writing podcast, Poeppel recommends visiting author websites or reaching out on Twitter.

Authors Kris Interviewed

Kathleen Barber

Kathleen Barber’s first novel, Truth Be Told (originally published as Are You Sleeping), has been adapted as a series for Apple TV+ by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine media company. Follow Me is her second novel. www.kathleenbarber.com

Lyn Liao Butler

Lyn Liao Butler is the debut author of The Tiger Mom’s Tale, which comes out July 6th. Born in Taiwan, Lyn has had many careers: concert pianist, professional dancer, business owner, personal trainer, fitness and yoga instructor, purse designer and now author. www.lynliaobutler.com

Kimberly Belle

Kimberly Belle is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of six novels, including her latest, Stranger in the Lake and The Marriage Lie, a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Mystery & Thriller. Her books have been published in more than a dozen languages and have been optioned for film and television. A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Belle divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam. www.kimberlybellebooks.com

Molly Harper

Molly Harper is the author of more than thirty paranormal and contemporary romance titles, including the Half-Moon Hollow series, the Southern Eclectic series, and the Audible exclusive Mystic Bayou series. www.Mollyharper.com

Amy Poeppel

Amy Poeppel’s writing has appeared in the NY Times, The Rumpus, and Working Mother, to name a few. She is also the best-selling author of Small Admissions, Limelight, and Musical Chairs, and she’s written the theatrical version of Small Admissions. www.amypoeppel.com

Susie Orman Schnall

Susie Orman Schnall is the author of four novels, and her writing has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Popsugar, Writer’s Digest, and Glamour. www.susieschnall.com

Kris Clink’s relatable characters rely on humor and tenderness to navigate complicated relationships. Set in middle America, her novels are laced with romance, heartbreak, and just enough snarky humor to rock the boat. When not writing, Kris spends her time searching for an open karaoke mike and an understanding audience. Born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, Kris lives in Wichita, Kansas where her great Dane, Sophieanne, runs the house Kris shares with her editor-in-training husband. Full interviews can be found at https://writingtablepodcast.buzzsprout.com/

The post #5onFri: Five Things Overheard at My Writing Table Podcast appeared first on DIY MFA.

It’s the week before Christmas, and I wanted to do something a little bit different from the interviews we’ve had these many weeks.

This week’s topic is something I’ve been wanting to talk about for a while and then I received a question via email from one of our listeners and I decided it was time to dive in.

Shout-out to Kayla for sharing a great question. I’ll paraphrase it here, but it essentially came in three parts:

• How do I know if my writing is good?
• Is there a certain amount of “literary-ness” I need to include in my writing for it to be good?
• What are the people who judge my writing (editors, agents, critics, etc.) looking for?

In the past I have wondered the same thing. What did the readers want me to say? What am I supposed to write? And what if people don’t like what I have to say?

Having a strong, authentic voice boils down to who you are. Remember, too, that you are not alone in wondering about this. At some point every writer asks themselves:

1. Is my work any good?
2. What do people want from me?

This question isn’t about getting published. It’s about being true to yourself.

Who are you as a writer?

Is your author identity being authentic to who you are? You may hear a lot of advice from writing gurus telling you to “craft your authentic voice” as a way to promote your work, to better connect with people who will want to buy your book.

Authenticity is not a marketing strategy. It’s about being who you are.

Authenticity at it’s heart is being vulnerable, being honest with your readers. And it’s scary! Every time I share anything remotely vulnerable with you all on the podcast or in my newsletter, I’m afraid that you will like me less for doing so. But it’s never a marketing strategy for me. Vulnerability, authenticity, it’s who I really am. And it should be who you really are, too. It’s not a schtick.

Should I put on a persona as my author voice?

So should you put on a persona as you develop your author voice? Well, I have answers for both sides of this question. Mainly, don’t try to fake your voice. You’ll end up sounding phony, and that will come across to your readers.

• Who are you? What does your natural voice sound like? That is the voice that will sparkle. Share that voice.

• What happens if you “put on” a voice and it’s actually successful? Are you prepared to stick with this voice forever? What if your agent or editor loves that persona that you’ve created? What if your readers love it? Are you going to leave them in the lurch?

• If you decide to drop this not-you voice, are you prepared to face the consequences? Suppose you “put on” a voice for a while, then you decide to flip the switch. Your readers might feel like you’ve pulled bait-and-switch on them and many might ditch you then and there. More importantly you will have to work hard to earn back the trust of those readers who decide to stick with you through the switch.

When you try to be someone you’re not, when you’re not being true to your voice and your own goals, it will come back later to haunt you. You’ll have to ‘fess up eventually.

So how do you “craft” your author brand then?

I think this quote from Judy Garland sums it up best:

Judy Garland

The best version of yourself, that’s what I call your author identity, your author brand. The person you put on the page is still you, but a more focused, more coherent, less wacky and hairbrained version of you. Your author identity is like a laser beam. A laser is focused light, and your author brand is focused, crafted, still you but the strongest version of you.

Crafting the narrative of your author identity

Can an “author identity” be truly authentic? The way you present yourself online will, of course, alway have some manner of crafting and shaping. The goal is to be as naturally you as possible.

Oscar Wilde

As a writer, if you try to write in a voice that isn’t really your own, you’re going to become exhausted. But in being authentic, you can’t just let your voice and your focus be scattershot. You have to find your voice and your focus, and give your readers the best version of yourself.

This is the true gift you give your readers. You don’t need to share all of you and you don’t need to to change who your are. You definitely don’t need to show your readers the hot mess that happens behind-the-scenes (unless you want to). Instead, give your readers the superstar version of you. Not the cheap knockoff, manicured version. The original heart-and-soul you.

Have a wonderful holiday season. We’ll see you soon!

Resources:

Chuck Wendig’s post that I referred to in the podcast episode. This more recent post–Go Big, Go Weird, Go You–is also right on point.

Link to Episode 74

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available. Also, if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please share!

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome.

The post Episode 74: Identity, Authenticity, and How to be True to Your Voice appeared first on DIY MFA.

But before I dive in, I want to give a shout-out Leanne and say thanks for writing in with this great question that sparked today’s episode. Leanne writes:

“I love to write from multiple perspectives, but if I’m writing in first person I struggle with making each character sound distinct. I’d love to know how to practice making voices stand out in a manuscript.”

Great question, Leanne. Though we all know what voice is, it’s hard to define and even harder to figure out how to practice it. Today we’ll look at a couple of techniques to not only make each character sound distinct, but also to help you find your voice as as a narrator and writer.

Character Voices

The best way to learn about writing character voices is to see it done well. Read pieces with distinct character voices in them and study the techniques the author uses to give each character its own life.

For two good examples of crafting distinct voices in your characters, read the first chapter of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and the first chapter of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Look for other examples, too, group scenes (with 4 or more characters) and try to get to the bottom of how these characters come across.

Power Tip: Copy a couple of paragraphs from these “mentor texts” by hand, to help ingrain them in your mind

Another way to help you find a character’s voice is to try what I call Method Writing. It’s like method acting, but for writers. Just like in method acting, practice becoming your character. Put yourself in their skin. See what they see, feel what they feel. Then you will be able to write how they speak.

Narrative Voice

Finding narrative voice is a little trickier to talk about but I have a simple exercise that does wonders to help you identify your voice. Take a simple scene or nursery rhyme and try writing it by imitating the voice of an author you admire (e.g. write “Jack and Jill went up the hill” in the voice of Toni Morrison). Once you’ve done that, pick another author with a dramatically different voice and repeat the exercise. The key here is to put voice into action. After all…

“The only way you can truly understand voice is if you do it.” via @DIYMFA
Tweet this.

Keep practicing. Follow in the footsteps of the masters. Trust your process and your voice will come.

Link to Episode 33

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available. Also, if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please share!

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome.

The post Episode 33: Find Your Voice appeared first on DIY MFA.