Digging deep & putting it out there

Last week a few things happened that got me thinking about the extent to which I do (or don't) dig deep and put real emotion into my writing.

1) One of my writer friends, Elizabeth Gibson, tweeted me, lamenting that some of her writing seems emotionless when she reads it.

Although I've never had this exact thought about my own writing, I think I get it. (Actually, for the last year and half I've felt pretty excited when I write something light-hearted and fun that I can read aloud without crying. It's happening less and less.) It's a fine line to walk. I mean, maybe you don't want to cut your heart out and pass it around on a platter, but you do want to give readers something to relate to, right? Something to connect to?

2) A mere day later, I came across this blog post by Tiffany Lawson Inman about putting emotions into your writing.

Interview with author Zoey Derrick

This month I'm pleased to bring you an interview with self-published romance author Zoey Derrick. Her first novel, Finding Love's Wings, was released in both ebook and paperback formats in May 2013. She is one of my editing clients and is also the person who has taught me the most about DIY book publicity. I'm thrilled that she agreed to do this interview and share her experiences with us.


I encourage you to connect with her on Twitter and Facebook and to check out her website, www.zoeyderrick.com

And with that, I'm pleased to bring you the interview.

ZOEY: I want to start off by saying thank you for having me on your blog today. Over the last 7 months you and I have worked very closely together on Finding Love’s Wings and we are coming back together again for Give Me Reason (Book 1 of The Reason Series) and I’m honored to be a part of your blog. I was so excited when you asked me for an interview and it means the world to me that we get to keep working together. <KISSES>

[Sione's note: Yes, she really is that sweet. Seriously, you should connect with her. She's awesome.]

What are your goals as a writer?

I want to create enjoyable, engaging stories that readers love. I want them to be able to relate to my characters, my settings, and my style and love every minute of what they’re reading. Of course, eventually, I would love to be a part of a publishing house and who knows, maybe even have an NYT or USA Today bestseller. For now though, I’d love to be an Amazon bestseller.

Tell us a little bit about your work(s) in progress.