3 ways you can use your life experience to help write a great story

You have probably heard the old adage, “write what you know”.  That is great advice for any aspiring author. However, I think too many writers believe those words only apply to factual knowledge when they should actually serve as encouragement to draw on all your sensual experiences for writing. In other words, don’t neglect your remembrance of smells and touch and emotions and particular sounds and dialect. As a writer, you have a vast resource of experiences to draw from to make your writing as good as it can be. Here are three ways you can tap experiences from your past.

Draw from places you have been. Too many writers try to describe locations and scenes that they have never visited. That usually creates a flat or incorrect description of a setting. When you are establishing a scene, take the time to draw upon what you remember from a particular location with all your senses. Use that to bring the scene to life for the reader. Also, be careful if you are writing about a city or geography where you have never traveled. Making up a setting for a fantasy novel is fine, but I would not recommend describing a location from someone else’s description.

Use dialogue and physical description to convey emotion instead of telling the reader how the character feels. Too often first-time writers tell readers what a character is experiencing emotionally, which is not the best way to draw the reader into the life of the character. Writing in that way reads more like a newspaper than a novel. Instead, use dialogue to unveil what the character is feeling or thinking.

One of the best examples I know of personally is the book Still Alice written by Lisa Genova.  This book, which was first self-published by iUniverse, is now a Simon and Schuster title and a major motion picture starring Julianne Moore. The first time I heard Lisa talk about writing the book she explained that she had actually taken acting classes to develop her craft of writing dialogue. It definitely worked. The book, which takes you through the experience of a woman with early onset memory loss, masterfully draws you into what Alice is experiencing. I could not put it down.

…think about all the experiences of your life as a place to look for inspiration. Smells you remember as a child. Time spent with crazy relatives. Car rides with the family.

Visit your past to find things to use today.  When you think about writing, you should think about all the experiences of your life as a place to look for inspiration. Smells you remember as a child. Time spent with crazy relatives. Car rides with the family. Any or all of those may be resources you can draw from to make your writing more interesting.  One author who used her past as motivation for writing a whole book is Virginia Castleman. Virginia self-published her book Strays with Archway Publishing and then was picked up by Simon and Schuster.  In the video below, she talks about how drawing from her childhood challenges gave her the inspiration to write the book.

 

 

iUniverse celebrates 15 years by recognizing some of their most significant self-published authors

This past month marked the 15th year of iUniverse offering supported self-publishing services to authors. To celebrate the occasion, they recognized some of the most significant authors who have self-published through them.

The list of those authors follows and it is a unique collection. Some have been picked up by traditional publishers. Some have used their iUniverse book to further a cause.  Others have written multiple books and self-published them all with iUniverse.  All together they help illustrate one of the greatest value of the indie publishing revolution. Writers from various backgrounds with a wide range of goals can get their books into the hands of readers.

Still Alice – Lisa Genova
Democracy’s Big Day – Jim Bendat
Lucia’s Survival Guide and Cookbook – Lucille Campilongo
Almost Home; My Life Story Volume 1 – Damien Echols
If I Knew Then– Amy Fisher
Kerosene Cowboys – Randy Arrington
Sounds Like Teen Spirit– Tim English
Life Above and Beyond the Rim 2014 – Joe Courtney 
The Siren– Kiera Cass
Deadly Powder on Medical Gloves; A Wake-Up Call to the Food and Drug Administration – Robert F. Edlich, MD
24 Hours Inside the President’s Bunker: 9-11-01 The White House – Lt. Col. Robert J. Darling
Within Arm’s Reach – Dan Emmett
Why Wait to Be Great – Terry Hawkins
Battleworn: The Memoir of a Combat Medic in Afghanistan– Chantelle Taylor

 

Every author has to overcome obstacles to get published, but maybe none as challenging as what Kent Bell faces everyday.

When Kent Bell came into this world on Valentine’s Day in 1965, he was born without arms or legs and was not expected to live till the next day. But like most everything in his life, Kent defied the odds and is now, forty-nine years old.  His most recent accomplishment is becoming a published author.

In his book, Look Ma, No Hands, No Legs Either, he narrates his life story, beginning with being born without arms or legs. Through his  inspiring work, Bell tells what it’s like living and thriving with a disability. From his birth, to moving regularly with his military family, to attending school and college, to accomplishing more in life than an average person, he shares the ups and downs of almost fifty years.

As a first-time published author, he details various exploits and accomplishments. A sports enthusiast, Bell became a scorekeeper for many activities, from Little League to the pros, including being the first disabled person to be an official scorekeeper in the 2004 USA Olympic basketball event. His memoir shows how despite facing insurmountable obstacles to the most simple of activities, he has accomplished amazing things.

In addition to achieving things many people only dream about, Kent has been an advocate to change the laws for people with disabilities.  Through Look Ma, No Hands, No Legs Either,  Bell inspires the reader through his unrelenting display of courage, passion, strength, endurance, integrity, and most of all, a positive attitude.