National Novel Writing Month aka NanoWrimo starts today!!!
To celebrate, this November I’ll be asking author friends to stop by on B2W to share their thoughts on writing novels. To kick off, here’s best selling indie author Stevie Turner (A HOUSE WITHOUT WINDOWS) to share her insights on why she writes novels, in the hope that if you’re wondering whether to dip a toe in the writing pond this NanoWrimo, you’ll dive straight in. Enjoy & over to you, Stevie!
1) If you like doing it
I reckon you’re either born creative or practical. If you’re creative, sooner or later that creativity has to flourish or you’ll go mad. I’ve always enjoyed creative writing since I was a very young child. I wrote many stories and kept copious diaries of everyday events, family holidays, school life, and thoughts and feelings. It’s so interesting to look back at my diaries from the l960’s and to the person I was then; young, carefree and with her whole life ahead of her. Whatever you write will be a legacy of sorts for generations to read. MORE: How NOT to Write A Novel
2) For therapy
Are you troubled, angry, or depressed and harboring feelings of hopelessness? I lived in a state of denial for 30 years of my married life, continually making excuses for my husband’s addictions. When I finally hit rock bottom and did something about it, I was so elated to have been able to help him through his two years of recovery that I needed to write it all down in a sort of ‘faction’ book. My life is in ‘The Porn Detective’, and by writing down all the pain and heartache and living through it all again with my fictional characters, surprisingly it helped with my own healing process. It could help with yours! MORE: 7 Steps To Writing A Novel
3) For a living
Most (if not all) writers yearn to be able to sit at home and write all day. To earn a living from it is a dream that I’ll pursue until my very last breath. However, I still work as a medical secretary on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and thanks to my husband’s largesse I can now write at home on Mondays and Tuesdays. ‘A House Without Windows’ always sells very well, and ‘For the Sake of a Child’, recently a runner-up in the Goodreads’ eBookMiner BOTM, is a close second.
Being famous and being recognised does not do it for me, which is one of the reasons I write under a pen-name. However, to be able to live comfortably doing a job that I love is something that definitely floats my boat. Who knows? Perhaps one day I’ll be able to give up my job. Persevere and don’t give up is my motto! MORE: Creative Ways To Edit Outside The Box
4) To take your mind away from any problems
By writing you can blot out reality for a while, plus it’s cheaper than alcohol! Again, it’s a sort of therapy I suppose. At the moment I am awaiting an ultrasound scan to find out if the cancer I suffered from in the past has returned. By writing I can take my mind off to be with my characters, and I forget for a brief time that I may need more major surgery. I laughed a lot as I wrote ‘No Sex Please, I’m Menopausal!’ and ‘The Pilates Class’. I’ve also been laughing as I write my new book ‘A Rather Unusual Romance’, which is coming out early in 2015. I have weaved snippets of my time as a hospital ward clerk into my latest work, and again, the humour has been therapeutic for me. MORE: How To Road Test Your Concept
5) To be able to go back in time or learn through enjoyable research
I’ve always been fascinated by the Victorian era. For my novella Lily: A Short Story, I made a few trips to the Isle of Wight to make my writing as authentic as possible. I contacted Lily’s old school in Freshwater, and the staff were kind enough to tell me what they knew of the school in Victorian times. I learned a lot more of this fascinating island through my research.
Whichever era you’re interested in you can switch on your computer and immerse yourself straight away. It just needs a creative mind! MORE: The Importance of Research
BIO: Learn more about Stevie and her work on her website HERE, plus you can read interviews with indie authors and sample chapters. Follow @StevieTurner6 on Twitter and read her blog, HERE.