Please welcome author Erin Chesnut to the show! I found Erin through Writer Moms Inc. on Facebook (link is below) and had so much fun talking with her about conversing with characters, choreographing movement, and just sitting down and doing the hardest part of all–writing the words. Please enjoy!
Some Highlights:
Experimenting with different styles of writing.
The joy of human interest stories.
Coming to fiction from an investigative journalism career.
Finding those silent snatches of time to work on writing as a parent of small children.
Focusing on 3 sections of writing at a time.
The fun surprises within revision.
Finding support in Facebook writer groups.
Creating storylines for strangers when people watching.
Schooling your face when writing in public.
Why write: “because I think I’d go crazy if I didn’t. I have so many arguments, characters, and stories going on in my head, I have to write to get them out.”
Final words of advice:
“Just getting started. I am that perfectionist that for years and years and years, I was so afraid to sit down and try to write something because I want the perfect literary masterpiece to come out of my mouth from the first word to the last word all in one go. And just be perfect from the first time which obviously is never going to happen for anybody…Just get started.”
Erin Chesnut
“Serious writers want to be encouraging other people to be serious writers. They’re offering very helpful constructive criticism on how you can get your books out into the world. There isn’t a lot of this cutthroat competition.”
“Be okay with what you’re good at!”
Fight for Me is the first story in the Cypress Valley Sweethearts series.
I really enjoyed hearing about Erin’s 3 section approach to focus. She explained it as differentiating between what you just wrote, what you’re going to write, and what you are currently writing. A lot of us, myself included, can easily get lost in thinking about what we’re going to write or how to touch up those last few lines–but staying in the moment with what you are currently writing is a skill all of us can build through practice.
What she encouraged is thinking about all 3 sections before you dive in. So, take a moment to consider what you’ve previously written or where you left off. Then consider what you are about to write and the scenes/events/characters that will come up.
Finally step into the writing exactly where you are and focus on only what you are currently writing with that prior knowledge in mind.
Links Mentioned🔗:
Fight For Me on Amazon and Goodreads
Erin’s website
Erin’s link.tree
Cypress Valley Sweethearts Readers Group
Erin on Instagram and Facebook
Writer Moms Inc. (Facebook group)
Women Writers, Editors, Agents, and Publishers (Facebook group)
20 Books to 50K (Facebook Group)
Book Recommendations📚:
The Improbable Meet Cute Series (book 1)
Thank you so much, Erin for joining me on the Getting to the Heart of Why We Write. If you haven’t yet, check out previous interviews like last week with Laura Bower and this mini episode with Lynn Becker.
Stay tuned for next week’s episode with Jessica Stremer.
