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by Nita Sweeney | Apr 7, 2021 | Author Interviews, Blog
Author Interview: Karen C.L. Anderson
I interview wellness authors to find out what makes them tick and why they write the books they do. This author interview features coach and author Karen C.L. Anderson. I met Karen on Mango Publishing‘s Heart Wisdom panel. As happens with many Mango authors, I quickly felt I’d found a colleague and friend. Karen focuses on healing mother-daughter relationships and creative anxiety.
Nita Sweeney (NS): Tell us about your writing.
Karen C.L. Anderson (KCLA): The book I am currently writing, is about…shame. It doesn’t have a title yet, but I’ve been playing around with titles like “How I Made Shame My Bitch” (it’s definitely not going to be that ha ha ha) and “Unshame Yourself: Healing The Most Toxic Relationship Of All.”
NS: What made you want to write this book?
KCLA: Shame has been a lifelong companion. I started to recognize the impact it was having on me about 20 ago and I’ve been learning how to change my relationship to it ever since. Unless there is “repair” (to use clinical language), shame can become toxic. And there’s a very fine line between what is considered healthy shame and toxic shame.
NS: What message do you hope readers take away?
KCLA: I want readers to take away that shame is a normal human emotion that few of us seem to have a healthy relationship with; that we can develop a healthier relationship to it; and that doing so will allow us to be more intentionally authentic and vulnerable in our work and life.
Given that shame is a normal human emotion that we will continue to experience, and that humans have an innate need and desire for growth and self-expression, I want to give readers tools to manage shame. Put another way? I want to give readers the ability to love themselves because of whatever it is they thing makes them a bad person, not “in spite of” or “even though” or “no matter what.”
NS: Writing (and life) can be stressful. How do you take care of yourself?
As best I can, I love myself unconditionally and hold myself in high regard. Also? Hydrate. Nourish. Sleep. Rest. Play. Connect. Boundaries.
NS: Do you have a writing tip for the writers out there?
KCLA: When writing doesn’t feel good (and I count on it not feeling good at least 25% of the time) don’t make it mean that you shouldn’t be writing, or that your writing is bad, or that something has gone wrong. It’s just a sensation in your body.
NS: What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
KCLA: It’s not so much “advice” as it is my perception of what good writing is, what it looks like to be a writer, etc. Basically, all the “shoulds” I have, like “good writing should be literary,” “good writers are disciplined and write every day for several hours at a time,” and stuff like that.
NS: And the best?
KCLA: Anything you write counts as writing. I think, actually, that I gave myself that advice and I now give it as advice to others.
NS: Tell us about your work.
KCLA: In my Mother Lode 1:1 coaching program, I work with women who have/had difficult relationships with their mothers and who want to use that relationship as a catalyst for growth, wisdom, and creativity. We work on healthy boundaries, overcoming the fears associated with “putting yourself out there” (because for many women, their Inner Critic’s voice is their mother’s voice), confidence, and people-pleasing, and more.
NS: What led you to this path?
KCLA: I have a mother 🙂 Seriously though, the older I got the more obvious it became that there was a lot to unwind in regards to our relationship. For most of my life and well into adulthood, I was boundary-less when it comes to my mother. I had no idea where she ended and I began. We were emotionally enmeshed. I felt chronically angry, sad, and fearful of her. And yes, therapists suggested that she may have narcissistic tendencies and maybe even borderline personality disorder. So my path has been two-fold: #1 to figure out who I am separate from her and #2 to repair the complex emotional traumas that came from growing up with her.
NS: Do you have a motto or slogan you find helpful? If so, how did you arrive at that?
KCLA: How we heal individually is how we heal collectively. To be honest, I am not sure if I heard this from someone else, but as I continue to do my own work, I see the “micro” (one woman healing her relationship with her mother) and “macro” (women healing from the relationship of white supremacy, internalized misogyny, and patriarchy). And so as we do our own individual healing, we become examples of what’s possible, and we do less harm to future generations.
NS: What’s the worst wellness (mental health, self-care) advice you’ve ever heard?
“Just think positive” and “raise your vibration.” I get it…the Law of Attraction is a thing, but it doesn’t seem to take into account what it means to be a human being with the full range of human emotions, not to mention that most humans are living with unacknowledged, unresolved trauma. In fact, it’s the disconnection from our bodies and our full range of emotions (which reside in our bodies) that is the essence of trauma.
NS: What is one thing about coping you wish you’d learned earlier?
KCLA: That coping isn’t the goal…I used to think it was all about figuring out ways to cope. To figure out and fix dysfunctional dynamics and patterns. Then I learned that all I really need is more self-knowledge so I could trust and respect myself, so I could step out of and free myself from conditioned, dysfunctional, co-dependent patterns and not just find better ways to operate within them.
NS: Has your life turned out differently than you expected? If so, how?
KCLA: It has turned out differently, although I am not sure what I expected way back when. As I said, I was so disconnected from myself that I had no internal rudder, if that makes sense. I certainly didn’t think I’d be a published author several times over (although from childhood I wanted to be a writer) and I didn’t think I’d have my own business.
NS: Is there anything you would change about your journey?
KCLA: Not really, although there’s a part of me that wonders what more I would have accomplished if I had started earlier. I recognize that I might not have been able to handle the success I enjoy now when I was younger.
NS: What are you currently reading for inspiration?
KCLA: I am generally always reading both a fiction book and a nonfiction book. The most inspirational nonfiction book I read in the past year is My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem. Right now I am reading Patriarchy Stress Disorder by Valerie Rein.
NS: Is there a wellness or inspirational book you couldn’t finish? Why?
KCLA: There are many wellness/inspirational books I haven’t finished and the reason is usually one of two things: #1 I got what I needed in the part that I read or #2 I got distracted (I suspect I am on the ADHD spectrum).
NS: What wellness book could you not put down?
KCLA: So many. Glennon Doyle’s Untamed comes to mind. I will read anything Brené Brown writes. Same for Elizabeth Gilbert. Other favorite authors include Wally Lamb and John Irving. Wally and John are novelists, but I consider reading for pleasure to be “wellness.”
NS: What’s next for you writing wise? (or otherwise – doesn’t have to be writing)
KCLA: In addition to the book on shame, I am working on a memoir, A Letter To The Daughter I Chose Not To Have, in which I examine my relationship to motherhood through a series of interconnected essays. I very consciously chose not to have children (I never had the desire), although I am a stepmother and it’s been a complex journey.
AND FINALLY:
NS: Mermaids or Goddesses? (Superheroes or Gods?)
KCLA: Goddesses
NS: Toast or bagels?
KCLA: if I weren’t sensitive to gluten it would be sourdough toast with butter, although many years ago I was smitten with bagels and cream cheese.
NS: Ocean, mountains, or forest?
KCLA: An ocean next to mountains with forests nearby.
NS: Have it all!! What about leggings or jeans? (Jeans or slacks or sweatpants?)
KCLA: Depends.
NS: Dogs, cats, fish, guinea pigs, or horses?
KCLA: For the first time in my adult life I have a dog, but I’ve had cats every single day of my 58 years.
About Karen C.L. Anderson:
Karen C.L. Anderson is a writer, author, and master-certified life coach who helps women use the troubled relationships they have with their mothers and/or daughters as a catalyst for growth, empowerment, wisdom, and creativity.
She is the author of:
- After (The Before & After) (2011)
- The Peaceful Daughter’s Guide To Separating From A Difficult Mother (2015…no longer available)
- Difficult Mothers, Adult Daughters, A Guide For Separation, Liberation & Inspiration (March 2018)
- The Difficult Mother-Daughter Relationship Journal: A Guide For Revealing and Healing Toxic Generational Patterns (January, 2020)
- Overcoming Creative Anxiety: Journal Prompts & Practices for Disarming Your Inner Critic & Allowing Creativity To Flow (June 2020)
- Dear Adult Daughter, With the Emphasis On Adult (July 2020)
Karen’s next book, tentatively entitled Unshame Yourself: Healing The Most Toxic Relationship Of All, is scheduled to be published in 2022.
She is also at work on a memoir, A Letter To The Daughter I Chose Not To Have.
Prior to all of this? Karen spent seven years as a freelance writer and before that, 17 years trying to fit her right-brained self into a left-brained career as a trade magazine journalist in the field of plastics (and if she had a dime for every time someone mentioned that line from The Graduate…).
Karen and her husband Tim Anderson (a left-brained engineer) live on the Southeastern Connecticut shoreline.
Certifications & Education:
- Certified Dare To Lead Trained Professional
- Master Certified Coach, Life Coach School
- Healthy Boundaries for Kind People coach and facilitator
- Emotional Freedom Techniques practitioner (EFT Training For Trauma, Levels I + II)
- Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Marist College
Website: http://kclanderson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KCLAnderson/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kclanderson/
If you purchase something through the affiliate links on this page, Write Now Columbus, a collection of resources for central Ohio writers and readers, will receive a small percentage of the sale.
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by Nita Sweeney | Feb 28, 2021 | Author Interviews, Blog
Author Interview – Melisa Caprio
I interview wellness authors to find out what makes them tick and why they write the books they do. This author interview features Melisa Caprio who entranced us when she appeared on a Mango Publishing panel. As an intuitive photographer, Melisa sees the world through a different “lens.” [pun intended.] Her creative approach offers a unique take which helps many. I wanted you to meet her too.
Nita Sweeney (NS): Tell us about your book. Give us the official “pitch!”
Melisa Caprio (MC): In Postcards to the Universe: Harness the Universe’s Power and Manifest Your Dreams, artist-photographer Melisa Caprio offers a way to combine art, love and manifestation that will lead you to everything your heart desires. Lush with imaginative images and poignant with heartfelt words, this beautiful book is already igniting a creative fire in manifesters everywhere. Caprio photographs the postcards as she intuits it-by each person’s specific manifestation. Through art and photography, we get to see the desires of people manifest in the world, thus taking the law of attraction to a whole new level.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Photo Credit: Melisa Caprio ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
NS: What made you want to write this book?
MC: I was teaching people how to use their creativity for manifesting using the Law of Attraction with my project Postcards to the Universe, A Global Movement for Manifestation. I kept getting story after story from people who created a manifesting postcard of their dream coming true in their life and I thought, “I have to make this a book.” I took a course on how to write a book proposal and when I completed my book I ended up having 30 postcards from contributors who sent them to me that I photographed and their stories manifested.
NS: What message do you hope readers take away?
Melisa Caprio
MC: I want readers to understand that we attract what we focus on, usually it’s negatively. But actually, we can learn how to co-create with the Universe to bring in what we really want when we do it in a conscious way. I do it by tapping into creativity.
NS: Writing (and life) can be stressful. How do you take care of yourself?
MC: I take care of myself by finally learning how to stop the negative self-talk. We have a tendency to beat ourselves up and I have become super aware of how my mind can go down that rabbit hole. Once I became aware of myself doing it, I learned to stop and shift my thoughts around. I speak much kinder to myself now.
NS: Do you have a tip for the writers out there?
MC: Yes, writing is relatively new to me, I am a photographer and had been doing that for years. I learned that it’s really important to spend time being creative. It applies for me with both writing and photography. Even if I don’t publish the work. Working our creative muscles I find is good for the soul.
NS: What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
MC: That you have to get up early and start a writing practice. That doesn’t work for me. I follow my own rhythm to know when I am in the space to write. I think you have find what works for you and commit to that as your writing practice. For many people it’s every day. For others it may be mornings, while others may prefer evenings. Some may do it a few times a week. As long as you commit to it, and follow through.
NS: And the best?
MC: To just sit down and write. Don’t think about it; just do it. When I approach it like that even if I am not sure exactly what I will write that day, it comes to me.
NS: Tell us more about your work.
MC: I also have a weekly radio show on Wednesdays at 4PM ET. It’s hosted on OMTimes Radio and I am blessed have such amazing guests that I interview. I am always looking for inspirational people who can share themselves and their work. I interview a lot of other authors. It’s a great show and I take the recording and make it a podcast.
NS: What led you to this path?
MC: That is a long story, but the short version is, I was in a place where my life took a turn and I was very unhappy. I started searching and asking myself questions about what to do next. That is when I learned about manifestation. It just grew from there. The right books found me, people who helped me get to the next step started showing up, and new doors presented themselves.
NS: Do you have a motto or slogan you find helpful? If so, how did you arrive at that?
MC: Yes, it’s funny and it has stuck with me. My mother has a saying in how she describes me, “You’re a horse of a different color.” She actually uses it for our whole family. I like it. It means we march to our own beat and that’s cool.
NS: What’s the worst wellness advice you’ve ever heard?
MC: Anytime I see another fad that everyone is talking about, I get suspect. I think you have to find what works for you, you know when something is good or no good for you.
NS: What is one thing about coping you wish you’d learned earlier?
Melisa Caprio
MC: I wish someone had told me how important it is to trust yourself. Our intuition is so spot on and I don’t think we are taught when we are young how important it really is. It could save us from so many things, if we just listened to it.
NS: Has your life turned out differently than you expected? If so, how?
MC: Yes it’s very different than I could have imagined. I never thought I would be an author and have a radio show.
NS: Would you change anything about your journey?
MC: No, not really. There are a few situations that I would probably change. I few take backs that I would do. But overall, it’s the journey that got me here.
NS: What are you currently reading for inspiration?
MC: Because of my radio show, I interview so many other inspirational authors, I am getting introduced to more and more amazing work. I love it.
NS: Is there a wellness or inspirational book you couldn’t finish? Why?
MC: No, never. I always finish them. There have been a couple that were just OK but I still finished them.
NS: What wellness book could you not put down?
MC: There are a few authors whose work I just love and usually have a hard time putting down: Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Carolyn Myss, and Don Miguel Ruiz
NS: What’s next for you writing wise?
MC: I am working on a book using my photography as affirmations and explaining how those affirmations can shift our lives.
AND FINALLY:
NS: Mermaids or Goddesses?
MC: Goddesses
NS: Toast or bagels?
MC: Bagels
NS: Ocean, mountains, or forest?
MC: Can I pick all three?
NS: YES!
NS: Leggings or jeans?
MC: Jeans
NS: Dogs, cats, fish, guinea pigs, or horses?
MC: Right now it’s cats, it was dogs for a while. It changes.
About Melisa Caprio
Melisa Caprio, author, photographer, radio host and creator of Postcards to the Universe™ A Global Movement for Manifestation, is inviting people from around the world to participate in this movement. By using photography, art, personal wishes and desires and sending them out to the Universe via a postcard. Her inspiration comes from a desire to have a forum where people come together in creative ways for global change. She is currently giving workshops on photography, art, transformation, and manifestation. She guides her clients on how to create a unique postcard for added effect on the power of creative intention.
Caprio has her own weekly show titled Postcards to the Universe with Melisa on OMTimes Radio where she interviews spiritual trailblazers, she has turned that show into a popular podcast.
She has been featured in ROAR: Fierce Feminine Rising Magazine, and Voyage VIA Miami Magazine. She is a regular contributor on Thrive Global. Caprio has been featured numerous times in the local newspaper Sun-Sentinel: Broward and Palm Beach News on her work and also exhibits her photography work on a regular basis in fine art galleries in South Florida.
Find Melisa here:
www.postcardstotheuniverse.com
www.melisacaprio.com
OMTimes Radio – Postcards to the Universe
*all social media links can be found on Postcards to the Universe website.
If you purchase something through the affiliate links on this page, Write Now Columbus, a collection of resources for central Ohio writers and readers, will receive a small percentage of the sale.
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by Nita Sweeney | Jan 7, 2021 | Author Interviews, Blog
Author Interview – Allen Klein
I interview wellness authors to find out what makes them tick and why they write the books they do. I met Allen Klein when he and I appeared on a Mango Publishing panel together. Because Allen uses humor so effectively to lighten any situation and help us cope, I wanted you to meet him too.
The AWE Factor, a new groundbreaking book by best-selling author Allen Klein, is the perfect read for the new year. With the pandemic preventing many people from fully enjoying life, this book demonstrates why awe is the new happiness and how to get more of it every day. As the subtitle says, a little bit of wonder can make a big difference in your life.
NS: What made you want to write this book?
AK: At the beginning of last year, I looked back at my life and realized how many magical moments have occurred during my time on earth…from finding the perfect publisher, to acquiring a no-cost yearly New York City vacation apartment, and even getting to march in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
NS: And what message do you hope readers take away?
AK: In The AWE Factor, I want readers to realize that they don’t have to go to the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls to find awe and wonder. It is all around us. All we need to do to find it is put down our cell-phones, get away from our computers, and start recognizing it. Moreover, I want readers to know that, according to recent research, awe-inspiring moments can help us be healthier and happier.
Allen Klein
NS: Because writing (and life) can be stressful. How do you take care of yourself?
AK: My dog helps me keep well. No matter the weather, rain or shine, I need to take her for walks. It gets me away from my computer, refreshes my spirit, and often my stuck writing places clear up as new ideas seem to flow more easily on the walk. In fact, I dedicated one of my books to my dog because of all the wonderful ideas happened during our walk time.
NS: Do you have a motto or slogan you find helpful? If so, how did you arrive at that?
AK: My favorite is, “The world treats as royalty wherever I go.” I’m not sure exactly where or when I first started using it but that mindset uplifts me no matter what the situation and helps me have a positive attitude.
NS: What’s the worst self-care advice you’ve ever heard?
AK: This is funny…I am almost totally bald. The Asian owner of a store next to a business I once had gave me this remedy for baldness. “Get some very pure, high-alcohol-percentage- vodka. Then catch a very young mouse and put it in the vodka. After a few months rub the solution on your bald head every day.
I can’t say whether or not it works. I never tried it.
NS: What is one thing about coping you wish you’d learned earlier?
AK: Everything turns out for the best. Not the way I may have wanted but for my own personal best.
NS: Has your life turned out differently than you expected? If so, how?
AK: Yes, yes, yes. I never thought my wife would die at the age of 34. I never thought that event would turn into a writing and speaking career. And I never thought I could get up and speak in front of as many as 1,500 people. But her death and my passion to share her message, that humor can be therapeutic and help us heal anything, created a life I never imagined.
Author Allen Klein
NS: And would you change anything about your journey?
AK: Some little things, perhaps. But nothing major.
NS: What are you currently reading for inspiration?
AK: Not much. Too busy publicizing The AWE Factor.
NS: Is there a wellness or inspirational book you couldn’t finish? Why?
AK: No.
NS: What wellness book couldn’t you put down?
AK: Most of Wayne Dyer’s or Stephen Levine’s books.
NS: What’s next for you writing wise?
AK: Don’t know. After having over 30 books published, this might be the last.
AND FINALLY:
NS: Mermaids or Goddesses? (Superheroes or Gods?)
AK: Mermaids.
NS: Toast or bagels?
AK: A good bagel (I’m Jewish)
NS: Ocean, mountains, or forest?
AK: Ocean
NS: Leggings, jeans, slacks, or sweatpants?
AK: Slacks. (I like dressing up)
NS: Dogs, cats, fish, guinea pigs, or horses?
AK: Dogs
Allen Klein bio:
The Awe Factory by Allen Klein
Allen Klein is an award-winning author and speaker who shows audience’s worldwide how to use humor and positivity to deal with life’s not-so-funny stuff. He is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Applied Therapeutic Humor as well as a Toastmaster’s Communication and Leadership Award. In addition, he is also a TEDx presenter on intention, and the author of over 30 books including The Healing Power of Humor, You Can’t Ruin My Day, and Embracing Life After Loss. His latest book is, The Awe Factor, How a Little Bit of Wonder Can Make a Big Difference in Your Life.
Allen Klein, MA, CSP – www.allenklein.com
The AWE Factor: https://tinyurl.com/yxd8lrle
TEDx talk: http://tinyurl.com/z4hfsx5
Facebook: facebook.com/allen.klein
Twitter: @allenklein
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/allenklein/
Instagram: allenklein22
If you purchase something through the affiliate links on this page, Write Now Columbus, a collection of resources for central Ohio writers and readers, will receive a small percentage of the sale.
![Author Interview: Karen C.L. Anderson]()
by Nita Sweeney | Nov 18, 2020 | Author Interviews, Blog
Author Interview – Kate Farrell
I interview authors to find out what makes them tick. This author interview features Kate Farrell. Kate and I met while volunteering at the San Francisco Writers Conference for the Women’s National Book Association of San Francisco. Another Mango author, Kate is a dynamic storyteller, teacher, librarian, and all-around fun woman. I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I have.
Nita Sweeney (NS): When and how did your writing journey begin?
Kate Farrell (KF): I didn’t consider myself a writer until I received a grant to teach storytelling forty years ago. I was immediately asked to write a how-to book on the art of storytelling for a wide audience of adults: teachers, parents, librarians. Faced with this daunting challenge, I moved to a remote valley in the Eastern Sierra for a six-month writing retreat, not only to write the book, but consider the entire storytelling project—its scope and brand.
Armed with a portable, manual typewriter, erasable paper, and my background as a teacher and librarian, I wrote the manuscript chapter by chapter. I’d bundle the typed pages and ride my bicycle to the only photocopier in the town of Bishop, CA, keep the copy and mail the original at the post office across the street to San Francisco, unedited.
When I returned to the city, my work was published almost verbatim, along with the storytelling project’s name and scope, Word Weaving: A Storytelling Workbook, 1980. This first book has since been archived in historical collections in public libraries and as an educational resource. It became the basis for teaching the statewide project throughout California public schools.
NS: Why do you write? What motivates you?
KF: My motivation is to share the universal nature of stories and the timeless art of storytelling. In that sense, I see myself more of a storyteller than a writer.
NS: Plotter or pantser?
KF: Plotter. In nonfiction, I work from an outline; in crafting personal narratives, I use a storyboard. Well defined structure is essential in the oral tradition; nonfiction requires clarity in developing key points from general to specific.
NS: What’s your biggest writing struggle and how do you handle it?
KF: When writing personal narratives, I often doubt that my own experiences have value for others. I hope to communicate something universal that enhances others’ lives. At the same time, good stories don’t tell, but show, requiring skill in the use of detail and imagery. To overcome my doubts, I revert to technique. I use a storyboard or simple outline to delineate the narrative arc. I consider the conflict at the heart of my story and determine if others can identify with both the central conflict and its resolution.
For nonfiction, I fight fatigue since the work is fleshing out an outline with compelling language that engages the reader. Imagining the reader sitting across the desk does help, but the best motivator is an absolute deadline, chapter by chapter.
NS: What is one thing about writing you wish you’d learned earlier?
KF: In nonfiction writing, I wish I’d learned the basic components of paragraph structure.
NS: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever heard?
KF: To use adverbs, especially with attributions in dialogue.
NS: Do you write by hand or on a computer?
KF: Both. I find writing by hand more relaxing. When crafting a personal narrative, I frequently use a storyboard and sketch out the scenes with stick figures and key words.
NS: What are you currently reading?
KF: To escape from contemporary society and as a Jane Austen recommended spin off, I’ve been reading the Regency romances of Georgette Heyer. My favorite is The Corinthian; I’ve read it three times for sheer hilarity, situation comedy, and historic interest.
Kate Farrell, author of Story Power
NS: Is there a book you couldn’t finish? Why?
KF: I generally prefer historical fiction, so when confronted with any novel written in the present tense, I put it down. I typically cannot read present tense fiction, in first, second, or third person POV.
NS: What book couldn’t you put down?
KF: Cara Black’s new book, Three Hours in Paris, is a hunt for a covert operative in Nazi Paris, with vivid scenes, lively characters, pulse-elevating suspense. This book actually reminded me of Nancy Drew mysteries, such an intrepid heroine!
NS: What advice would you give writers starting out?
KF: Develop voice by imagining your reader next to you and speak directly to him/her as you write.
NS: Some writers struggle with the emotional side of writing. Do you have any tips for them?
KF: Focus on the purpose outside of yourself: to entertain, inform, or reveal. Connect with supportive writers to increase confidence and for encouraging feedback.
NS: What would you like readers to know about your most recent writing project?
KF: This how-to book on the art of storytelling is a culmination of my lifelong passion. It brought me full circle back to the first book I wrote forty years ago.
Story Power: Secrets to Creating, Crafting, and Telling Memorable Stories. Mango Publishing, June 2020.
Storytelling is a powerful and engaging art, now enjoying a comeback, touted by business experts and public speakers—from branding to TEDx. Kate Farrell, a masterful storyteller who founded the Word Weaving Storytelling Project and trained thousands in the art, has now released a new book, Story Power: Secrets to Creating, Crafting, and Telling Memorable Stories, to share the essence of the art with everyone who has a story to tell. In the book, more than twenty skillful contributors with a range of diverse voices, show you how to tell an unforgettable story.
NS: Has your writing life turned out differently than you expected? If so, how?
KF: It took me the longest time to realize that personal narrative had replaced the folktale in the oral tradition, even though The Moth and TED talks became popular twenty years ago. However, by 2005, I began to write personal narratives for my local writers’ club anthologies. With the help of experts in the field of memoir, I slowly learned the specific skills required in the genre and edited award winning anthologies. Still, I was not fully convinced of the universal nature of these personal stories until I attended the Moth Story Slams and observed their impact. These personal efforts continue to be works-in-progress. I’m excited to be part of the new direction in the oral tradition.
Story Power Author Kate Farrell and Mango Associate Publisher Brenda Knight
NS: What’s next for you writing wise?
KF: I’m writing my memoir with elements of folk and fairy tales, using the devices of magical realism combined with real life experiences. The working title is ONCE: Memoir of a Storyteller.
NS: How can storytelling help during the holidays this year?
KF: During the holidays this unusual year of social distancing, often separated from families and loved ones, take the time by phone, letter, or online to tell personal stories. Remember the good times, the gatherings, and those beloved friends and family who have passed away with a vignette or an unforgettable tale. Story Power can help you to create and craft these precious stories. The book makes a great gift for those who are journaling or recording memories during these challenging times. Prompts, exercises, and examples will stimulate your creativity and how to share.
AND FINALLY:
NS: Mermaids or Goddesses?
KF: Goddesses
NS: Toast or bagels?
KF: Toast
NS: Ocean, mountains, or forest?
KF: Forest
NS: Leggings or jeans?
KF: Leggings
NS: Dogs, cats, fish, guinea pigs, or horses?
KF: Dogs
About Kate Farrell
Story Power by Kate Farrell
Kate Farrell, storyteller, author, librarian, founded the Word Weaving Storytelling Project and published numerous educational materials on storytelling. She has contributed to and edited award-winning anthologies of personal narrative, Times They Were A-Changing: Women Remember the 60s & 70s, and Cry of the Nightbird: Writers Against Domestic Violence. Farrell’s new book, a timely how-to guide on the art of storytelling for adults, Story Power: Secrets to Creating, Crafting, and Telling Memorable Stories, was released in June. Recently, Farrell presented workshops for adults on the art of storytelling at the San Francisco Public Library, Mechanics Institute, and the San Francisco Writers Conference. Kate is now offering virtual workshops for libraries and writing groups, as well as performing virtually as a storyteller.
Website: https://katefarrell.net/
Blog: https://storytellingforeveryone.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kate-Farrell-Storyteller-330923030933184
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateStoryteller
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by Nita Sweeney | Oct 30, 2020 | Author Interviews, Blog
Marlena and her father: Nothing Bad Between Us
Author Interview – Marlena Fiol
In this blog series, I interview other authors. Here I interview Marlena Fiol, author of Nothing Bad Between Us: A Mennonite Missionary’s Daughter Finds Healing in Her Brokenness (Mango 2020.) I met Marlena earlier this year when she generously invited me to be on her podcast. Our deep conversation there, as well as our weekly interaction on Mango Publishing’s weekly Heart Wisdom panel, led me to want to interview her so you could all get to know her too. I hope you’ll enjoy her depth and wisdom as much as I do.
Nita Sweeney (NS): When and how did your writing journey begin?
Marlena Fiol (MF): My writing journey began as a business management scholar, consultant and professor almost forty years ago. Most of my body of published books and articles explored why and how people/organizations form and transform their understanding of who they are and who they can become.
When I retired from my business career five years ago, I began journaling as a way to uncover previously hidden, recurring patterns in my life. I gradually began to understand that vulnerably facing my many failings and flaws was the surest path to personal healing and growth. I published a number of those journal entries as essays. My readers asked me to share more of my journey, which led me to the writing I do today.
NS: Why do you write? What motivates you?
MF: I consider every blog, essay, book and workshop an opportunity to learn more about my own transformational journey, as well as an occasion to share my insights with others. I find great joy in the outpouring of others’ similar life stories. My firm belief is that we all want to be heard and understood.
NS: Plotter or pantser?
MF: Both. After my brain gives me an idea for a scene, I invite the brain chatter to be still while I write.
NS: What’s your biggest writing struggle and how do you handle it?
MF: My biggest struggle in writing Nothing Bad Between Us was battling my fear of exposing myself so vulnerably to my readers. I try to handle it by reminding myself that vulnerability is an invitation to healing for myself and others.
NS: What is one thing about writing you wish you’d learned earlier?
Marlena Fiol,
Author of Nothing Bad Between UsMF: That a very imperfect first draft is a worthy target.
NS: What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever heard?
MF: I must be very fortunate. I cannot think of any bad advice I’ve received. I’ve learned from many fine teachers.
NS: Do you write by hand or on a computer?
MF: Computer. My fingers on a keyboard move in a faster flow than paper and pencil.
NS: What are you currently reading?
MF: I find myself reading less for pleasure and more for learning. Currently, I’m re-reading Roots in order to better understand how Alex Haley presented Kunta Kinte. Kunta is not a particularly likable character, and yet the reader cares what happens to him and has compassion for him, even when he is stiff and non-communicative with those who love him most. Haley does this so skillfully!
NS: Is there a book you couldn’t finish? Why?
MF: Many. Usually because I get bored when there are too many descriptive details.
NS: What book couldn’t you put down?
MF: Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief.
NS: What advice would you give writers starting out?
MF: When writing for yourself, just write without thinking about why you’re writing; when writing for others, know why and for whom you’re writing before you begin.
NS: Some writers struggle with the emotional side of writing. Do you have any tips for them?
MF: If you have something important to say, write anyway.
NS: What would you like readers to know about your most recent writing project?
MF: My husband/co-author Ed O’Connor and I have nearly finished the first draft of a historical saga. It’s an exciting project, and I cannot wait to edit, edit, edit, and then publish it.
NS: Has your writing life turned out differently than you expected? If so, how?
MF: I never expected to write creative fiction and nonfiction.
NS: What’s next for you writing wise?
MF: Ed O’Connor and I have a book in mind about passionate aging.
AND FINALLY:
NS: Mermaids or Goddesses?
MF: Goddesses.
NS: Toast or bagels?
MF: Neither.
NS: Ocean, mountains, or forest?
MF: Ocean.
NS: Leggings or jeans?
MF: Leggings.
NS: Dogs, cats, fish, guinea pigs, or horses?
MF: Birds!
ABOUT MARLENA FIOL
Nothing Bad Between Us
by Marlena FiolAs a consultant and professor of strategic management, Marlena Fiol, PhD, guided her students and clients in coming to know themselves deeply, visualizing their dreams and identifying and removing the barriers to achieve them. Over half of her 85 published articles and books relate to identity and identity change. Her work has been cited over 20,000 times.
Today, as a blogger, essayist, novelist and memoirist, Fiol is still engaged in a similar mission. Every blog, essay, book or workshop provides an opportunity to explore who we are and what’s possible in our lives. Her new book Nothing Bad Between Us: A Mennonite Missionary’s Daughter Finds Healing in Her Brokenness (Mango Publishing, 2020) is a vulnerable and inspirational tale of personal transformation. She was raised in Paraguay on a leprosy station, and today lives with her husband in Eugene, Oregon.
